Frio County
Pearsall, Frio County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Lying in one of the first areas in Texas to be explored by the Spanish, in 1690, Frio County was created in 1858 and organized in 1871. Frio City, laid out 1871, was the first county seat, but surrendered the title to Pearsall, on the International & Great Northern Railroad, in 1883. Old rock courthouse still stands in present Frio Town. The county has had four courthouses: two frame ones, one of rock, and one of brick. In 1876 a Texas Ranger camp, under the noted Major John B. Jones, was set up on Elm Creek to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The legendary frontiersman W.A.A. "Big Foot" Wallace (1817-1899) spend his last years in Frio County. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Though Spanish explorers passed through this brushy South Texas country as early as 1690, Frio County was not organized until after the Civil War. The county seat shifted from Frio City to Pearsall when the International & Great Northern Railroad arrived in 1883, and in 1876 a Texas Ranger camp under Major John B. Jones guarded settlers against raids. The legendary frontiersman "Big Foot" Wallace spent his last years here.
Why it matters
Frio County's story captures the frontier phase of Texas settlement—rail lines, Ranger patrols, and colorful frontiersmen shaping a raw borderland into organized counties.
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Related people
- · John B. Jones
- · W.A.A. "Big Foot" Wallace
Themes & tags
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