The seat of Wood County, Quitman is located on Hwys 154 and 37 and Farm roads 778 and 2966, ten miles north of Mineola near the Lake Fork Reservoir.
It grew as a service center for the many farmers working the fertile surrounding lands. In 1930 the population had risen to an estimated 950, and the town had thirty-five businesses. The Great Depression brought a period of decline during the 1930s, but the discovery of oil around Quitman in 1941 and World War II helped to reverse it. By 1954 the population had risen to 927.
The opening of several nearby recreational lakes in the late 1950s led to additional growth and prosperity.
The population in 1980 stood at 1,893, and by 1984 the town had two banks, a library, a hospital, and a weekly newspaper. In 1990 the population was 1,684.
Quitman is the hometown of actress Sissy Spacek.