Livingston

Moses L. Choate, a native of Livingston, Tennessee, had started a settlement called Springfield on his land grant in 1835, and wanted the seat of government located there when Polk County was organized out of Liberty County in 1846. He offered to give the new county one hundred acres of land if Springfield was selected as County Seat and the name of the town be changed to Livingston, for his former home in Tennessee. Although this was very generous offer made by Choate, the legislature required that an election be held to determine the location of the County Seat for the newly organized Polk County. Thus, by election in June 1846, Springfield was decided upon and the name was changed to Livingston.