Owen
House Complex
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9834
A.W. Grimes – Ahijah W. Grimes
He was born in Bastrop, Texas, on July 5, 1850. Grimes was a Deputy Sheriff and a former Texas Ranger. In 1878, he was killed during a gunfight with the Sam Bass gang on July 19.
Many do not know why A.W. Grimes challenged the three strangers approaching the general store. He was warned by other lawmen that the Sam Bass gang was going to rob the local bank and to wait until more help was on the way. Some think it was because one man had a pistol and Grimes went to question them. Perhaps the thought there was no real danger. Maybe his heroism from his ancestors came out; his uncle Alfred Grimes had fallen at the Alamo. He went to the gang and asked if anyone had a gun, one replied yes and then all three men pulled their guns out and shot Grimes down.
He was buried at the Round Rock Cemetery, not too far from where two of his three killers were buried. On his headstone the ironically bitter words "Gone But Not Forgotten" were carved in, but for almost 125 years he was forgotten. Songs were written about the outlaw Sam Bass. The road by the cemetery was named after Sam Bass. Baseball leagues in Round Rock were named after Sam Bass. For several decades in Round Rock they have held a recreation of that gunfight, with more importance on Bass than on Grimes.
But then, people began to notice that the killers were becoming more important than the deputy. On August 24, 2000, the City of Round Rock passed a resolution changing the name of Arterial "B" to A.W. Grimes Boulevard. And, placed next to his grave is now a metal cross, showing he had been a Texas Ranger.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9834
The Legend of Hairy Man
The legend of Hairy Man has been told since the pioneer days. There are different versions of the local legend. Most versions say a young boy fell off a wagon as pioneers headed west. Some versions say he was separated from the other pioneers by flood waters. However it happened, the boy then either lived on his own in the woods or was raised by local animals. Eventually the boy grew into a man and became a hermit and ... very hairy.
The story says Hairy Man frequently tried to chase away strangers and would hide in the trees to scare people passing by sitting up in the trees that grew over the road and dragging his feet on the top of passing stagecoach wagons. The legend says that one day he fell in front of a stagecoach wagon and was trampled to death. The legend says he haunts the shady road to this day. http://www.texastripper.com/the-legend-of-hairy-man-road-round-rock-texas
Stagecoach Inn
On a hill that looks over the Brushy Creek at Round Rock is one of the oldest and best preserved of any of the old wagon stops (called stagecoaches) in Texas. The work on the building was begun by John Harris in 1848. It was completed in 1853. At that time the wagons (or stagecoaches) from Brownsville to Salado carried mail and passengers. It passed through the little town of Brushy—as Round Rock was then called … once a week.
The driver of the wagon would blow his horn when the it was about a mile away. When the horn sounded almost everyone in the area would walk and run up the hill to the Inn to be on hand when the stage came in. The geese from the nearby creek would come up the hill also.
The inn was always used for an exchange station for the horses and a place for the passengers to rest. Probably because of its nearness to Austin it was not always necessary to furnish food or provide lodgings for the travelers, except in extremely cold or wet weather. When the weather was bad, the passengers would probably have to stay for a week or longer.
Mr. Harris was very proud that every bedroom in the inn had its own feather beds. This explains the geese.
After the railroad came to Round Rock in 1876 the need for an inn at this point decreased. However, John Harris operated the inn for a few years longer before he closed it. When Mr. Harris died at age eighty seven the house became the property of his son Jack Harris who lived there for many years and raised a family of five children.
The Stagecoach Inn was built a more than 100 years ago from the rocks taken from the hill it is on.
The stagecoach depot became has been used for many things such as a house for a series of families and is now the restaurant called the French Quarter Round Rock, one of Williamson County’s finest restaurants.
Dell Diamond
A state-of-the-art facility, Dell Diamond has been the home of the Round Rock Express since 2000.
The stadium serves as a premier Central Texas destination and is constantly ranked among the top in Minor League Baseball. In 2006 and 2007 it was named the Top Minor League Park by Minor League News.
Dell Diamond is a true multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex, hosting Express games,
concerts, festivals, among other events. In 2012, Dell Diamond was home to over 175 unique events.
