Bell County

Origin of the Name

Bell County was named after Peter Hansborough Bell, who served as the third governor of Texas from 1849 to 1853.

Fun Facts

• Established in 1850 from Milam County, Bell County was named after Texas Revolution hero and Governor Peter H. Bell. The county seat, first called Nolandsville, became Belton in 1852.
• The Chisholm Trail passed through the area in the late 1860s.
• A female-led religious commune, the True Church Colony, existed nearby until around 1900.
• Railroads spurred Bell County’s growth in the late 1800s. The Katy line came through Belton, while the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway founded Temple.
• Temple became a medical hub with the opening of several hospitals, including what became Scott & White Medical Center.
• World War II brought more change with the 1942 opening of Fort Hood—renamed Fort Cavazos—in 2023 to honor General Richard Cavazos.
• Bell County was home to Miriam A. Ferguson, the first woman elected governor in the U.S., and her husband, former Texas Governor James Ferguson.
• The county hosts key colleges, including University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (1845), Temple College (1926), Central Texas College (1965), and Texas A&M–Central Texas (2009).

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