|
The community
center where the Oatmeal Festival is held.
This was the third school.
Photo
Courtesy Jack Williams, 2002 |
History
in a cylindrical cardboard box:
The name is perhaps a corruption of Othneil who was
an early businessman in the area.
A timeline
of significant historic events in Oatmeal:
1849: The first
settlers were German families
1853: A post office was granted under the name Oatmeal
1854: The first people are buried in what will eventually become the
Oatmeal Cemetery (see photographer's note below)
1858: the first schoolhouse was built
1869: a second school was constructed
1871: The cemetery is deeded |
The old stone
school/church
Photo Courtesy Jack Williams, 2002 |
|
Photo Courtesy Jack Williams, 2002 |
| Photo
courtesy Stephen Danesi |
|
|
The
Oatmeal water tower (standpipe)
Photo
courtesy Stephen Danesi, 2005 |
| An all-black
cemetery was set up in eastern Oatmeal in a Black community called
Stringtown. Formed of Freedmen (and women) after the Civil
War, the town melted away during the 1920s. The same fate nearly befell
Oatmeal, but there were enough people to maintain the town until they
came up with the annual Oatmeal Festival - a tongue-in-cheek
celebration of the once mandatory hot breakfast food. |
|
|
The
headstone of Mary Smith,
the first documented burial in the Oatmeal Cemetery
Photo Courtesy Jack Williams |
Photographer's
Note:
While staying at my sister's lake house in Burnet,
I made it a point to go over and take pictures of Oatmeal for your
site. While there, I poked around and found some interesting facts.
From an excellent history posted at the Cemetery by Maxine Glimp I
found that the first postmaster of Oatmeal was Judge John R. Scott,
who was also the first Chief Justice of Burnet
County. He was murdered around May of 1863 and his remains were
discovered some time later - identified by a deformed jawbone.
Oatmeal was also the site of the first orchard in the state and the
1st and only cheese press.
... The Cemetery has many of the early pioneers interred there, the
oldest recorded graves are those of Mary Smith and her year old daughter,
buried there on September 16, 1854. They were killed when a horse
threw them. Veterans of the Civil war, WWI
and WWII
are also buried here. ... Thanks for letting me contribute, it's fun!
- Jack Williams, October 01, 2002 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
