Round Rock is a city in Texas, which is located in Williamson County that is a part of the Greater Austin, Texas metropolitan area. The city is located on both sides of the Balcones Escarpment, which happens to be a fault line wherein the areas that are located in the east of Interstate 35 are flat and are known to have black and fertile soils of the Blackland Prairie.
Money magazine named Round Rock as the seventh-best American small city to live back in 2008. The following year, CNN listed Round Rock as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Aside from all of these, Round Rock is best known to be the location of the international headquarters of Dell Technologies. The existence of this company, along with other significant companies, made a substantial economic development program for Round Rock. That is why major retailers like Premium Outlet Mall, IKEA, and La Frontera center have transformed Round Rock from being a bedroom community to a super suburb.
History of Round Rock
in 1851, a small country was established on the banks of Brushy Creek, which has a round a large rock in the middle. The round rock made a part of the creek, a low-water crossing that is suitable for horses, wagons, and cattle. The first postmaster that was assigned in the location called the community Brushy Creek. Still, in 1854, the citizen of the city decided to rename the place Round Rock in honor of the large and round famous rock.
After the Civil War ended, Jesse Chisholm started to move cattle from South Texas and decided to pass through Round Rock to make his way to Abilene, Kansas. The route he took where he crossed Brushy Creek at the round rock is now known as the Chisholm Trail. This trail was used from 1867 to 1884, and it starts from Kansas south to the Rio Grande. The path passed through Round Rock, Texas, and it made an excellent crossing point for cattle.
In order to preserve the historic crossing, the town decided to develop the Chisholm Trail Crossing Park, which gave tourists and visitors a simulated scene of the historical role of Round Rock in the Chisholm cattle drive. Today, you will see a 1.5 scale 22-figure bronze sculpture composition that shows the life in the Chisholm Trail during the late 1800s. These sculptures were done by sculptor Jim Thomas.
Downtown Round Rock is a historical place because it is where the gunfight, capture, and eventually death of the 19th-century American train robber named Sam Bass took place. The event is popularly called as the Sam Bass Shootout. Sa infamous train robber was buried in Round Rock Cemetery, which is just northwest of Old Town in Sam Bass road.
As most of us know, Dell is a multinational company that specializes in computers and information technology. This iconic company is based in Round Rock, and this is where they sell, develop, and support computers as well as other related services and products. About 11,500 people are employed in Dell’s Round Rock facilities.
Initially, Dell was based in Austin, but when the company’s need for space expanded, they chose the City of Round Rock to be the location of their headquarters. This is because the city of Round Rock offered Dell a “Chapter 380” agreement where they both agreed to split sales tax revenue from their in-state sales 50/50 between the City and Dell. That was the first time that kind of arrangement was used in Central Texas. And in 1999, about half of the general fund of the City of Round Rock came from the sales taxes that they generated from the Dell headquarters.
Today, Dell remains to be one of the top competitors when it comes to technologies. As a part of their clean energy program, they decided to switch the power sources of their headquarters in Round Rock to a more environmentally friendly source. About sixty percent of their power comes from TXU Energy wind farms.
Places to Go in Round Rock, Texas
- Centennial Plaza – This is a handy location wherein you can see a performance stage with lawn setting, community monuments, public art sculpture, an amphitheater, and a bat viewing area. If you want to have some quality time with your friends or family while you’re in Round Rock, you should check this place out.
- Chisholm Trail Crossing Park – As we mentioned, this park has sculptures that show the life in the Chisholm Trail during the 1800s. Aside from commemorative plaques and statues, you can also see the popular “round rock” itself in this park. If you want to dig in some more in Round Rock’s history, then the Chisholm Trail Crossing Park should definitely be on your list.
- The Round Rock Express at The Dell Diamond – If you want to witness a Round Rock Express Game, which is the AAA affiliate to the Texas Rangers, or you just want to watch some musical concert or amateur sporting event while you’re in Round Rock, Texas, then you should head on down to the Round Rock Express at the Dell Diamond. This place has several amenities for enjoyment and fan comfort.
- Downton Round Rock –This small, charming, and one-of-a-kind thriving Downtown area in Round Rock, Texas, offers you several stress-free family fun that is suitable for all ages. Here you can enjoy some interactive fountain or family restaurants where you do not need to book any reservations.
- Old Settlers Park – This park has more than 645 acres of land that are used for festivals and events. The Old Settlers Park is open every day. It has five softball fields, 20 baseball fields, two youth soccer fields, two sand volleyball courts, an RC plane facility, fishing pier, seven playgrounds, an aquatic center, and 4 multipurpose fields. If its some outdoor family fun is what you’re looking for while you’re in Round Rock, then the Old Settlers Park is the perfect location for you.