Lampasas, Texas

You're driving through Lampasas County, and right here is the site of the Hart House. Built just after the Civil War, it started as a simple two-room stagecoach stop and hotel. But the 1870s were booming for local…

You're driving through Lampasas, a town that, like so many others on the Texas frontier, craved culture. Look to your right, or imagine it standing here from 1883 to 1894: the Elks Opera House. It wasn't just for fancy…

You're driving through Lampasas, and just ahead is the Malone-Manuel House. Frank Malone, a banker here in the 1880s, didn't just build a home; he helped found the Texas Bankers Association right here in Lampasas in…

You're driving through downtown Lampasas, and right here are two historic buildings that rose from the ashes. In August of 1884, a massive fire swept through town, gutting many structures. But Lampasas rebuilt, and…

You're cruising through Lampasas, and right here is the Manuel Hardware Building. Built back in 1884, this Italianate-style structure started out hosting the First National Bank. By 1899, W.F. Barnes owned it, but just…

You're driving past the Matt and Rebecca Smith House, built around 1902. Matt served as a deputy sheriff and even a deputy U.S. Marshal. The couple also ran the Lampasas Hotel, which included a restaurant and saloon.…

You're driving through Lampasas, home to a volunteer fire department that's been on call since the late 1880s. Starting with hose-reel and hook-and-ladder companies, they've battled serious fires and aided during…

You're driving past the Witcher House in Lampasas, built around 1883. Businessman James Harvey Galbraith bought the land and owned this L-shaped Folk Victorian home for over a decade. Later, the families of cattleman…

You're driving past Lampasas, where twenty civic-minded women founded the Pierian Club back in 1902. Named for the mythical Pierian Spring, these ladies focused on literature, art, education, and philanthropy. In fact,…

Lampasas is more than just a peaceful little town in the heart of Texas, it’s a place that’s quietly nurtured some remarkable talent.

Imagine the courthouse square, not with boutiques, but with armed men facing off in the street. That was the scene here on June 7th, 1877, the biggest day of the Horrell-Higgins Feud. The Horrell brothers were local…

Sulphur Creek usually flows gently through Lampasas, but on Mother's Day, May 12, 1957, it became a monster. After a cloudburst dropped more than eight inches of rain between about six-thirty and eleven that night, a…

In the 1880s, if you told someone you were vacationing in Lampasas, they'd have been impressed. This town was a Gilded Age hotspot — the 'Saratoga of the South.' The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe reached town in 1882, and…

The centerpiece of Lampasas's resort era was the bathhouse at Hancock Springs, built around 1882 out of native stone. It didn't burn — Sulphur Creek took it. Flood after flood chewed at the walls until only ruins were…

The flood that changed Lampasas came on Mother's Day, May 12, 1957. Rain piled up in the headwaters of Sulphur Creek, the tributaries fed it, and the water came through the middle of town hard enough to slam into stores…

In the early 1870s Lampasas was a wild frontier town. In January 1873 Sheriff S.T. Denson was shot while arresting brothers Wash and Mark Short. The district judge sent men to apprehend the Short brothers, but the posse…

You're driving through Lampasas, the site of one of Texas's most notorious feuds: the Horrell-Higgins War. It all kicked off in January 1877 when Pink Higgins shot and killed Merritt Horrell. What followed was a…

You're driving through Lampasas, and right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1892</say-as>, a pivotal meeting took place that officially launched a Texas institution. Thirteen women, representing the…

You're driving past the site of Hanna Springs, once a booming health spa in Lampasas. Hundreds flocked here in the late 1800s to soak in the healing sulphur waters, first developed by John Hanna. The area's reputation…

You're driving past the site of the Keystone Hotel, a famous stagecoach inn built in 1870 by J. L. N. Gracy. Notice the unique keystone arches in the windows – that’s where the hotel got its name! Oxen hauled the native…

You're driving through Lampasas, and right here stood the Santa Fe Depot, built in 1904. More than just a train station, this was the heart of town for news and socializing. It replaced the old mule car that used to run…

You're driving past the Lampasas County Courthouse, a real beauty that's stood watch over this town since 1884. Before this grand building, county business happened wherever there was space. But when the railroad rolled…

You're driving past Lampasas, where the Texas Bankers Association got its start back in 1885. Two local bankers, Frank Malone and E.M. Longcope, wrote a letter published in the Galveston News, calling for a statewide…

