Hallettsville

Hallettsville, known as the City of Hospitality, has been the county seat of Lavaca County since 1852. The city is situated on the east bank of the Lavaca River. Margaret Hallet gave the land for the townsite, and her influence helped secure Hallettsville as the permanent county seat. By means of a charter, the city of Hallettsville was incorporated in 1879. Scenes from the popular musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, feature the scenic Hallettsville courthouse square. Annual city events include the Kolache Festival, Fiddler's Frolic, and the Festival of Lights. The Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame also calls Hallettsville home.

Author Holly Heinsohn is a research historian and professional genealogist, and she teaches history at Victoria College. Heinsohn earned a bachelor of arts degree, a master of arts degree, and a master of education degree from the University of Houston-Victoria. She is the author of Historical Narratives of Lavaca County, Texas, Volume I. Two of her biographies appear in the Encyclopedia of Free Blacks & People of Color in the Americas. The photographs for Images of America: Hallettsville came from the Friench Simpson Memorial Library's collection of more than 4,000 historical photographs.