[4] The first Europeans to encounter the area were the Spanish, who led several campaigns against the local Indian tribes in the mid-18th century.

In 1808, Spanish Captain Francisco Amangual commanded a military expedition from San Antonio to Santa Fe and mapped a road, which passed through what is now Kimble County.

Another early settler was James Bradbury Sr., who moved to the area from Williamson County and chose a site along the banks of the South Llano River.

[5] The new county was named for Lieutenant George C. Kimble[7] (sometimes spelled Kimbell), who died during the Battle of the Alamo.

Throughout the 1870s, the lightly populated settlements of Kimble County faced raids by Comanches, as well as Lipans and Kickapoos, who used Mexico as their base.

The county also became a popular haven for outlaws who used the area's hilly terrain and dense cedar breaks as hideouts.

That spring, the towns of Kimbleville and Denman (quickly changed to Junction City) were founded.

Kimbleville soon disappeared largely due to its location in a flood-prone area of the county.

Other communities were formed during the latter half of the 19th century, including London, Noxville, Roosevelt, Segovia, Telegraph, and Viejo (later Cleo).

The replacement, a two-story stone building, was partially destroyed by fire in 1888, but was repaired and remained in operation until the present courthouse was constructed in 1929.

A county-wide bond election to fund the construction of gravel and paved roads was approved in 1919.

[8] In the late 1920s, Kimble County had become one of the state's leaders in the wool and mohair industry.

Unemployment increased in the county during the Great Depression, but the population rose throughout the 1930s and stood at 5,064 by the 1940 census.

[9] Kimble County has the highest natural point in the Texas Hill Country at 2,460 feet (750 m) above sea level.

Also, a small portion of the county lies within the Mason Independent School District.

Kimble County has voted predominantly Republican at the presidential level from 1952, the lone exception being 1964, when native son Lyndon B. Johnson won in a landslide over Barry Goldwater.