www.ci.round-rock.tx.us/

History

No one knows for sure when the spot was first discovered as a low water crossing, but the landmark round rock still stands in Brushy Creek as a tribute to the weary pioneers who forded the creek looking for a better life in the west. Historians note that commerce had begun by the mid-1830s. But the town was named Round Rock when settlers tried to open the first post office in 1854, after finding out that the name, Brushy, was already taken.

Picture a band of outlaws riding into town on a hot, Texas summer day; the dust a-flyin’ as they came galloping in. Imagine their surprise when Sheriff Grimes, a local deputy that had heard tale of their comings, met them! Sam Bass was seriously wounded in the gunfire that ensued...but he escaped arrest, only to die the following day. Texas Rangers later found him. The bullet hole still remains in a doorway in downtown. When you visit, see if you can find it!

In 1864, Jesse Chisholm marked his trail, passing near Round Rock from the Rio Grande to Abilene, and the little town of Round Rock began to take form. But the real boom for commerce occurred in 1876 when The Texas Land Company began building a new town across the creek, which became the end of the line for the Great Northern Railroad. Many of the original buildings still exist on Main Street today.

“Crossing the Brushy”

Crossing the brushy can be described as a truly community-wide project. It combines the vision of a local resident, the talents and skills of an impassioned artist and the drive of a dedicated city government and Chamber of Commerce. Together they will bring this massive sculptured reproduction of a cattle drive to life for Round Rock. The sculpture project will include longhorn steers, cowboys on horses, a small calf, a campsite approximately eighteen figures in all, cast in bronze and larger-than-life. It will be permanently displayed for generations to come, preserving the history and marking this important era in Round Rock’s development. Proceeds will help fund this massive project. For more information, call the Chamber’s toll-free number at 1-800-747-3479.