Leon County

Leon County is located in the Claypan area of East Texas. The Republic of Texas legislature authorized the formation of Leon County which was named for Martin De Leon who founded Victoria, Texas. Leon County is bordered in the north by Limestone and Freestone counties, by Robertson County on the west, Houston and Anderson counties to the east, and Madison county to the south.

Leon county was originally part of Robertson county and was divided along the Navasota River which now forms the riparian border to the west. The eastern border is made by the route of the Trinity River and the majority of the southern border is the Old San Antonio Road. Local folklore suggests that the county was actually named after a yellow wolf in the area commonly called the leon or lion in Spanish.

Centerville is the county seat of Leon County and the courthouse which was built in 1886 sits in the town square. The courthouse was restored and rededicated in July of 2007. The original 1858 courthouse was destroyed by fire and the new courthouse was built on the same foundation using parts of the old courthouse including the original safes which still contain many county files and documents. Today, the Leon County courthouse has been restored to its historical 1909 date with the exception of restrooms which were not in the original plan. The old District courtroom is upstairs and is still used by the Leon county court. The original benches, ceiling fans, and floor length windows make the courthouse feel like an earlier era.

Leon County is home to Fort Boggy State Park which was opened in 2001 with a family land donation to the county. The palisaded fort of the park’s namesake is no longer standing. In fact, the site where the fort was situated is unknown but local folklore is that a seventy-five square yard garrison once stood on the grounds of the park that stood as a refuge for seventy-five residents in the eighteenth century. The blockhouse stronghold was built on Boggy Creek in 1837 was named Fort Boggy. The area was known for raids from the indigenous Kickapoo and Keechi tribes that occupied the region. Nearby Fort Parker in neighboring Limestone County was attacked by 500 to 700 Comanche and Caddo Indians in 1833. White settlers did not return to the area until after the Texas Revolution. The park has a fifteen-acre lake with a walking trail and several other trails throughout the park. The shallow lake provides ideal conditions for Texas waterfowl and each year attracts teal and mallard ducks. Wood ducks call the Fort Boggy Park home year around. Visitors are served with a large pavilion and picnic tables are set out on the bank of the lake. Fort Boggy State Park is located just south of Centerville on TX-75.

Leon County archeology suggests that humans have inhabited the area as early as 4000 B.C. Today, Leon County is made up of the cities and towns of Buffalo, Centerville, Jewett, Leona, Marquez, Normangee, and Oakwood. Hilltop Lakes is another popular community in the county. Unincorporated communities in the area include Centerview, Concord, Flynn, Guy’s Store, Hopewell, Red Branch, and Vanetia. Leona was the original county seat of Leon County and today Buffalo is the largest city.

Although Leon County is rural it is also the halfway point between Dallas and Houston on Interstate 45 and is crossed each day by thousands of travelers. In addition, the county is crossed by many major thoroughfares such as U.S. Highway 79, State Highway 7, 75, and 164. Law enforcement in Leon County is hypervigilant due to that large quantities of drugs that are trafficked through the area. Busts are common along the roadways in the county and often local and out of town residents can be caught up in theses stings. Drug and alcohol stops are common. If you have been arrested in Leon county, you need a local criminal defense attorney that will fight for your legal rights. The law firm of M. Neufeld Law has nearly 15 years of experience representing people arrested in Leon County. We represent individuals accused of alcohol offenses such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), boating while intoxicated (BWI), and driving under the influence (DUI), as well as for possession crimes involving drugs and controlled substances. M. Neufeld Law has a team of professionals standing by ready aggressively represent you if you have been arrested in Leon County.

Call us today at 936-228-6155.