A history of Lampasas County :1882-1895

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to point out the influence of water upon the development of Lampasas County, and to investigate changes in the county upon the arrival of the railroad in 1882. Special attention was given to (1) the development of the city of Lampasas from a frontier village to a more modern city; (2) the change in political attitude which developed among the rural portion of the population as opposed to the political attitude of those who lived in the city; (3) the stability of the area in its reliance upon the presence of a water supply and a rural population for a continuing existence. Methods: The data used for this study were (1) newspapers, magazines, and documents found in the Texas State Archives and University of Texas Newspaper Collection; (2) interviews with selected individuals; (3) the files of the Lampasas Historical Society; (4) the minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Methodist Church, a pamphlet on the Texas Bankers Association, and the diaries and papers of Lampasas residents during the time period considered. Findings: From the evidence presented in this study the following conclusions appear to be in order: 1. The first cause for settlement of Lampasas County was the existence of an abundant water supply. 2. The primary reason for the continued existence of the village of Lampasas was the farmers who settled near the numerous streams in the area, and those individuals who came to drink the Sulphur water of the springs for medicinal purposes. 3. The arrival of the railroad in 1882 transformed Lampasas from a frontier village to a city with the conveniences of the late 1800’s. 5. The individuals who came to Lampasas after 1882 carried with them an attitude concerning government which did not agree with the attitude of the farmers who lived in the county. 6. The most important change of the period was the divergence of political attitude between those who lived in the country and those who lived in the town.