[3] The first documented European exploration of what is now Wood County took place in the late 18th century, when Pedro Vial,[3] was sent on expeditions by the Spanish governor of Texas.

[4] The following year, he passed through today's Wood County on his way back to San Antonio.

[3] Some archeological evidence suggests that a French trading post stood along Mill Race Creek in the early 1700s near the site of the modern town of Hainsville.

[5] An important archeological discovery made by a hunting party in 1887, southeast of Hainsville and north of Bromley, suggests that Native Americans may have engaged in a battle either between different tribes or with the Spanish.

Despite finding many relics, including a cross, tomahawk pieces, a Spanish coin, and several broken muskets, no written record of any such encounter has been found.

[6] Some Spanish and Mexican land grants were issued in the area, but settlement was sparse until after the Texas Revolution.

Reasons included that the majority of the population lived north of the river, and that travel to Jordan's Saline, then the county seat, was difficult in winter.

[7] Early industry included a number of sawmills, gristmills, steam mills, and cotton gins.

[8] Pine Mills, Perryville, Ogburn, Merrimac, Peach, and Fouke got their start as sawmill towns.

[3] The first soldiers raised for the Confederacy in Wood County were Company A, 10th Texas Cavalry Regiment.

[8] The Texas Shortline Railroad also ran between Alba and Grand Saline in Van Zandt County.

The following are towns in Wood County, Texas which are not incorporated but recognized as active settlements through community centers, churches, and similar geographic, historic, and physical landmarks.

[16] The railroad tracks which run through the southern portion of Wood County and through Mineola are currently owned and operated by Union Pacific.

[24][25] In 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a free news source available by social media and online was established.

Owner Amanda Duncan originally created the social-media accounts to keep residents informed of the pandemic and rising case numbers, and to help showcase small businesses that were financially struggling.

[27] Under Curry's tenure, the station was referred to by its ownership and on-air personalities as, "K M Double O," and on-air personalities were not allowed to call the station "KMOO," with the last three letters pronounced in a manner similar to a noise made by cattle.

In 2017, former Sheriff Jim Brown and former Chief Deputy Miles Tucker were arrested for various offenses stemming from a shooting incident over access to an oilfield lease.

In 1852, a log schoolhouse in the western part of the county near Chaney Crossing on Lake Fork was built.

[8] On January 8, 1884, the Texas legislature required the county to be divided into free public school districts.

The school districts established by the legislature were Quitman, Lone Star, Myrtle Springs, Forest Hill, Cartwright, Caney, Rock Hill, Forest Home, Winnsboro, Chalybeate Springs, Spring Hill, Smyrna, Cold Springs, Shady Grove, Center Point, Pleasant Grove, Floyd's Common Ridge, Mount Pisgah, Liberty, Sand Springs, Fletcher, Pleasant Divide, Friendship, Lone Pint, Salem, Webster, Persimmon Grove, Cottonwood, Macedonia, Concord, New Hope, Dyess, Mount Enterprise, and "Albia" (Alba).

Wood County is home to a number of historic and natural preservation sites, Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks, special districts, and cities and businesses with special designations from various national and state bodies.