IraDell and J.B. Storm started flipping burgers in Lampasas in 1950 under the name Dairy Cue. Now an open-air, place-your-order-at-the-window Hill Country…

You're driving through Lampasas County, a place that played a unique role in the Civil War. While many counties sent men off to fight, Lampasas had a different challenge: keeping the home front safe from Native American…

You're driving past the Little Hotel in Lampasas, a structure born from leftovers! After the main Gracy Hotel went up in 1870, they had extra stone. So, they built this smaller hotel, also in 1870, using the leftover…

You're driving through Lampasas, and right here stands the old county jail, built way back in 1883. Imagine this solid native stone structure, originally sporting some fancy Romanesque trim, holding firm against the…

You're driving through Lampasas, and right here is the site of the city's first public school building, erected in 1895. Before this, classes were held in rented spaces, but this new building aimed to raise educational…

You're driving past where folks once plunged into healing waters! Back in 1902, businessmen drilled for oil here, but instead, they hit sulphur water. Word spread about its medicinal qualities, and soon, a new well was…

You're driving past the site of the grand Park Hotel in Lampasas. Opened in 1883, this 300-foot-long resort was built to capitalize on Lampasas' booming popularity as a health and relaxation destination, thanks to its…

You're driving past the site of Hanna Springs, once a booming health resort. Originally part of a land grant in 1838, these bubbling springs became known as Scott's White Sulphur Springs when a hotel was built nearby.…

"Hopping John" Burleson received a headright Grant for 1280 acres of land, including this site, in 1838. He first viewed the bubbling springs in 1847. "Hopping John" transferred the property to his cousin, John…

You're driving through Lampasas, and right here, the Sulphur Creek basin carved a scar across town. Floods have hit Lampasas before, but nothing prepared them for Mother's Day, May 12th, 1957. After a long drought,…

You're driving past the Old Cook Home, built in 1861. It's constructed from native stone and lumber that was hauled here by wagon. Just nearby lies the county's very first cemetery. Imagine the stories these old stones…

You're driving past the site of Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Lampasas. Catholics here started organizing services in 1880, and built their first church in town in 1885. The congregation has seen several buildings on…

You're driving past Hancock Springs in Lampasas, a place folks have sought out for its healing waters since the 1850s. Back then, Native Americans already knew about these curative springs. Soon after, white settlers…

You're driving past Lampasas' oldest cemetery, established in the mid-1850s. The first marked burial here was Rebecca Hughes in 1854. Later, William and Cynthia Cook bought this land, and the graveyard became known by…

Methodists have been holding services in Lampasas since 1866, with Reverend William F. Cummins as the first known pastor. The congregation built a sanctuary in 1880, sponsored Centenary College four years later, and…

You're driving past the Lampasas area, home to Thomas Pratt, a man who served Texas through its most formative years. He fought in the Army of the Republic of Texas in <say-as interpret-as="date"…

You're driving past Lampasas, a town once known as 'The Saratoga of the South' for its healing mineral springs. Back in 1929, a building was constructed using materials from a Baptist dining hall, right here near the…

You're driving past what's left of the Hancock Springs Bathhouse, a reminder of Lampasas' heyday as the "Saratoga of the South." Back in the 1850s, settlers discovered these mineral springs and their supposed curative…

You're driving past Oak Hill Cemetery, originally the City Cemetery, established in 1872 when Hartwell Fountain sold ten acres to the City of Lampasas. It got its current name, Oak Hill, in 1908. For over fifty years,…

You're driving past the Lampasas area, home to James S. Gillett, a man who wore many hats in 19th-century Texas. Born in Kentucky, Gillett arrived here and quickly became a lawyer and a fighter. He saw action as a Major…

(December 21, 1816 - December 7, 1888) One of the first settlers in Dallas and Weatherford. Born in Madison County, Ill., came to Texas 1840. He helped cut first road in Trinity Bottoms, name Turtle Creek (1841), and…

You're driving through Lampasas, and we're talking about Garrison Greenwood. He left Illinois to avoid Indian Wars, arriving in Texas in 1833. Greenwood helped found Fort Houston and set up a Ranger post on the Trinity…

