Glasscock County was created in 1887 and organized in 1893, with Garden City as the county seat. It was named for George W. Glasscock (1810-68), Abraham Lincoln's flatboating partner in Illinois, who came to Texas in 1834 and fought in 1835-36 in the War for Independence from Mexico. He built the first flour mill in Central Texas, in Williamson County, Georgetown was named for him, and he served in the Texas Legislature from 1864 to 1868. Of Texas's 254 counties, 42 bear Indian, French, or Spanish names; 10 honor colonizers such as Stephen F. Austin; 12 were named for Washington, Clay, and other American patriots; 96 were named for men like Glasscock who fought in the Texas War for Independence, signed the Declaration of Independence, or served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas; 23 have the names of frontiersmen and pioneers; 11 honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas; 10 honor leaders in Texas since statehood, including jurists, ministers, educators, historians, and statesmen; and 36 were named for men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Midland and eight others have geographical names, San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles, Live Oak and Orange for trees, and Mason for a fort.