Cuero was widely known in its early days as a center for leather fabrication. The Spanish word for "raw hide" became the town's name. Officially founded in 1873, Cuero was an unruly place until the influx of Indianola residents following the 1875 and 1886 hurricanes. Many Indianola homes and businesses were disassembled and moved inland to Cuero. There was a great deal of growth in the late 19th century, and Cuero was a bustling little city by the turn of the century. Much of the beautiful architecture from that era remains. Over 50 buildings, most notably the DeWitt County Courthouse, are registered on the state and national registers of historical places. Cattle trade has been significant from the early days to the present. The Chisholm Trail began near Cuero, and DeWitt County remains the most densely populated cattle county in Texas. Turkeys were once a major agricultural product, but there are no commercial turkey farms in DeWitt County today.