You're driving past the Adkins House, built in 1868 by Doctor J. A. Adkins. This pioneer physician had a unique way of collecting payment for his services. Instead of cash, he often accepted building stone from his…

You're driving past the Lampasas area, where Walter Acker settled as an attorney in 1875. He was a Confederate veteran who joined the army at just 16, later serving as district attorney, mayor, and eventually, a state…

You're driving past the site of Lampasas' very first coeducational college, Centenary College, founded way back in 1883 by the local Methodist church. It started strong with 174 students paying just 25 dollars a…

You're driving past Hughes' Springs, a place that was once a beacon of hope for the ailing. This sulphur spring was named for Moses Hughes, the first settler in this area back in 1853. Legend has it that his wife…

You're driving past the Shade Denson House, built right around the Civil War. Denson himself fought for the Confederacy with Forney's Brigade. After the war, he served as Lampasas County sheriff from 1870 to 1874, a…

You're driving past the Old Huling Mansion, built way back in 1855. This native stone and cedar structure wasn't just a home; it was a testament to the labor of enslaved people who built it. Later, it became known as…

You're driving through Lampasas County, formed way back in 1856 from Travis and Bell counties. The name 'Lampazos' comes from the Spanish, meaning 'cockle-burs,' which were apparently everywhere! The first settlers…

You're driving past Battle Branch, a place named for a violent chapter in the infamous Horrell-Higgins Feud. On the morning of March 26, 1877, brothers Tom and Mart Horrell were ambushed by gunmen hiding in the brush…

You're driving past the site of the Moses Hughes home, built right around <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1856</say-as>. Now, this wasn't just any house; it was a fortress in the wild Texas frontier. To keep safe…

You're driving past Long Meadows Cemetery, a final resting place for some of Lampasas County's earliest pioneers. Pleasant C. Cox, who patented this land, first scouted this area back in the 1830s. He and his wife…

You're driving past the W. R. Hughes Home, built in 1880. This wasn't just any farmhouse; it's a prime example of "Old Plantation" architecture. Look for those ornate gables and dormers, a touch of elegance for a farmer…

You're driving through Lampasas County, and you're passing the birthplace of a powerful movement that swept across Texas and the nation. It's the Pleasant Valley Farmers' Alliance, founded right here in 1877. This…

You're driving past the site of the Naruna Baptist Church. Settlers arrived in the area as early as the 1840s, and the Providence Baptist Church was formed here in 1877. The congregation built its first sanctuary in the…

You're driving through Burnet County, and right here is the story of Jacob and Adeline Wolf. They arrived from Tennessee around 1850, becoming true pioneers in this frontier land. They not only built their own home and…

You're driving through Lampasas County, the birthplace of a movement that shook the nation. In September of 1877, farmers gathered right here, fed up with falling cotton prices and the grip of middlemen. This meeting…

You're driving through Lampasas County, not far from the ghost town of Senterfitt. This creek, originally named Emmy's Creek after Emily Senterfitt, was once dammed right through the main street to create a swimming…

Chadwick was on Antelope Creek eight miles northwest of Lometa in western Lampasas County. In response to a growing need for a mill in the western part of the county, Henry A. Chadwick and his son, J. Milam, built a log…

Senterfitt was on Salt Creek just west of Ranch Road 581 and 3½ miles west of Lometa in western Lampasas County. It was named after Reuben S. Senterfitt, who built a home and established a ranch there in the 1860s. He…

Adamsville is at the junction of U.S. Highway 281 and Farm Road 581, on the Lampasas River 16½ miles north of Lampasas in northern Lampasas County. It was founded around 1856. Early ranchers in the area included Joseph…

Izoro is on Farm Road 1690 five miles east of the Lampasas River and 3½ miles northwest of Franklin Mountain in northern Lampasas County. It was established in the early 1880s and was originally called Higgins Gap after…

Moline is near Bennett Creek on Ranch Road 1047 some two miles northwest of Castle Peak in northern Lampasas County. Around 1884 settlers began to establish homes in the area along Bennett Creek. One of the first houses…

Nix is on Ranch Road 580, 11½ miles west of Lampasas in southwestern Lampasas County. In the 1850s an early military trail, the Fort Phantom Hill Road, ran through the site of the present town. The community was settled…

