Explored as early as 1691 by the expedition of Domingo Teran de Los Rios, Spanish governor of Texas, this region was crossed from southwest to northeast by the historic San Antonio Road, which was used by most Spanish explorers and travelers of the 18th century, including French-American explorer St. Denis in 1714 and the Canary Islanders in 1718 as they made one of the first civil settlements in San Antonio. The county was created in 1858 from Uvalde and Maverick counties and named for Texas patriot and statesman Lorenzo de Zavala, but it was not organized until 1884, when enough people resided there. Its first county seat was Bates City, later renamed Batesville. The first judge was J. M. Downs, and the commissioners were W.C. Mangum, E.P. Waller, V.M. West, and G.B. Kenney. Before 1884 ended, a school election had been held in Palo Blanco, and a $7,500 contract had been let for a courthouse and jail. When the county seat moved to Crystal City in 1928, a courthouse and jail were built there. A new courthouse was erected in 1969 at a cost of $475,000 and was commissioned by the 1968-1969 county courts: Irl Taylor, judge; Cecil Davis, Jr.; F.D. Keller, Jr.; H.R. Reynolds; E.B. Ross; Jesus Rodriguez; and Henry Volz, Jr., commissioners.