In 1867, when the county seat of Johnson county was moved to a more central location, it was on land donated by Colonel B.J.Chambers and Colonel W.F.Henderson, who each gave 100 acres from their own land.
This new town site was known as Camp Henderson, because it was here that men trained for service in the Civil War on land owned by W.F.Henderson. The Commissioners Court appointed a committee to select a suitable name for the new town. Among those on the committee were: W.O.Menefee, Matt Graham, A.D.Kennard and N.H.Cook. Matt Graham, who had served under General Patrick R. Cleburne, as had many of the county's Confederate soldiers, suggested the name Cleburne, which was duly accepted by the court.
Water for the new town was plentiful, as it was located in the valley between East and West Buffalo Creeks, where there were many springs of fresh, clear water. The availability of water and good grazing land between West Buffalo Creek and the Nolan River caused drovers, on the feeder trails which joined the old Chisholm Trail going north through Oklahoma up to Kansas, the veer their herds through this section. As a result several log cabins had already been built as stores, amusement houses and shelters to provide fro the cowboys.
N.H.Cook, who became County Treasurer, built a log cabin at the southwest corner of what became the square, and opened a mercantile business, hoping to supply the cowboys on the trail drives. He is said to have been the first settler in Cleburne, coming to Camp Henderson in June 1866.
Copyright [sic] "History of Johnson County and Surrounding Areas, Waco, Texas" by Viola Block. Published by Texian Press, 1970.