James Madison “Jim” Townsen, farmer and legislator, son of James Garrett Townsen and Mary Agnes (Mitchell) Townsen, was born in Carroll County, Tennessee, on November 8, 1850. He was the eighth of eleven children.…

You're driving past Dobyville Cemetery, the last remnant of a community settled in the 1850s. It contains over 230 marked graves, with many more unmarked infant burials. The earliest documented grave here is Mary E.…

You're driving through Kempner, a town founded in 1882 and named for Harris Kempner. He was a wealthy banker and railroad man who immigrated from Poland. Kempner fought for the Confederacy, was left for dead on the…

You're driving past the site of the Boys Ranch of Copperas Cove. Between 1934 and 1949, this sanctuary helped over a hundred boys escape the Great Depression, offering them a chance to salvage their childhoods. Founded…

You're driving past the site of Lake Victor Lodge No. 1011, a Masonic lodge established in December 1909. They held their first meeting in a rented building on January 1, 1910, and built their own meeting place right…

You're driving past the site of Nix, a village that sprung up in the 1860s along the Fort Phantom Hill Road. Harvey Wallace opened a general store here in 1875, and his wife Elizabeth became the first postmaster. The…

You're driving through Lampasas, home of Stanley Walker, a giant of Texas journalism. Born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1898</say-as>, Walker carved out a legendary career. He honed his skills in…

You're driving past the site of School Creek Baptist Church, named for a nearby stream. It organized in 1879, holding its first service that November in a small schoolhouse. The church later built its own building in…

You're driving past the Philip Smith House, built in 1856 right here in Lampasas. Smith was a teamster during the Texas War for Independence, hauling supplies for the army. Look at those thick, 24-inch walls made from…

In 1941, Kempner was a tiny ranching town of barely 125 people. Then the war came, and with it the neighbor that changed everything. Camp Hood was announced in January 1942 and opened that September, when the U.S. Army…

The road you're on, U.S. Highway 190, is a genuinely strategic piece of pavement - it's part of the Strategic Highway Network, the system the Defense Department relies on to move heavy armor, fuel and ammunition, and a…

The railroad tracks that run through Kempner are the town's birth certificate. Before they arrived, this community had already worn out four names. It was Pickett Valley in the early 1850s. It was briefly Brummersville…

You're driving through Kempner, Texas, a town that didn't just settle in one spot, it moved around a bit! Originally called Pickett Valley back in the 1850s, it was later briefly known as Brummersville. Then came Dan…

For more than a century Kempner was a place on a map with no mayor, no city council, and no local police force, governed from afar by Lampasas County. It had been here a long time: settlers arrived in the early 1850s…

You're driving through Burnet County, heading towards the Bethel community. In 1855, Reverend Richard Howard arrived on the Texas frontier, joining a new settlement that would eventually bear the name Bethel. He donated…

You're driving through Burnet County, near Oakalla. James Gibson Smith Jr. and his wife Sarah settled here in 1850, raising eight children. They set aside this plot for a family cemetery, with their granddaughter Anita…

You're driving past Townsen Cemetery. The first Townsen to arrive in Texas was Oliver Hazard Perry Townsen, known as Uncle Perry, in 1854. He was born in Carroll County, Tennessee, on October 20, 1826. A year after his…

Imagine stagecoaches pulling up right here, to this 1878 stagestop, a vital link in the Texas frontier's communication and transportation network. This unassuming spot was once buzzing with activity, connecting Copperas…

You're driving past the site of the Clear Creek Baptist Church, organized in 1872 by six local families. The church petitioned for membership in the Leon River Baptist Association in 1876 and sent delegates the…

You're driving through Central Texas, and right here, Lometa was once a town of 900 that swelled to 22,000! In 1952, it hosted Operation Long Horn, one of the largest military simulations ever staged on American soil.…

You're driving past the site of the Ogletree Stagestop and Post Office. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1878</say-as>, Marsden Ogletree built this stone house after migrating from Georgia. It wasn't just a…

You're driving past Adamsville, and just off the road here, you can imagine the rumble of industry back in 1872. That's when brothers Perry and Jasper Townsen built their steam mill on Mill Branch. This wasn't just any…

You're driving through Burnet County, passing the site of Strickling. This was once a bustling rural community, named for Martha Strickling, who settled here in 1853. Martha had a harrowing childhood, surviving the…

