Mart, McLennan County, Texas is approximately 18 miles east of Waco on Texas State Highway 164. Mart is located in the Blackland Prairie. In 1820s and 1830s, this land was occupied by the Waco Indians whose primary village was located near Waco Springs, the site of the present city of Waco. McLennan County was named for Neil McLennan on January 22, 1850. In 1876, W. H. Criswell traveled with wife, Clarette Wilder Criswell, whom he had married on November 25, 1875 from Falls County settlement of Criswell to the head of Big Creek in the southeastern corner of McLennan County. There on prairie, he built a log cabin and established his farm. This was the beginning of the town of Willow Springs (named for the Willow trees near the springswhere the Criswell family settled) later named Mart. Land patent including present city of Mart was granted to William Donohoo on November 9, 1859. After that, more families came to the area of Willow Springs. These pioneer families included the Albert Breeland family who came in 1878. A Baptist Church and the cemetery were also established that year. The cemetery was located near the church at that time. A school was started in 1879. Other prominent family names included W.L. Cowan family, Perry Douglas family, Dr. J.R. Gillam family, and W.C. Easter family. The first store was established by W.B. Stodghill in 1878.

W.B. Stodghill submitted an application for a post office February 20, 1880, and was then learned the town as Willow Springs already existed. Town would need a new name, Mart was suggested as it was a busy trading post. So, in April, 1880, the name was oficially changed and a post office was obtained.

Other Churches were established: Methodist and Presbyterian churchesin 1890. Church of Christ in 1903. There were blacksmith shops,dry goods stores and several doctors' offices. W.B. Carpenter was the physician in Mart for several years. Several gins for converting cotton to lin were established. In 1901 the International & Great Northern (I &GN) Railroad came to Mart. I & GN later merged with the Missouri Pacific. The railroad era in Mart Lasted intil 1967 when the last train pulled or town. During the years between 1901 and 1967 the railroad was the largest employer in the town and contibuted to the growth of the city. Mart was a major stop on the railroad and were machine shops and a round house for repairs and maintenance. The railroad era ended when Missouri Pacific acquired a more direct route fron Dallas to Houston and abandoned the tracks through Mart. 

At one time Mart was home to the largest cotton gin in the world and was the smallest town in the world to have a newspaper, The Mart Herald, which began publication on April 12, 1901, as a weekly newspaper. The Mart Herald ceased publication in 1993. Read's Grocery store has been in constant operations since 1925. R. Watson Feed store began serving the community in 1905 and has continually operated as the oldest Ralston Purina feed store in the United States. In December 1980, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Nail wated to do something for the community in memory of their only child, Nancy Ann Nail and so they opened the first public library in Mart, the Nancy Nail Library.

Some famous people who were born in Mart, Texas include: Dr. Edward Donnall Thomas, Nobel Prize winner to Physiology or Medicine in 1990; Jesse Plemons starred in Friday Night Lights; Quan Cosby, NFL football player played for the Denver Broncos, and Cindy Walker, famed country music songwriter who wrote "You Don't Know Me" and "Sugar Moon"