Meridian was established on July 4, 1854, as the seat of the newly created Bosque County. A small log-cabin courthouse was the first structure erected in town. The town boomed in the 1800s as a regional shipping center, but it declined during droughts in the 1920s and the Great Depression. Today, it is a retail center for agriculture and maintains a small-town charm that's evident on the historic town square. The courthouse was built in 1886 in Renaissance Revival style with a clock tower. The original building included small turrets that were removed in 1935 and rebuilt during a restoration.

Bed-and-breakfast accommodations are available in historic buildings. The city hosts the annual National Championship Barbecue Cook-Off each October.