Town of Lexington. Settled in 1837 in area then part of Burleson County; named for Massachusetts town where the American Revolution began. First inhabitants of the area were Tonkawa Indians. The first white settler was James Shaw (1808-1879), a young surveyor and teacher from Ohio. He received a land grant for service in 1836 in the Battle of San Jacinto. He settled here, 1837, and set up first post office at nearby String Prairie community, 1849. Although early cotton industry declined, the town revived, 1890, when San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad reached here. #8167