Brothers Thomas and James Bell came to this area from Florida in 1822 with Stephen F. Austin's colony and acquired about 2,000 acres of land in 1837. Thomas Bell offered a portion of his land at this site for a new townsite to replace San Felipe as the county seat, and voters accepted his offer in 1846. Pioneers from England, Germany, Connecticut, Maryland, and Georgia were drawn to the new town, which was platted in 1848 and soon named Bellville by popular vote. A courthouse and jail were erected in 1848, and Bellville's first hotel opened in 1849. Within ten years, the booming town had about fifteen businesses. The Civil War left the town nearly deserted, and rebuilding during the Reconstruction era was difficult. Positive growth began about 1877 as new business ventures took root. In 1880 the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway arrived in Bellville, and the population doubled rapidly. The Episcopal and German Methodist churches organized about 1881, and the Bellville Standard newspaper was established in 1882. A telephone company began operations and a library was established by 1886. Cotton production rose in the late 1890s, and more than 10,000 bales were shipped each growing season. By the turn of the century Bellville was thriving both culturally and economically. Oil replaced cotton as the area's major industry in 1915 when black gold was discovered around Bellville. Development of local oil fields further spurred the town's growth and continued to help support Bellville throughout the 20th century.