thumb|Kimble County Library in [[Junction, Texas|Junction contains the museum of the late U.S. Representative O.C. Fisher.]]
thumb|Veterans Memorial at Kimble County Courthouse
Kimble County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,286. Its county seat is Junction. The county was created in 1858 and organized in 1876. It is named for George C. Kimble, who died at the Battle of the Alamo.
History
Early years
Prior to the arrival of foreign settlers, the area that later became Kimble County was inhabited by several Native American groups, including the Comanche, Kiowa, Kiowa Apache, and Lipan Apache. The first Europeans to encounter the area were the Spanish, who led several campaigns against the local Indian tribes in the mid-18th century. In 1808, Spanish Captain Francisco Amangual commanded a military expedition from San Antonio to Santa Fe and mapped a road, which passed through what is now Kimble County. The area was first mentioned in Republic of Texas documents in 1842, when about 416,000 acres of the present county were included in the Fisher–Miller Land Grant, which extended from the Llano River to the Colorado River.
Settlement and formation
The earliest settlers began arriving in the late 1850s. One of the first was Raleigh Gentry, who settled along Bear Creek around 1857. The Gentry family consisted of Raleigh, his wife, and their several adult sons. Another early settler was James Bradbury Sr., who moved to the area from Williamson County and chose a site along the banks of the South Llano River.
The Texas Legislature enacted legislation on January 22, 1858, creating Kimble County from what was previously part of Bexar County. (sometimes spelled Kimbell), who died during the Battle of the Alamo. From 1858 to 1875, Kimble County was attached to Gillespie County for judicial purposes. The census of 1890 recorded 2,243 people and 279 farms and ranches in the county. The raising of cattle and sheep soon dominated the economy. In 1894, the county seat of Junction City became known simply as Junction.
Kimble County continued to grow during the early 20th century. The population in 1900 was 2,503. The 20th century brought many amenities to the county that were previously unavailable. Four Mile Dam was completed in 1904.
Kimble County has the highest natural point in the Texas Hill Country at above sea level.
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 10
- 20px U.S. Highway 83
- 25px U.S. Highway 290
- 25px U.S. Highway 377
Adjacent counties
- Menard County (north)
- Mason County (northeast)
- Gillespie County (east)
- Kerr County (southeast)
- Edwards County (southwest)
- Sutton County (west)
- Schleicher County (northwest)