You're driving past Lometa, and right here, about a hundred yards to your west, was the headquarters for a unique piece of Texas industry: the Scholten Railroad. Operated by brothers Edward and Alfred Scholten, who came…

At the end of a rugged trail through Colorado Bend State Park, a seventy-foot waterfall appears out of nowhere, cascading over a cliff draped in emerald moss, maidenhair ferns, and wild columbine. Gorman Falls looks…

You're driving past the site of Black's Fort, built in 1851 by William Black. This stockade, made of sturdy cedar logs, was a crucial defense against Native Americans for settlers in Burnet County. Sentries were posted…

You're driving through Oakalla, a town that started taking shape in the 1850s with its first settlers. By 1879, the Oakalla Post Office was officially open for business. Imagine this: schools were private affairs until…

You're driving through Lometa, Texas, a town with a unique origin story. Back in 1885, the railroad arrived, and a new depot called Montvale was established. But the real story? The entire town of Senterfitt, buildings…

You're driving through Lometa, a town born from the railroad. In 1885, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway pushed west, and this spot was chosen for its first station. Frank Longfield granted the right-of-way, and…

You're driving through Copperas Cove, a town whose name literally comes from the taste of its water. Back in the 1870s, settlers wanted to name their community 'Cove,' but that name was taken. So, they looked to a…

You're driving through Lampasas County, and right here, you're passing the site of a vital Civil War operation. West of town, brine springs that once served as an Indian health resort were turned into a Confederate salt…

You're driving past the John Patterson House, built between 1879 and 1880. John Patterson was a true pioneer here. He was the very first person to cultivate land in this county, way back in 1854. He also served as a…

You're driving past Adamsville, a community that started as a frontier settlement. It grew from early settlers in the 1850s, with a flour mill, churches, and a school by the 1880s. The town was platted in 1908, and…

Copperas Cove High School in the military town of Copperas Cove, Texas (400 South 25th Street) is where Robert Griffin III was a three-sport star. On the track he set Texas state records in the hurdles — his 300-meter…

You're driving past the site of the United Presbyterian Church of Adamsville. It began in 1880 as the Pleasant Valley Cumberland Presbyterian Church, organized with 19 charter members. Services were held in a…

In the world of Texas high school football, some players become legends. Here in Copperas Cove, that legend is Robert Griffin III. Long before the Heisman Trophy and the NFL spotlight, RG3 was the quarterback for the…

The existence of Lometa is a direct result of a 19th-century engineering and logistical calculation. In 1885 the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway began building west out of Lampasas, aiming for San Angelo and the…

The biggest story in Copperas Cove isn't just history — it's one of the largest military construction jobs in American history, and it happened right over the fence. In 1942 the Army needed somewhere to train tank…

Imagine having to move your entire town. That is exactly what happened here. Before Lometa existed, a community called Senterfitt served travelers about two and a half miles from this spot. In 1885 the Gulf, Colorado…

In the middle of the twentieth century, the railroad tracks running through Lometa were the site of a serious operation. This small town was one of Texas's major inland shipping points for wool and mohair. The…

Before Copperas Cove was a town, this was stage country - and the building that started it all is still standing. About two miles southwest of downtown, in Ogletree Gap Park, sits a native limestone house that settler…

Every town needs something to be known for, and since 1970, Lometa has been known for rattlesnakes. It started when local snake hunters got together after a run of rattlesnake bites to people and livestock around…

Lometa's history began on May 17, 1886, when it was platted as a 200-acre site as a railroad stop. Originally called Montvale, the name was changed in 1886 when an application for a post office was made. By 1890, the…

As you drive around, you’ll notice you’re almost always going either up or down. That's because Copperas Cove is nicknamed 'The City of Five Hills.' This isn’t just a catchy slogan; it’s a description of the very ground…

You're driving through Coryell County, heading past the site of Immanuel Lutheran Church. It began in 1892 when German Wends, who had resettled here from other Texas counties, started holding worship services in a…

Copperas Cove, nestled in the rolling hills of Coryell County, wasn't always the bustling town you see today. Its story is etched into the land itself, in the reddish-brown soil stained by the copperas springs that gave…

You're cruising through Burnet County, passing through what used to be the bustling crossroads of Shady Grove. Back in the 1850s, families started settling along the Middle Gabriel river, right where the Old…

You're driving past the site of the First Baptist Church of Copperas Cove. Organized in 1885, the congregation first met in a schoolhouse before building their first sanctuary in 1890. Their second sanctuary, built in…

You're driving past First Baptist Church Building. Designed by Melton W. Scott of Waco, this structure was built in 1908 for the historic First Baptist Church congregation during the pastorate of the Rev. A. B.

