Groveton: How Trinity County Settled on Its County Seat

Trinity County was created in February 1850. The county seat — the town that holds the main government offices — moved several times in the early years. It started at Sumpter, then moved to the town of Trinity, then briefly to Pennington. Groveton became the county seat in 1882. It grew quickly around a new lumber mill and the Sabine branch of the International-Great Northern Railroad.

The lumber boom of the 1880s brought large sawmill operations to the county. The mills brought workers and business. That is why voters moved the county seat to where the railroad and industry had settled. By the early 1900s, the mills had closed. The timber had run out. Today the county's economy centers on forestry, cattle ranching, and recreation. Groveton is still a small town and still serves as the county seat.