Real County lies on the Edwards Plateau in an area of rolling terrain broken by the canyons of the Frio River. Raids by Comanche, Apache, and Lipan Apache Indians hindered white settlement until after 1881. The Spanish founded Mission San Lorenzo de La Santa Cruz in 1762 near present Camp Wood. The county was created on April 3, 1913, from Edwards, Kerr, and Bandera counties and was organized on July 26, 1913. It was named for Julius Real, a prominent businessman and state senator from 1909 to 1914 and 1924 to 1928. Leakey, the county seat, was established by John Leakey, a pioneer settler in the region.