The railway started operation in 1886. By 1890, with no rail line, Helena was at a disadvantage for serving the county's needs. In 1890, a group of businessmen purchased land on the rail line, southwest of Helena, with the specific intent of building a new town to serve as the county seat. The new town, named for Colonel Henry Wax Karnes (1812–1840), veteran of the Texas Revolution and a leader of the Texas Rangers, was a viable settlement by 1894, when the county voted to move its seat from Helena. Karnes City continued to grow, while Helena faded into a ghost town.