Beyond the right field wall lies the pool. hot tub, and spa area. Next to the pool and spa party area is a
covered picnic area with a playscape, and both areas are available for rental by groups. Nolan Ryan's Beef Fireball Grill is just past the right-center field wall, next to the "Express Fun Zone." The fun zone has a handful of activities to keep kids entertained for hours, including a "Sport Court" basketball court, a 26-foot high rock wall, a pitching area and a bungee trampoline.
Before the 2013 season, Daktronics designed, manufactured and installed a brand new, HD LED video
board in left-center field that measures 36' x 55' along with two 6' x 99' ribbon boards along the outfield fence. Additionally, the bottom LED panel from the original board was placed in right field, above the Nolan Ryan's Beef Fireball Grill. Two new premium seating options were also installed, the Dell Diamond Premium Seats behind home plate and the 4 Topps at the top of section 123. Hand railings were installed in between the sections in the seating bowl to optimize fan safety.
Dell Diamond was built with the desire to create a fan-friendly environment and the fans have
responded. Boasting 8,631 permanent seats, including 75 reserved handicapped seats, the outfield berm allows for another 3,000 fans to enjoy Dell Diamond.
The Express have welcomed crowds of over 12,000 fans.The largest attendance record of 13,475 was
set on June 16, 2006 when Roger Clemens took the mound for the Express against the New Orleans Zephyrs.
When the stadium opened, the Express set a Texas League (AA) attendance record and continued to
break that record each of their next four seasons in the league. When they made the move to Triple-A, the fans followed. The first year in the Pacific Coast League (2005), Round Rock saw a franchise home-record of 700,277 fans enter through the Dell Diamond gates. In 2012, the Express welcomed their 8 millionth fan to the stadium while leading the Pacific Coast League in attendance for the second year in a row. Over the past 13 years, the Express have ranked in the top five in attendance of all 160 minor league teams.
In 2012, the Express partnered with Texas Disposals Systems to make Dell Diamond a minimal-waste
facility. The stadium is filled with bins for all things recyclable. Water used on the playing surface and surrounding landscapes has been treated at Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and saves overall drinking water supply for the Round Rock area. Dell Diamond and the Express are trying to reach their goal of being a zero-waste facility.
The playing field dimensions are 330 feet down the left field line, 325 feet down the right field line, 375
feet to both power alleys, and 407 feet to the deepest point in center field. The wall surrounding the outfield is eight feet high.
Dell Diamond truly is a "home-grown" project, with 80 percent of the materials used for the construction
purchased from suppliers within the state of Texas and up to 70 percent of the materials used for the 2009 stadium upgrades being recycled. The limestone exterior and slabs were manufactured in Jarrell and Cedar Park. The clay dirt is an Austin product, with other base material coming from Georgetown.
The playing surface at Dell Diamond is constantly hailed as one of the best in all of professional baseball.
Head groundskeeper Garrett Reddehase was named the 2012 Pacific Coast League Turf Manager of the Year and received the league's Presidential Commendation for groundskeeping in 2011.
Sam Bass was a train and stagecoach robber who was finally stopped in Round Rock during an
attempted 1878 bank robbery. During the attempted robbery he was shot and killed. Deputy Sheriff A. W. Grimes was also shot and died the following day. Bass and Grimes both have roads named for them in Round Rock, and their graves are in the Round Rock Cemetery. The Sam Bass Shootout is reenacted each year during the Frontier Days Celebration. Union Pacific Big Springs robbery
After failing at a few jobs, Bass turned to crime. He formed a gang and robbed the Union Pacific Railroad
gold train from San Francisco, California. Bass and his men stopped the train on September 18, 1877, at Big Springs, Nebraska, stealing $60,000. This is the single largest robbery of the Union Pacific train.
In 1878, the gang held up two stagecoaches and four trains within 25 miles of Dallas, Texas, and
became the object of a manhunt by Pinkerton National Detective Agency agents and by a special company of the Texas Rangers . The "Sam Bass Shootout"
Bass was able to hide from the Texas Rangers until a member of his gang, Jim Murphy, turned him in.
