All cities evolve, and as such, various needs arise at different times. A need for a jail arose early on in the history of Fayette County. The first jail, which was used for ten years went into operation in 1838. This was roughly the same time the first court house was procured. It was a house that had been used as a grocery store, and was purchased for $250.

Judge R.E.B. Baylor, one of the founders of Baylor University, established the first school in La Grange in 1839. Over the next sixteen years, La Grange added three more schools and each one had an enrollment of twenty students.

The Historic Oak of La Grange has been a gathering place for which soldiers were sent to war. A marker was placed at the site in 1964 to honor this spot.  

It was at the Historic Oak in La Grange that many men of Texas' army gathered to defend the state's independence from the Mexican government. When the war ended, attention was once more given to the City, which was then incorporated in 1850. War efforts were once again needed between the years of 1861-1865, the years of the Civil War. Fayette county residents voted against secession in a 626 to 580 vote, but the county supported the state's decision to secede.  Despite the years of war, the population of La Grange was approximately 1020 by 1867, but Yellow Fever struck 204 lives. 1869 brought the worst flood of the time to the Colorado River, and the following year, there was yet another flood, which left most of La Grange under water and ruined most of the crops.

Floods were not the only major forms of destruction faced by early citizens of La Grange, fire was also a problem. 1n 1883 a livery stable burned and 22 horses were killed. This event prompted the organization of La Grange's fire department in 1883. In spite of the hardships it faced, the city continued to grow. In 1890, the population was 1800, and by 1900 the population had grown to 2400, which represents a 20% increase in just one decade. Railroads undoubtedly helped account for the rapid growth as the Southern Pacific built a rail line from La Grange to nearby Columbus, in 1883, marking the first rail connection from La Grange to the outside world. An additional railroad connection was later added when the Taylor, Bastrop, Houston railroad was connected to La Grange. The railroads made it possible for more people to move to La Grange, and increased the City's role as a center of trade.

The Fayette County population declined during the early 1900's, as did the number of farms, however the wealth in agriculture grew. Land in the county was used almost entirely until the 1930's for the production of cotton, wheat, and hay. According to figures taken from 1980 county statistics, the most common crops found in Fayette County were corn, grain, sorghum, oats, wheat, peanuts, hay crops, and grazing crops. Most of the agriculture land is now used as rangeland.