In 1855, Tennessee native John Williams (1804–1871) was traveling from Missouri through Texas when he discovered a group of springs near Mullin Creek.

During the next ten years, a community grew around Williams Ranch consisting of a number of homes, the Florida Hotel (the first in the area before Mills County),[3] a general store, a school (the first public school in the area that would become Mills County),[4] a few saloons,[2] and a number of other businesses, including a stage stop.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee passed through the community with troops that were relocating from Indianola to Fort Griffin.

A telegraph line connecting Austin to Fort Concho passed through the town and was operated by Hallie Hutchinson, the nine-year-old daughter of the Florida Hotel owner.

Its demise began when it was bypassed by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1885 but more for the reason of the feud that existed between the town's original settlers and its newcomers.

The local terrain is characterized by steep slopes and benches, surfaced by shallow clay loams or sandy soils, which support juniper, live oak, mesquite, and grasses.