Located in a fertile farming region, Era was settled in the 1870s. Merchant J. N. Gist (1827-1893) platted the townsite. The post office opened in 1881 and was named for Era Hargroves (1875-1880), daughter of an early resident. The village soon had a blacksmith shop, cotton gin, hotel, several stores, and three churches. Era Institute was chartered in 1897 with primary through college level classes. Among the town's prominent citizens was Robert E. Thomason (1879-1973), U.S. Congressman and Federal Judge. Era won first place in the Texas Community Improvement Program in 1973.