Home of the
Groesbeck Goats
Groesbeck High School
through 1974
American Legion Statue.  
Erected November 11, 1929.
Highway 14 heading north
through Groesbeck.



The city of Groesbeck was dedicated as a township by
the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1869 and
was named for Abraham Groesbeeck, one of its
directors. Development of a city government began on
April 11, 1871, when the town was incorporated by an
act of the legislature. On April 12, 1871, a post office
was established and the name was listed as Groesbeck.
This spelling stuck.

Two businesses which were located in Groesbeck at this
time were Sanger Brothers and Tom Padgitt and
Company. These moved to Dallas and Waco
respectively, and have remained in business to this day
in some form. Almost immediately the Methodist Church
began to erect a church and a Union Sunday School
was organized. The first newspaper was established in
Groesbeck in 1871. The Groesbeck Masonic Lodge 354
was chartered on June 14, 1872. Groesbeck became
the county seat of Limestone County on December 20,
1873. On May 24, 1890 an election was held to
establish a school system and, on June 30, 1890 the
citizens overwhelmingly voted to incorporate the city and
establish the mayor-council form of government which
survives to this day. Following a disasterous fire in
1896, the fire department was founded.

Located centrally in the area between Houston, Austin
and the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, the Groesbeck area
has built an economy long based on agriculture which
has recently expanded to various mining enterprises
and several small manufacturing industries. Because of
its central location, Groesbeck offers all of the
necessary amenities to a family while providing the
security of a small town. In addition the area offers many
recreational facilities, such as Ft. Parker State Park and
Lake Limestone, which provide relaxation for its citizens
and tourists. Additionally, its rich history is preserved in
the many historical sites in the area. Old Ft. Parker was
the site of the kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker, who
later became the mother of Quanah Parker, the last
Comanche chief. The Confederate Reunion Grounds
provided the location for many county-wide activities
and is preserved today. It is also the home of Limestone
County's "Million Dollar Courthouse." The estimated
population of Groesbeck in 2003 was 4348.

This article is compliments of www.groesbecktexas.org
Groesbeck, Texas