Gorman Falls at Colorado Bend State Park is a seventy-foot active travertine waterfall -- the rock face the water spills over is literally growing as you…

You're driving past Mt. Hiram Lodge No. 595. Mt. Hiram Lodge No. 595 was chartered on December 12, 1884. Lodge members shared their first facility, a two-story structure located near present-day downtown Copperas Cove,…

You're driving through Oakalla, near the Gillum Cemetery. Absolom Barton Gillum and his wife Hannah arrived from Alabama in 1872, and he bought this land in 1880. Their four-year-old son Willie was the first to be…

You're driving past the site of old Senterfitt, a bustling hub in central Texas back in the 1850s. It was named for Reuben S. Senterfitt, a major cattle baron known as the 'Cattle King' of this region. By 1877, a post…

You're driving past the site of the Lometa Reservoir, also known as Santa Fe Lake. This wasn't just any lake; it was built in the early 1910s by the Santa Fe Railway to supply water for their steam locomotives. Lometa…

You're driving through Lampasas County, on a road that was once the lifeline of the Texas frontier. Back in 1851, the U.S. Army was building a line of forts to protect settlers, and Fort Phantom Hill was a key part of…

You're driving through what used to be Atherton, Texas, home to the first school in this area. Opened in the 1880s as a boarding school for boys, it was housed in a two-story building on land owned by F. M. Farley. By…

You're driving past the Senterfitt Cemetery, a final resting place for many of this area's earliest settlers. Reuben Senterfitt himself arrived in the 1860s, and a town grew up around him, boasting hotels, mills, and…

You're driving past the site of Joppa, a farming and ranching community that started life as Pool Branch. In 1874, the William Alexander Faires family were among the first settlers. The nearby waterfall created a pool,…

You're driving through Burnet County, heading southwest of the town of Burnet, and you're passing by Longhorn Cavern. This isn't just any cave; it's been a refuge for millions of years. Imagine Comanche Indians using…

You're driving through Arizona now, but John Horton Slaughter's story has deep Texas roots. He fought Comanches as a Texas Ranger before the Civil War, and after recovering from illness, he served with the Third…

You're driving through Burnet County, and right here is the area where four-year-old Martha Webster and her family faced a brutal Comanche attack in 1839. Leaving their wagon fort near Brushy Creek, they were…

Strickling was on the North Fork of the San Gabriel River on Farm Road 1174 eight miles northwest of Bertram in northeast central Burnet County. John Webster received a land grant on the Charles Cavenah survey, but when…

You're driving through Burnet County, not far from Marble Falls. Right here is Dead Man's Hole. This natural sinkhole gained a grim reputation during the Civil War. It was used as a dumping ground for the bodies of…

You're driving through Burnet County, not far from the town of Burnet itself. Right here, you're passing the site of Fort Croghan. Established in 1849, this frontier post started as McCulloch's Station. It was chosen by…

You're driving through Burnet County, not far from Marble Falls, on the site of what was once Mormon Mill Colony. In 1851, a group of twenty Mormon families, led by Lyman Wight, seeking a new Zion after breaking from…

You're driving through Burnet County, near the old community of Shovel Mountain. Right here, in 1874, was born Henry Clay von Struve. He wasn't just any kid; he grew up to be a diplomat and lawyer, fluent in many…

Council Creek was an early settlement on Council Creek and what is now Farm Road 2341, ten miles northwest of Burnet in western Burnet County. Local tradition has it that the creek and the community were named for a…

Fairland is on Farm Road 1855 six miles north of Marble Falls in Burnet County. In the early 1850s a group of families from the eastern states settled on a strip of level land between Backbone Ridge and the Slaughter…

Joppa, on Farm Road 210 and the North Fork of the San Gabriel River, seven miles northeast of Bertram in Burnet County, was first called Pool Branch, after a nearby pool formed by a waterfall. At that pool in the 1880s…

