Walker County is a county located in the east central section of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 67,861. Its county seat is Huntsville. Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislator from Mississippi who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas. Walker later supported the Union during the Civil War and earned some enmity. In order to keep the county's name, the state renamed it for Samuel H. Walker, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the American Army.