Belton, TX

Belton was platted in 1850 with the name of Nolandville. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34 km²), of which, 12.5 square miles (32 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (5.09%) is water. It was given its current name in 1851, named after Texas' Governor, Peter Hansborough Bell. As the county seat of the like named Bell County the town seemed destined for growth. The 1880s marked the town's brightest age, with the building of the courthouse, Mary Hardin Baylor buildings, and a "railroad war" in which, by 1881, Belton was bypassed by the railroad which built Temple, Texas as the local junction and depot town. In 1913 the city experienced a major flood. leading to the naming of Yettie Polk Park, from one of those who died. The town began to thrive following the creation of Fort Hood in 1942.