| BERTRAM, TEXAS is at the
junction of Farm roads 243 and 1174 and State Highway 29, ten miles east of Burnet in
eastern Burnet County. The town was established in 1882, when the community of San Gabriel
in Williamson County was moved two miles northwest to the newly constructed Austin and
Northwestern Railroad. The new community was named for Austin merchant Rudolph Bertram,
the largest stockholder in the Austin and Northwestern. A post office opened in 1882, and
by 1891 the town had an estimated population of 150, a cotton gin-gristmill, three general
stores, a grocer, a blacksmith, a shoemaker, and two wagonmakers. After 1900 Bertram was a
shipping point for cotton, cattle, and wool. In 1928 a record 11,624 bales of cotton were
ginned in the town. In the early 1930s plummeting cotton prices and the Great Depressionqv
caused the town's population to decline from a high of 1,000 in 1929 to 550 by 1931. It
was 600 in 1949 and by 1966 stood at 1,205. In 1989 the town had a population of 1,002 and
nineteen businesses. At that time Bertram's principal industries included the manufacture
of ceramic floor tiles, paving tiles, marble fixtures, and vacuum-formed and molded
plastic products. In 1990 the population was 849. 
AUSTIN STEAM TRAIN ASSOCIATION'S
"BERTRAM FLYER": 512-477-8468; Historic railroad operates vintage passenger cars
pulled by A 1960 diesel Alco Engine while the 1916 steam engine is restored. Coach and
Lounge car rides available on Sun. Originating in Cedar Park, the excursion goes into the
Hill Country, including a brief stop at Bertram to explore the 1912 Train Depot. Hop
aboard at 2p in Cedar Park and return there at 5p! www.AustinSteamTrain.org
ANNUAL EVENTS:
Oatmeal Festival
 Bertram
is perhaps best known for its Oatmeal Festival held each year on the Friday and Saturday
before Labor Day. Begun in 1977 as a good-natured attempt to put neighboring Oatmeal
back on the map after state map-makers ignored the tiny neighboring community, the
festival has evolved into one of the wackiest, most imaginative small-town festivals
anywhere. In 2010, Bertram celebrates 33 years of craziness and fun, and as always, it
will actually "rain" oatmeal during the parade!
Because the festival is sponsored by Three Minutes
Brand Oats, every event starts at 3 or 33 minutes past the hour. The festival begins on
Friday night with a BBQ dinner and the Miss Oatmeal Pageant in Oatmeal. A trail-ride moves
the festivities to Bertram on Saturday, which includes a fun-run, parade, cook-off, zany
games, food, and arts and crafts, Mutton Busting and more.
For more information visit the Bertram Chamber of Commerce.
BERTRAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WEBSITE
Downtown Bertram, Circa 1930
BERTRAM HISTORIC SITES
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