Van Zandt County was carved out in 1848 and named for a Republic leader

The Texas Legislature created Van Zandt County in 1848. It was carved out of part of Henderson County. The county was named for Isaac Van Zandt. He was a congressman and diplomat for the Republic of Texas. He died in 1847, just one year before the county was formed.

The county seat was established at Canton in 1850, the same year Wood County was carved out of Van Zandt County. Settlers named Canton after Old Canton in Smith County, where many of them came from.

The Texas and Pacific Railway arrived in 1873. That changed everything. Before the railroad, people farmed mostly for themselves and produced salt from local deposits. After the railroad, cotton became the main crop. Today the county's economy includes beef cattle, dairy, hay, sweet potatoes, and tourism. The Handbook of Texas has the full county history.