Oatmeal, Texas
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Oatmeal is an unincorporated community in Burnet County, Texas, United States. It is situated along RM 243, approximately eight miles southeast of Burnet[1] and 56 miles (90 km) northwest of Austin.[2]
History[]
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The area's first settlers were German families during the late 1840s. The community's name is either an alteration of a Mr. Othneil – the area's first gristmill owner, or a supposed translation of the name Habermill (Haber being a German dialect word for Hafer, "oats").[1] A post office was established in 1853 under the name Oatmeal. The first schoolhouse opened in 1858, only to be replaced by a second building eleven years later.[2] A gin built in the 1870s continued to serve as a local landmark into the early 1900s. A cemetery was deeded in 1871, although burials were recorded in the area as early as 1854.[1]
In 1936, Oatmeal had a school, two churches, and scattered dwellings.[1] By 1990, the population was around twenty – consisting mostly of families engaged in farming and ranching. That figure remained the same in 2000.
Stringtown[]
Following the Civil War, a colony of freedmen, freed slaves, settled in the eastern part of Oatmeal.[1] The settlement, known as Stringtown, included homes, a building used as a church and school, and Burnet County's only all-black cemetery.[1] The community of Stringtown remained in existence until the early 1920s.[2]
Culture[]
Oatmeal's watertower is painted to resemble a box of oatmeal.[3]
Since 1978, the community of Oatmeal and the nearby city of Bertram have celebrated an annual Oatmeal Festival, originally a parody of chili cookoffs.[4] Ken Odiorne, a local resident, started the tradition by writing to the major producers of oatmeal at the time to ask for assistance. Only one company, , responded.
The Oatmeal Festival has played a significant role in the continued notoriety and existence of Oatmeal, Burnet County's second oldest community.[1]
Climate[]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Oatmeal has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[5]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Oatmeal, Texas". The Handbook of Texas online. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ a b c "Oatmeal, Texas". Texas Escapes Magazine. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ Pohlen, Jerome (1 February 2006). Oddball Texas: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places. Chicago Review Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-1-56976-472-5.
- ^ "Oatmeal Festival". Bertram, Texas. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ Climate Summary for Oatmeal, Texas
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External links[]
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Oatmeal, Texas
- Oatmeal, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
Coordinates: 30°41′49″N 98°05′40″W / 30.69694°N 98.09444°W
- Unincorporated communities in Burnet County, Texas
- Unincorporated communities in Texas
- Populated places established in 1853