Mr. Murphy's father, who was very sick was taken into custody and held for questioning. He was not allowed to see a doctor and was prevented from getting medical treatment. This made him become sicker. Law officers then sent a message to Murphy informing him that they had his father in custody, and that if Murphy did not agree to meet with them, they would continue to keep medicine from his father. Knowing how sick his father was, Murphy agreed to the meet. He told where Sam Bass was and set up an ambush at Round Rock, Texas, where Bass planned to rob the Williamson County Bank.
On July 19, 1878, Bass and his gang were looking at the area before the robbery. When they bought
some tobacco at a store, they were noticed by Williamson County Deputy Sheriff A. W. Grimes. When Grimes approached the men to ask that they surrender their guns, he was shot and killed. As Bass attempted to escape, he was shot by Texas Ranger George Herold and then by Ranger Sergeant Richard Ware.
Bass was found lying in a pasture west of Round Rock by a group of railroad workers.. He was taken
into custody and died the next day on July 21, 1878, his 27th birthday. Bass was buried in Round Rock in Round Rock Cemetery on Sam Bass Road. Today, his grave is marked with a replacement headstone as the original was taken. What remains of the original stone is on display at the Round Rock Public Library in downtown Round Rock.
Chisholm Trail
Part of the history of Round Rock involves the Chisholm Trail, one of the famed routes
for transporting cattle to distribution points in the Midwest in the mid-nineteenth century. Jesse Chisholm laid out his trail in 1865: starting on the Canadian River near present day Yukon, Oklahoma, the trail went north to Wichita, Kansas. The original purpose of the trail was to provide a way to move goods north in order to trade with the Indians. In 1866, Jesse took a wagon train of goods plus 250 head of cattle over the same trail and the Chisholm Trail was born.
Since the actual Chisholm Trail began north of Round Rock and Williamson County, the
branch of the trail that went through Round Rock was not actually part of the Chisholm Trail but merely a feeder trail. However, over the years, by common practice, all trails that fed into the Chisholm Trail came to be called the Chisholm Trail and had as their objective the same purpose, the transportation of cattle from the grazing lands in the Southwest to the markets in the Midwest.
Palm House
Andrew Palm, his mother, and his brothers migrated from Sweden in 1853. His uncle,
Swante Palm, helped his mother, Anna Palm, with the move. They settled on 112 acres 3 miles north of Round Rock at Palm Valley. They built their own home by hauling cypress and pine trees from Austin. The house was moved to Round Rock in 1976. Here Mr. Palm moved with his wife, Carolina, and their 8 children.
Mr. Palm was a farmer and rancher in the Palm Valley Community. He loved his
community and helped Swedish' families come to Palm Valley. He arranged for jobs and homes for them. Mr. Palm helped begin Palm Valley Lutheran Church when it was organized and built in 1871.
The Palm House still has two front rooms from the original home, a hall between,
and a gallery running across the entire front. No changes have been made in the house. The rooms are large, and they have high ceilings, with windows from that period. The beautiful front door has two long panes of glass. The house has been restored to its original appearance. The original fireplace has been reconstructed, and is still a working fireplace. Outside blinds, wooden curtain rods, and the original doorbell are in place.
The old cistern has been moved and reconstructed in the town yard. The house has
been kept in excellent condition through the years by the Palm Family. Old fashioned shrubs and flowers have been planted.
The second week in December 1976 the hundred-year-old home of the Andrew J.
Palm Family was moved to town. It was moved from its countryside location to its second and permanent location beside the City Hall on Main Street in Round Rock, Texas.
This move was made with the expectation that the old home would become the
Palm House Museum for the town, Round Rock has a very rich historical heritage, and a museum for the town has long been the dream of many citizens.
One room of the museums is designated as an elegant Victorian Parlor, and the
other room is a pioneer kitchen and is also fully equipped. The furnishings are all over one hundred years old. The hall between the two rooms contains an antique display cabinet with items of interest, and an antique desk for registering guests.
The Chamber of Commerce dedicated the museum to the people of Round Rock in a
public ceremony, on July 7, 1977. An office for the Chamber of Commerce has been added to the back, and the museum is open each weekday from 9:30 to 3:30 and on special occasions.
Because of the role of the Palm Family in the life of the community, and the use of
the Palm House as a museum, the citizens of Round Rock wish to commemorate the structure with a historical marker, that the contribution and history of this community may be better recognized and preserved.
