The Town of Round Rock Texas
Round Rock, Texas was founded around the year 1851 on the banks of a local creek called Brushy Creek, and the city was named for a large, circular rock which was situated in the middle of the creek. Wagon Wheel tracks can still be seen on the rock today, and the rock was in the middle of a low water crossing on Brushy Creek, which at the time was part of the famous Chisholm Trail which was used to herd cattle from Texas to Kansas.
The town was originally called Brushy Creek, but changed its name in 1854 to Round Rock in honor of the rock and the stories surrounding it. Round rock was the reputed birthplace of Sam Bass, an infamous train robber of the day, as well as Soapy Smith, an old west con man who made Round Rock his home in the mid-1800s.
The city, which has a current population of around 75,000 inhabitants, has a rich and colorful history. The area northwest of downtown on Sam Bass Road is still referred to as "Old Town", a reference to the shootout between Sam Bass and the Texas Rangers in 1878, an event which is re-enacted every year in downtown Round Rock during the yearly Frontier Days festival which is held on the fourth of July.
Round Rock is also known as the Sports Capital of Texas, and is home of the Round Rock Express, a minor league baseball team that plays in the Dell Diamond, which is a local sports arena and concert venue built by the Dell Corporation, which has its corporate headquarters in Round Rock and is one of Round Rock's most well known employers.
Round Rock is about 17 miles north of Austin and 10 miles south of Georgetown, and has around 21,000 households, and an area of just over 26.3 square miles, a small percentage of which is water. Round Rock is considered to be a very safe community, and has been named one of the best communities for young people by The Alliance for Youth, which attributes this fact to a program called New Horizons, which encourages students to remain in school and development the life skills necessary for success.
Along with the Dell Corporation, there are numerous large employers in the Round Rock area, including Toppan, Sears, and TECO/Westinghouse. The median household income in Round Rock is around $70,000, and Round Rock has a very diverse population, with roughly 47% of the population having children in the household under the age of 18 and 65% of the households including married couples.
The median price for a house in Round Rock in 2006 was about $150,000, and round Rock offers various choices of accommodations from luxury homes to smaller starter homes, as well as apartments, duplexes, and condominium projects.
The Round Rock School District Schools are also considered excellent, and over 85% of graduating seniors take the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and the city has an excellent library that offers children's programs and a summer reading program for kids too. There are many recreational facilities including the Clay Madsen Recreation Center, which includes a 14,000 square foot skate park, summer camps and day camps for school students on break.
The center also offers swimming lessons, a game room, and two basketball courts, as well as a T.V. room for children to safely recreate all year round.
Round Rock also has quite a few well known hotels, restaurants, and opportunities for nightlife, along with excellent medical facilities, including Round Rock Hospital and the new Dell Children's Hospital, which is associated with the Seton Hospital system.
Round Rock is an excellent place to visit and catch a ball game, or enjoy the natural beauty and scenery, and learn about Texas history. The city is also an excellent place to consider when choosing a location to raise a family and settle down, or retire in a safe community with close proximity to big cities yet all the advantages of small town living. Come on over to Round Rock and take a look at its many advantages, and you might just want to stay a while!
About the Author
Escapeso Realty provides real estate services in Central Texas. Their site provides a quick search for Austin homes. They also have analysis of the Austin real estate market and the Round Rock real estate market.
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