Round Rock History
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 A.W.
Grimes of the Texas Ranger Division on July 19, 1878. The event is known
locally as the "Sam Bass Shootout." Bass is buried in Round Rock Cemetery,
located northwest of "Old Town" on Sam Bass Road.
Texas sculptor Jim Thomas was commissioned by the city of Round Rock, Texas,
to create a 1.5 scale 22-figure bronze sculptural composition depicting life
along the Chisholm Trail in the late 1800s. After the Civil War, the major
source of income for Texans was cattle. Trail drivers, such as Jesse
Chisholm, led their cattle to market in Abilene, Kansas, to be sold for high
prices to the eastern markets. The Chisholm Trail was used from 1867 to 1884
and ran from Kansas south to the Rio Grande. The trail passed through Round
Rock, Texas, at a specific spot at Brushy Creek, marked by the round
limestone rock for which the city is named. It was a good crossing point for
thousands of cattle. It is this location, the Crossing, that the
commemorative park is located.
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