As early as 1722, El Camino Real, the King's Highway from the Rio Grande to San Antonio, was well established in this area. The Spanish word "Atascosa," denoting boggy ground that hindered travel, gave the region its name. The county was created in 1856 from land formerly in Bexar County. Jose Antonio Navarro, whose 1831 claim was the first grant recorded in the area, gave land in 1857 for the first county seat, Navatasco. The county seat moved to Pleasanton in 1858 and to Jourdanton in 1911. Livestock, oil, gas, and strawberries are well-known products of the county.