Lone Star Bakery
Moehring opened the Lone Star Bakery in 1926 in the Round Rock Main Street building where Kelley
Cleaners now stands. Moehring and his wife ran the bakery for over 30 years. Moehring worked in a Georgetown bakery before opening his own shop in Round Rock.
Moehring began experimenting with dough recipes in the 1930s. By the early 1940s he had perfected
his creation which made his bakery unique: the Round Rock Doughnut.
Jan and Dale Cohrs bought the Lone Star Bakery in 1978. They got the original recipes, oven and baker
scales, and 55 years of history. They bought the shop without ever seeing or tasting the original doughnuts.
Dale comes from a long line of bakers. His mother made desserts from scratch and his Norwegian
grandmother was an excellent pastry cook. Dale has always loved working with dough.
Round Rock Doughnuts are made from the original owner’s recipe. They are set apart from any other
doughnut because of their yellow color which comes from the farm fresh eggs they use.
People from all over the world enjoy stopping by for a delicious doughnut. In any day you may see an
artist, senator, farmer or anyone passing through Round Rock.
Cohrs credits the bakery's continual popularity to original owner R.R. Moehring and the people after him
who combined fine craftsmanship with pride in their product. He is proud to continue a tradition built on 55 years of quality. 
The Round Rock
Originally, Round Rock was not named Round Rock or located where it is currently. The first
settlement of Brushy (as the town was originally called) was located near the banks of Brushy Creek by the round rock.
The Brushy Creek Post Office was established in a section of Thomas C. Oatts' store on May 27, 1851.
However in 1854, postal authorities asked Mr. Oatts to provide another name for the settlement (because there was already a town in the state that called itself Brushy). Mr. Oatts decided to rename the town Round Rock in recognition of the large rock in the middle of Brushy Creek where he and Jacob Harrell spent much time sitting and fishing. On August 24, 1854, the name of Round Rock was officially given to the community.
When the International and Great Northern Railroad came to town in 1876, it forced the commercial area
of Round Rock to move to the east, leaving the original settlement to be referred to as Old Town.. Today, the area has special historical interest and several businesses have restored and then located their shops in these buildings.
Old Hopewell Building
In the early 1900s, most black schoolchildren in the rural South, including many in Texas,
attended classes in broken-down buildings with old furniture and equipment and out-of-date textbooks — no longer wanted from white schools. In some cases, the white local school-district officials did not provide a building at all, leaving black educators and parents to find classroom space in churches and lodge halls.
Hopewell Middle School is named in honor of the first black school in Round Rock, Texas. Unfortunately, there are no
permanent records of the original Hopewell. What is known has been shared from generation to generation among those who attended the original Hopewell, many of whom still live and work in the Austin area.
It is believed that black children in the 1800's probably received what little education that they were given at a Black church
located along the Chisholm Trail. One principal and one teacher divided the teaching duties for students who represented nine different grades. As attendance grew, grades one through ten were put into four groups for instruction: first through third, through sixth, and two classes for grades seven through ten which made up the high school at that time. In 1928, the school year was lengthened to seven months, and this remained the school term for many years.
A training school to provide vocational skills for adults as well as young people was established in 1926, but was
discontinued in 1928 because of lack of money . During the time the school was open, many awards were given to Hopewell community members who participated in competitions demonstrating the skills they had learned in this program. The school served as a center for community events. Benefit dinners, musicals, and graduation ceremonies brought families together to raise money, enjoy entertainment, and to celebrate success.
During the Great Depression, Hopewell suffered along with the rest of the nation. From 1932-33, teachers were asked to
teach without pay for one to two weeks because of lack of money. . In 1936, more land was purchased to help growth in the student population. The next 30 years saw many improvements for the original Hopewell. The old tenant house on the school grounds was repaired and leased to the school principal, a new wing with additional class space and a cafeteria was added. Also,, a decision was made to hire only certified teachers who monitored student performance closely to ensure continuing academic progress.
In 1965, after the passage of Civil Rights legislation, the district adopted a free choice enrollment plan. Segregation had
ended. In 1966-67, the name of the former Hopewell building was changed to Southside Elementary School for one year. It then became the transportation facility for the Round Rock Independent School District until it was finally abandoned for a larger place.
