Mertzon: The County Seat That Won an Election in 1936

Mertzon is the county seat of Irion County, one of the least-populated counties in Texas, and it earned that title through a contested election that took place more than a quarter century after the town was founded.

Established in nineteen oh eight as a post office and railroad stop on the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, Mertzon was named for M. L. Mertz, a San Angelo banker who served as a director of the line. Oil was discovered in the area in nineteen twenty-eight, and between sheep, cattle, goats, and oil royalties, the county sustained a modest but real economy. When the county seat election came in nineteen thirty-six, Mertzon defeated Sherwood, the existing seat, in what the Texas State Historical Association describes as a spirited contest. The railroad had already tilted the advantage toward Mertzon. With fewer than a thousand people, it is one of the smallest county seats in Texas.