On January 10, 1862 the Legislature of the State of Texas created a county from parts of Kerr and Blanco counties called Kendall County with the following description "...Beginning at the Southeast corner of Gillespie County; thence, West to a point on the South Line of said county; from which a line running due South, will cross the Guadalupe River, one mile above the Public Square of the town of Comfort, for the Northwest corner of Kendall County; thence, South about twenty-five and a half miles to the Northeast boundary line of Bandera County; thence with said boundary line to the head of Balcones Creek, where the West boundary line of Survey No. 408 in the name of A. Gayton crosses the same; thence down with the meander of Balcones Creek to its mouth; thence in a direct course with the northwest boundary line of Comal County to the mouth of Curry's Creek, being about fourteen miles 45 degrees East; thence, with the next course of the Northwest line of Comal County, five miles; thence, in a direct course about twenty miles North 27ø West to the place of beginning."
Adam Vogt was appointed a Commissioner to organize said County of Kendall, to call an election of county officers, to administer the oath of office to those elected. Elections were duly carried out in February 1862. The County Court met for the first time the following month.
The County was named for George Wilkins Kendall (1809-1867), a journalist, one of the founders of the newspaper, "New Orleans Picayune"; poet, author,; member of the renowned "Santa Fe Expedition"; and sheep rancher. He resided at his ranch in Kendall County during his ranching years.