Mills

Formed February 26, 1887 (233^rd county)

Mills County (4,454), Goldthwaite (1,732)

The Classical Revival style for the 1913 courthouse makes it a stately sight in Goldthwaite.  It is located on the square at the intersection of Fisher Street (United States Highway 183) and 4th.  Henry T. Phelps planned this brown brick structure.  The building was renovated in 2011.  Two courthouses (1890 and 1913,) both in Goldthwaite, have served the county since its beginning on February 26, 1887.  The county is a formation of parts from Brown, Lampasas, Comanche, and Hamilton counties as the 233^rd county.  Mills County has John T. Mills for a namesake.  He was a judge in the Republic of Texas.  Goldthwaite is named for Joseph G. Goldthwaite, a railroad official in the area when the city was founded. 

Mills County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Mills and Brown counties and One County Court Judge serves Mills County.  The Colorado River is the western border and the Lampasas River is most of the eastern border.  The county is 45-degree rectangle located in the middle of the state.  The county center is 9.2 miles North of Goldthwaite nearer Bozar.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Comanche, Hamilton, Lampasas, San Saba, and Brown counties. 

The area of the county is 748 square miles.  It is 209 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 206 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 6.0 persons per square mile making it 190 out of 254 in the state.  Mills County has 41.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 84 comes from Hamilton County, east, and goes into Brown County, northwest.  United States Highway 183 is joined with United States Highway 84 from Brown County but exits to the south to Lampasas County.  Goldthwaite is near the center of the county.  Goldthwaite is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 38.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced GOLDTH-WATE.