In 1940 Kaufman was described as "... a quiet town of old residences set in shady grounds; it has a cottonseed oil mill and other industrial plants." [1]
Originally named Kingsboro, the name was changed when it became the county seat in 1851. The town was incorporated in 1872 and was re-incorporated in 1881 due to issues and conflicts regarding Civil War Reconstruction. By 1884 Kaufman had 1,000 residents and 2 railroad lines. A bank was opened in the late 1880s and a second one in 1892. By 1900 the town had 3 newspapers, more than 50 businesses and a population of approximately 2,300. [2]
Works Projects Administration, Federal Works Agency, Federal Writers' Program, Texas: A Guide to the Lone Star State, American Guide Series, Texas State Highway Commission, 1940.
Texas State Historical Association, Kaufman, TX, www.tshaonline.org, accessed August, 2013.