 Burnet
is the county seat of Burnet County, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and
State Highway 29, at the edge of the spectacular Texas Hill Country about 50 miles
northwest of Austin, amidst the beautiful Highland Lakes. Established first as a
fort on the Texas frontier in the mid-1800's, Burnet has maintained its pioneer roots and
rural charm while adapting to the modern age. Burnet has developed into a community
center with superior parks and family recreation facilities and an outstanding school
district. The population of Burnet is just over 5,000.
MAJOR
ATTRACTIONS: Historic Burnet Square; Vanishing Texas River Cruise, Galloway Hammond
Recreation Center.
 AUSTIN STEAM TRAIN ASSOCIATION'S
"HILL COUNTRY 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 Sat. Originating in Cedar Park, the excursion goes into
the Hill Country to Burnet with a relaxed layover for a picnic or lunch at a restaurant of
your choice. Hop aboard in Cedar Park at 10a for a 2 hour ride and return to Cedar Park! www.AustinSteamTrain.org
DELAWARE SPRINGS GOLF COURSE: 512-756-8471; 600A Delaware Springs Blvd, Hwy 281 S, Burnet,
TX 78611. Public, Municipal, 18 holes, 6819 yds, par 72. More Info
FALKENSTEIN CASTLE: Castle: Park Road 4, near Kingsland. Ofc: 512-715-0330; 401 Buchanan
Drive, Suite #1, Burnet, TX 78611; Located between Burnet and Marble Falls, 5 mi NE of
Kingsland, 1 mi W of the famous Longhorn Caverns and just E of Hoover's Valley. A
destination wedding castle with lodging and full catering services. Perched high on a
hilltop surrounded by 113 acres of Oaks. Reception Center nearby in Burnet.
 FORT CROGHAN: 512-756-8281; at 703 Buchanan
Drive (Hwy 29W), Burnet, TX 78611; www.fortcroghan.org
Established in 1849, Fort Croghan was the third of the first four forts established
by the US government to protect settlements from hostile Indians. From 1849 until its
decommission in 1853, Fort Croghan was the home to Company C, 8th Inf, USA. (mounted) and
eventually became the headquarters of the Second Dragoon Regiment. Today's Fort Croghan is
representative of those early days of what was to become Burnet. See the sights and
imagine the sounds of the frontier as you visit the blacksmith's shop, the one room school
house, the powder house or the stage coach stop. The museum has over 1200 historic
artifacts from in and around the Burnet County area. Visit the Texas frontier as it once
was. Admission is free. Donations accepted. Open April through August, Thur-Sat, 10a-5p.
Group tours, call for reservation.
 HIGHLAND
LAKES AIR MUSEUM: 512-756-2226; At Burnet, TX airport. Operated by the Highland Lakes
Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force. Static displays of numerous WWII (and later)
aircraft and military vehicles, and wartime memorabilia. Open weekends.
HISTORY: ".
. one mile west of the divide between the Brazos and Colorado river watersheds near the
center of the county, forty-eight miles northwest of Austin. In 1849 people on the
frontier sought protection from the Indians at nearby Fort Croghan. The area was commonly
called Hamilton or Hamilton Valley for John Hamilton, who had a league and labor of land
there. A creek flowing through the league was also named for him. The town was founded as
Hamilton in 1852, when Burnet County was established. In August of that year a post office
in Hamilton was named Burnet Courthouse. In 1857 thirty-five residents of the town
petitioned the state legislature to change the name of the town to Burnet since there was
another town in Texas named Hamilton. The name was changed in 1858. Citizens first voted
to incorporate in 1876. A second election was held in 1883 and resulted in the official
incorporation of Burnet in October of that year.
A major spurt in growth occurred with the arrival of the Austin and Northwestern Railroad
in April 1882. Burnet then became the railhead for the area to the west, including the
Llano, Mason, and San Saba vicinities. On June 3, 1885, Southern Produce Company shipped
157,000 pounds of wool from Burnet, reportedly the third largest wool shipment made up to
that time in Texas. In 1885 Gustav Wilke, subcontractor building the Capitol in Austin,
constructed a narrow-gauge railroad from Granite Mountain, fourteen miles south of Burnet,
to Burnet. At a point just south of the town and within its city limits, Wilke constructed
a yard to shape, finish, and fit the granite for placement in the Capitol building. Here
some 1,802 railroad carloads, 31,000 tons, of granite were finished and shipped by the
Austin and Northwestern to Austin. After the railroad was extended to Llano in 1892,
Burnet declined as a supply point and became a farming and livestock center.
In April 1931 the contract was let for the construction of what was then named Hamilton
Dam on the Colorado River ten miles west of Burnet. While this construction was under way
as many as 800 men were employed, and Burnet was home for many of them and supply base for
nearly all of them. Due to the Great Depression the Insull-owned corporations, including
the one owning Hamilton Dam, failed financially, and work ceased. In 1934 the state
legislature established the Lower Colorado River Authority, which, financed by the federal
Public Works Administration, acquired and completed the dam and changed the name to
Buchanan Dam. Other dams along the Colorado River soon followed, and Burnet was on a sound
economic path from that time forward.
In 1989 the town had a population of 3,794 and in 1990, 3,423. The population was 4,735 in
2000, and the community had a city manager form of government. Burnet produces stone and
various milled products from stone; mining, milling, shipping of graphite, agribusiness,
hunting leases, tourism, and recreation contribute to the economy. Many retirees live in
Burnet."
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