In 1966 when the first Hopewell closed, it had eight teachers, a principal, and a business, a home economics, and a band
department. The new Hopewell Middle School has over 800 students, a staff of approximately 75, and a full range of academic and elective offerings. Images from the original Hopewell grace the halls of this state of the art facility. As for the old Hopewell building, it took an hour for the structure to be moved from its original site at Interstate 35 and McNeil Road to its new home on the grounds of the Round Rock Independent School District administrative offices. The building was renovated and is currently used as a staff development and community center.
The Hopewell School in Round Rock, closed in 1966 because of desegregation, was used for
a time by the Round Rock Independent School District as a transportation facility. By 1999, it had been sold and was threatened with being destroyed. Round Rock’s black community protested, proposing a plan to relocate and save the building. With volunteer labor, donated materials and funds, and with the Round Rock ISD picking up costs for moving the building to its headquarters, the old five-teacher Rosenwald school was turned into a district teacher-training and meeting facility.
Old Settler’s Park
Round Rock's Old Settlers Park is the City's crown jewel of the park system.
It is a well-known sports destination in the youth and amateur sports leagues. The park's 570 acres provides lots of space for several recreational pastimes such as disc golf, cricket, 20-field baseball complex, 5-field softball complex, 7-soccer facilities, 2-football fields and more. Old Settlers Park is also a place to congregate outside, bbq and have a game of horseshoes at one of the two pavilions.
Round Rock Cemetery
Round Rock Cemetery -
"Created in the early 1850s in what is now known as Old Round Rock, this
cemetery is the burial ground of many area pioneers and outstanding Round Rock citizens. The oldest tombstone, which marks the burial site of 11-year-old Angeline Scott, shows the year 1851, although there are many unmarked graves that could date from before that time. Part of the cemetery was used as a burial ground for slaves and freedmen during the nineteenth century. Many war veterans are buried here, as is bank robber and outlaw Sam Bass, who died July 21, 1878, two days after being shot by Texas Rangers in Round Rock."
Slave Burial Ground in Old Round Rock Cemetery -
Near the gravesite of outlaw Sam Bass, part of the Old Round Rock Cemetery
was set aside for slave burials. Gated with cedar posts and barbed wire, sites are marked head and foot with large limestone rocks. Some rocks are hand-grooved with names and dates. The first marked grave of a freed slave is dated 1880.
William M. Owen House - St Charles Hotel
Old Round Rock Store-Post Office and Complex
Historical Narratives By Crystal Sassa Ragsdale
The two, stone buildings complex in Old Round Rock, Williamson County is
composed of the old general store and the first post office, a one story structure and the adjoining two story William Owen house. They have been welcome landmarks for well over a century, from the beginnings of this frontier settlement. They are located on the once heavily-traveled, main road that connected Austin, to the north part of the state. They were witnesses to the thousands of longhorn cattle that cross nearby Brushy Creek from the late 1860s through the mid 1880s as well as to the hundreds of cowmen who traded in the town's general merchandise stores.
Thomas C. Oatts was the builder and owner of the store and first postmaster
of Round Rock in 1851. [1] Re-built the structure which served as the first permanent post office. 1853 It is located on the high, north bank above the creek. The area lies on the east side of U. S. Interstate 35 at Texas Highway 79. [2] The house was probably built more than a decade later.
Postmaster Oatts and pioneer settler and landowner Jacob M. Harrell are
credited with naming the town Round Rock for the large anvil-shaped rock in nearby Brushy Creek. [9] At first Oatts had his store and post office near the creek, but after a particularly devastating flood destroyed his store and post office along with property owned by others in the settlement [10] then called Brushy. He then moved to the north bank where he established his new business in 1853 and the post office was renamed Round Rock in 1854.
In 1851 there was a twice weekly mail route running each way. Within only a
few years a mail delivery was increased to three times weekly, delivered by a two horseback [12] The hack driver took time at various places at a stage stop to deliver mail and seek out an eating place as he traveled from settlement to settlement, Travelers often needed a night's stay and to hire transportation at the stops.
