Question: How many counties established by Texas law no longer exist?
Answer: More than 30.
The Texas Supreme Court declared the sixteen counties established by judicial order unconstitutional in 1842 because they lacked representation in the Republic of Texas Congress.
Nine counties established by the state legislature or the 1869 Constitution were never organized at the local level. Three counties—Greer, Worth, and Santa Fe—were formed in areas that became part of New Mexico and Oklahoma. Five counties changed their names after they were organized: Harrisburg (Harris), Navasoto (Brazos), Davis (Cass), Buchanan (Stephens), and Cibolo (Wilson).
