Alum Creek, Texas
Alum Creek is an unincorporated community in Bastrop County, Texas, United States.
Location
Alum Creek is located about four miles southeast of Bastrop, Texas, where TX-71 crosses Alum Creek.
History
Alum Creek was founded in 1829, one of the oldest communities in the county. Members of the Cottle, Highsmith, Craft, Parker, Grimes, Ridgeway, and White families( from Stephen F. Austin's lower colonies) built a fort for protection against Native Americans near the mouth of the community's namesake creek.
With the families locating cabins and farms nearby, the town expanded enough to have a private school in 1835 and land deeded for a campground and meetinghouse in 1846. The latter was previously owned by James Craft. It is believed that an Alum Creek post office was established in 1851, but there is no record with the USPS of such an establishment. By 1853, a local Methodist Episcopal church had been formed.
Alum Creek's population of 200 in 1884 supported three mills, two general stores, a blacksmith, and a saloon. This boom ended abruptly and by 1896, the population dipped to 40. Though a school continued to exist in Alum Creek until 1937, the community failed to maintain enough of a population to be included in twentieth century population estimates and census counts.
Current
At the 2000 census, the population of Alum Creek was seventy.
Today, Alum Creek sustains several businesses, including A Place For Your Stuff portable building manufacturer and an unspecified store called Clutterbugs.
Sources