Milam County was first organized as the “Municipality of Milam” covering one sixth of Texas. The First Congress of the Republic in 1836 named Milam County one of the original seven Texas counties. Fifteen counties were carved out of the original Milam County along with parts of eighteen additional counties. The county was named in honor of Benjamin Rush Milam.

The original inhabitants were Native Americans belonging to the Lipan, Apache, Tonkawa and Comanches tribes. Next, the Spanish Friars established three Missions along the San Gabriel River in 1746. Anglo-American settlers began arriving in 1834.

Present day Milam County features the Brazos and Little Rivers within 1,017 square miles of the Blackland Prairie and Post Oak Savannah regions of Texas. Cameron is the county seat. Rockdale, Thorndale, Buckholts, Gause, and Milano are other towns in the county.

Milam County started the first Tomato Club for Girls in Texas in 1912. Mrs. Edna Trigg, the first home demonstration agent in Texas, organized eleven Tomato Clubs in the county. Tomato Clubs and Corn Clubs for Boys were the forerunners of today’s 4-H Program.

The discovery of large deposit of lignite in southern Milam County resulted in Aluminum Company of American (ALCOA) locating its largest U.S. smelter near Rockdale in 1952. About 1,400 employees work for ALCOA along with additional employees in related businesses concerning mining and reclamation.