Oatmeal, Burnet County's second-oldest town, is on Farm Road 243 eight miles southeast of Burnet in southeast Burnet County. A German family reportedly named Habermill came into the area in 1849 and spent a season or…

You're driving through Burnet County, Texas, and right here is a place that saw some political action back in the day. Andrew McClure Cox, a farmer and businessman, was elected to represent Burnet County in the Twelfth…

You're driving through the heart of the Texas Hill Country, and right here, you're passing Inks Lake. This wasn't always a tranquil spot. Construction on the Roy Inks Dam began in 1936 and finished up in 1938, creating…

You're driving through Burnet County, not far from the San Gabriel River. Right here is the site of Shady Grove. Settled in the 1850s and 60s, it was first known as Russell Gabriel, then Middle Fork of the Gabriel. The…

The Burnet Bulletin , a weekly newspaper first published in January 1873, was edited until 1874 by George Whitaker. According to other sources, T. A. Stone may have founded and first edited the paper as the Burnet…

Dobyville was near U.S. Highway 281 twelve miles north of Burnet in northern Burnet County. Jacob and Adaline Wolf and Silas and Rebecca Shelburn were among the first settlers in the 1850s, soon after Burnet County was…

Lake Victor is on Farm Road 2340 ten miles north of Burnet in north central Burnet County. It began as a railroad camp in 1901 or 1902, when the tracks for the Burnet-Lampasas section of the Houston and Texas Central…

The name Mahomet has been associated with two sites in eastern Burnet County. The first was two miles northeast of the site of Bertram, near the source of Bear Creek. George Ater, who settled in the area in 1853, named…

Naruna is on Farm Road 1478 eighteen miles northwest of Burnet and three miles south of the Lampasas county line in northwestern Burnet County. A post office was established there in 1878 with William M. Spitler as…

Oakalla is at the confluence of Rocky Creek and the Lampasas River, off U.S. Highway 183 in far northeastern Burnet County. The first settlers arrived in the area in the 1850s. Oakalla officially came into being on May…

Sage was on the North Fork of the San Gabriel River at the intersection of the old Burnet-Lampasas road and the old Austin-San Saba road, eight miles northeast of Burnet in north central Burnet County. It may have taken…

Smithwick is on Farm Road 1431 eight miles east of Marble Falls in southeastern Burnet County. It was formed by the merging of three smaller communities-Hickory Creek, Elm Grove, and Smithwick Mills. The Hickory Creek…

Spicewood is a mile north of State Highway 71 and nine miles southeast of Marble Falls in southeastern Burnet County. It was probably named for the spicewood timber on nearby Little Cypress Creek. A post office opened…

Tobey was off Farm Road 1431 near the Southern Pacific line and six miles from Marble Falls in southwestern Burnet County. It began in the early 1870s and was named for two brothers, Samuel J. and Avery Tobey. On March…

Wolf's Crossing was on the Colorado River seven miles west of Marble Falls in southwestern Burnet County. It grew up around a low-water crossing on the Wolf family farm. A post office was established there in 1874 with…

You're driving through Hood County, near Granbury, where a community called Stockton Bend once thrived. In 1854, settlers led by Thomas Lambert and Amon Bond crossed the Brazos River to establish this settlement. It was…

You're driving through Burnet County, heading past the community of Briggs. It started out as a watering spot called Springs, then Gum Springs, and later Taylors Gin. Stephen Taylor set up the first general store here…

You're passing the site of the Briggs State Bank, built in 1909. This limestone and brick building was the heart of a town that thrived on cotton and wool for fifteen years. But by the mid-1920s, farming changes hit…

Every mile of U S Highway Two Eighty One inside Texas is the American Legion Memorial Highway, and the name is much older than the law behind it. On April thirtieth, nineteen thirty five, the Texas Highway Commission…

You're driving through Briggs, a town with a story of resilience. Settlers from the Old South arrived here in the 1860s and 70s, building a community and holding services at nearby Gum Springs. The town got its post…

You're driving near Bertram, and right over the Russell Fork of the North San Gabriel River stands this impressive Iron Truss bridge. Built in 1911 after a county vote, it was designed by the Missouri Valley Bridge &…

You're driving through the vast Texas landscape, and right here is where history took root. This spot marks the McAnelly Settlement, a key threshold for pioneers moving into Lampasas and San Saba counties. Robert D.…