John Hemphill
1803 - 1862The county was named in honor of John Hemphill (1803-1862) who was the First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Texas. He also served as Adjutant General of the Somervell Expedition, an invasion of Mexico while the state was a Republic, and was a Member of the first State Constitutional Convention and of the United States Senate.  John Hemphill was also a veteran of wars with Native Americans.

World War IFrom a child dressed in a uniform, to the Studer family with four sons in uniform, we have a glimpse of the time of World War I in these pictures from the Julius Born Collection that do provide an insight into the fervor of the times.