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YNN's Drew Moses shows us the landmarks that make Central Texas unique, uncovering the stories behind them Tuesday's on Local Wonders.



09/25/2012 08:19 AM

Local Wonders: The Round Rock

By: YNN Staff

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The City of Austin was named after Stephen F. Austin. The City of Pflugerville was named after German immigrant Henry Pfluger.

YNN’s Senior Photojournalist Drew Moses takes a ride down the Old Chisholm Trail, to find the secret behind Round Rock's mysterious name.

“This is the literally where the Chisholm Trail ran through the community, where settlers and cattle drivers would come from San Antonio to Austin to Georgetown to Dallas and then to points north,” City of Round Rock Communications Director Will Hampton said. “For trail drivers and other early settlers who came up the Chisholm Trail, the Round Rock was a location where they knew it was a safe crossing of the creek. It was shallow, nice rocky bottom in the creek.”

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Local Wonders: </em></span>The Round Rock
Prior to the 1850s, the community was known as Brushy or Brushy Creek.

“In 1854, the postmaster at the time, Thomas Oates, was notified by the U.S. Postal Service that the name Brushy Creek was already taken by another community in Texas. So they needed a new name,” Hampton said. “They thought about this spot here. It was a known location in the community. We let the postal service know the town would be called Round Rock.”

The City of Round Rock has compiled an entire collection of stories on the complete history of the city. To learn more visit the City of Round Rock's website, click here.