All photos courtesy of Eric W. Pohl
High atop the Edwards Plateau sits the town of Rocksprings in the Texas Hill Country. Receiving its name from the natural springs that come through the porous rock of the area, the town was established in 1891. It has a moderate level of permanent residents (topping out at just over 1,200 in the year 2000 and then declining only slightly since.) It also has a bit of a dark history which makes you wonder how on Earth it’s still here really.
Back in 1927, the town was hit by an F5 tornado, destroying 235 of the 247 buildings in existence and causing a high number of casualties. But the townspeople proved resilient and later rebuilt and started anew. Their economy centers around wool and mohair, which may be why it’s called the Angora Goat Capital of the World, there’s an angora goat statue on a corner of the town square, and the name of their weekly paper is “The Rocksprings Record and Texas Mohair Weekly.” It’s quite the place, and if you’re a fan of that industry, a hunter, a nature love, or you find yourself wanting to gaze dreamily at the Texas stars, then Rocksprings is the place for you!
