Wood

Formed January 1, 1850 (90^th county)

Wood County (41,964), Quitman (1,809), Mineola (4,515)

The red/brown brick Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1925 on the square at Bermuda and Main streets.  Bermuda Street is Texas State Highway 154 going around the courthouse at the square.  The architect was C. H. Leinbach.  The building was enlarged in 1949.  All four courthouses (1851, 1854, 1883, and 1925) for the county since its January 1, 1850 founding have been in Quitman.  The county was cut from Van Zandt County as the 90^th county.  Wood County was named for Texas Governor, George T. Wood.  Woodville in Tyler County gets its name from the same individual.  The county seat was named for John Anthony Quitman who led a group of volunteers in the Texas Revolution. 

Wood County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge and One County Court Judge serve Wood County.  The county is located in East Texas to the north of Tyler, Texas and to the west of Shreveport, Louisiana.  The Sabine River forms the southern border of the county.  The county center is 5.5 miles East-Northeast of Quitman nearer Oak Grove.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Franklin, Camp, Upshur, Smith, Van Zandt, Rains, and Hopkins counties. 

The area of the county is 696 square miles.  It is 224 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 74 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 60.29 persons per square mile making it 64 out of 254 in the state.  Wood County has 26.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 69 crosses the southwest corner from Rains County, west, into Smith County, south.  United States Highway 80 enters from the east, Upshur County, and exits into the northwest tip of Smith County.  The county is rectangular on the west, north, and east.  The Sabine River crosses diagonally to the southeast on the southern border.  Quitman is in the western quarter in the county.  Mineola is located near the southwest border of the county.  Quitman is the county seat and Mineola is the largest city.  Quitman is 4.3% of the county population while Mineola is 10.8% of the county population.  The largest city is pronounced MIN-EE-OE-LA.