Borden County and Its Seat, Gail, Are Both Named for the Same Man

The Texas Legislature created Borden County in 1876. It was marked off from Bosque County. The county was named for Gail Borden Jr. He served the Republic of Texas as a newspaper publisher, land surveyor, and civic organizer. Borden helped survey the townsite of Houston. He also produced the first topographical map of Texas. He is widely known as the inventor of a process for condensed milk.

Few people lived in the county at first. Ranchers had moved into the area by 1876, but by 1880 fewer than 40 people lived there. The county was not formally organized until 1891. That year, Gail — named in Borden's honor — was chosen as the county seat. Cotton farming grew alongside ranching from the 1890s onward. Oil was discovered in 1949, adding a third major part of the economy.

Today Gail is the only town in Borden County. It has the courthouse, school, post office, and small businesses. The town serves an area of roughly 900 square miles. The county's 1939 courthouse was designed by Abilene architect David S. Castle. It still stands on the town's central block. Borden County is one of the least-populated counties in Texas. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas entry on Borden County is the most thorough published history of the county.