Wheeler County was formed from Young and Bexar territories, created on August 21, 1876, and organized on April 12, 1879. It was named in honor of Royal T. Wheeler, 1810–1864, who served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas from 1844 to 1858 and as Chief Justice from 1858 to 1864. The county seat was Mobeetie from 1879 to 1906 and has been Wheeler since then.