Oatts remained postmaster until 1860 but continued his business in the store
until 1867 when he sold his property for $1500 to Henry Harris. [14] Three years late in 1870, Harris sold it to prominent Williamson County physician and businessman..., Dr. Mitchell Owen and his wife, Sarah who had come to the area in 1847. [15]
The house in the complex is mentioned as having been built by Harris,
however it has also been referred to as the "Old Owen home." [16] Therefore who was the first owner- builder of the two men remains uncertain. However, 1870 would seem to indicate the time of the construction.
The complex has passed through a number of owners since Owen's time. A
grocery seems to have been run in the store building until E McLoud's widow Lela sold the store and house to the James B. Rutlands in 1965 [18] The house has served as a lodging place at various times through the years.
After 1900 the old tom became run down, its fine, old stone buildings neglected
and allowed in some cases to fall into beyond repair stage and ruin. From the 1940s however there has been a slow, often torturous reclamation of the various structures. In the next decade Colonel William Ross Irvin began to purchase and restore a number of the old buildings.
In 1965 his daughter Harriet and her husband James B. Rutland continued
Ervin work when they bought the store and house complex: and restored the neglected structures. George H. Murray, an investor interested in historic protection purchased the property early in 1981. He
has leased the house to three doctors for their offices and plans to lease the
store for some commercial venture.
Historic Downtown Round Rock
The coming of the railroad in 1876 forced the town of Round Rock to move in
order to survive. Old Town stayed after New Town was built but its importance went down. New Town has remained a workable business district up to the current time.
In 1876, the first constructions in New Town were only tents barely standing
alongside the International and Great Northern railway. One of the first businesses established in New Town was a mercantile store set up by Captain J.C.S. Morrow, Sam Houston's son-in-law. Morrow saw the money opportunity because of the new rail line and moved his business from Georgetown to New Town. On July 29, 1876 the first contract for the Round Rock Broom Factory was written. William Walsh moved his lime factory to Round Rock from Austin due to the better grade of limestone in the area. The Round Rock White Lime Company would go on to be a major employer in the City and provided lime that was used in the construction of the State Capitol building in the 1880s.
By the next summer, 1877, several new businesses had been added to New
Town's business district: George M. Dilley and Company Lumber; H.B. Sheppard General Merchandise, which had moved over from Old Town, Drs. J.J. and W. H. Tobin Drugs; J.M. Forwood and J.F. Cottingham Lumber; August Glober Hardware; Henry Albert Highsmith Livery Stable; M.D. Miller Exchange Bank; Round Rock Headlight Newspaper (published by W.K. Foster); Round Rock Hotel (also known as the Hart House); E.P. Robinson Hardware and Dealer in Hides; W.S. and P.G. Peters Bankers; and the Law Office of James Harvey Robertson.
In 1878, Round Rock was the final place for the International and Great
Northern Railroad. Supplies choose to be shipped to the East or supplies being transported to a point west or south of Round Rock had to be loaded or unloaded at New Town, adding much to the economic activity of the City. Travelers were also common and at this time Round Rock had more hotels than Austin to accommodate them. An 1878 description of the City from the book Southern and Western Texas Guide indicated that the City's businesses and establishments consisted of: two planing mills, four lumber yards, two flouring mills, two wagon shops, one broom factory, two harness and saddlery shops, two hardware stores, two stove and tinware stores, fourteen general merchandise stores, blacksmith shops, the Miller's Exchange Bank, three churches, four schools, a Masonic College a Masons and Odd Fellows Lodge, and one newspaper. Henry Kopperal opened his store this year, Dr. Forbes practiced medicine, W.D. Herrick operated a gin, and H.A. Christie headed up the Williamson County Bank. By 1880, R. Tatsch had opened a blacksmith and wheelwright shop.
Round Rock in 1880 had, in addition to the above mentioned businesses, a
drug store, six hotels, two restaurants, two bakeries, one meat market, a jewelry store, two flouring mills, two planing mills, two wagon shops, four blacksmith shops, two saddlery and tanners shops, and two photograph galleries. Additionally, the City had a Methodist Church, Societies of Presbyterian, Episcopalians, and Baptists, two schools, and one high school. The book indicated that the lumber industry in Round Rock was "immense". The book also indicated that land around Round Rock was selling for $25 an acre with easy terms. |
