[4] It is named for James Collinsworth,[5] a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first chief justice of the Republic of Texas (a recording error in the bill accounts for the error in spelling, which was never corrected).

[7] The county was created in 1876 from the Bexar and Young land district of Texas.

From 1883 until 1896 the county was home to the English owned Rocking Chair Ranche.

[8] As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 3,206 people, 1,294 households, and 916 families residing in the county.

27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.