What is the history of Round Rock, Texas?
In 1851 a small community was formed on the banks of Brushy Creek, near a large round rock located in the middle of the creek. This round rock marked a convenient low-water crossing for wagons, horses and cattle. The first postmaster called the community Brushy Creek, but in 1854 the small settlement was renamed Round Rock in honor of this now famous rock. The “round rock” is located near Chisholm Trail Street in the middle of Brushy Creek. After the Civil War, Jesse Chisholm began to move cattle from South Texas through Round Rock, on the way to Abilene, Kansas. The route he established, which crossed Brushy Creek at the round rock became known as the Chisholm Trail. Most of the old buildings, including the old Saint Charles Hotel are still there today. This historic area is now called “Old Town”. Downtown Round Rock is the site of the gunfight and subsequent capture (then death) of the nineteenth-century American train robber, Sam Bass, by the Texas Ranger Division on July 19, 1878.
