Live Oak County Courthouse
by Lynn Sprowl
Title
Live Oak County Courthouse
Artist
Lynn Sprowl
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Live Oak County Courthouse by Lynn Sprowl
There were several settlements in the Live Oak County area before the county was organized in 1856. The nearby settlements of Fox’s Nation (later Gussettville) and Echo were established in the 1850s. The U.S. Army set up Fort Merrill to protect residents from Indian attacks and after the fort was abandoned in 1855, the increased population justified the organization of a new county. That year, settlers in Gussettville petitioned the state legislature and in 1856, Live Oak County, named for the prominent trees in the area. Near a settlement on Sulphur Creek was donated for a townsite named Oakville and it became the county seat. The county’s first courthouse was built in Oakville in 1857. In 1879-80, a second story with a hipped roof and front porches were added. A second courthouse was built in Oakville in 1888.
In 1912, land developer George Washington West donated his ranch land and $100,000 for a townsite and right of way to the railroad. The town he helped establish was named George West in his honor. After an election in 1918, the county seat was moved to George West
Uploaded
May 16th, 2022
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