History in a Pecan Shell
The county's first and only county seat, Quitman was formed in 1850 and named after John A. Quitman, a governor of Mississippi and a General during the Mexican War who distinguished himself at Monterey and also served as governor of Mexico City during the U. S. occupation.
In 1872 as the Texas and Pacific Railway headed west across Texas, they wanted to have a depot there, but as was the custom, they demanded tribute. James Stephen Hogg, who later became Texas' first native-born governor, stood up to the railroad. No money changed hands, but Quitman didn't get their depot, either.
The T & P chose Sodom, Texas - a town that changed its name to Mineola - according to The Handbook of Texas.
By the 30's Quitman's population rose to a respectable 950 before declining like most of Texas. An oil discovery reversed the decline and by the mid-1950s it was back in the 900s.
Quitman is the hometown of actress Sissy Spacek.