History

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Oatmeal, Texas

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

Texas is littered with tiny towns and big personalities. The Hill Country is no exception. Oatmeal, Texas is a perfect example. Located in Burnet County, annual Oatmeal Festival is held on Labor Day Weekend. During the celebration, this tiny town of only 20 citizens attracts an international crowd. Here are five other things you may not know.

1. It Is Named After a German Family

Building a city.

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

One of the first families to settle in Oatmeal was a German family by the name of Habermill. In some German dialects the word, “haber” was a variation of the word “hafer” which is the German word for oat.

Soon a post office was established under the name, “Oatmeal.” Whether this was a joke or an honest attempt at honoring the family of settlers, no one is quite sure.

2. It Was Taken Off the Map

Oatmeal Map

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

In 1978 when residents saw the State map of Texas, they noticed that their town was no longer included on the map because there was no intersection of main highways. Disheartened by the news, citizens banded together with nearby Bertram to create the Oatmeal Festival.

Organizers contacted many of the major producers of oatmeal. National Oats responded and the Oatmeal Festival was born. The festival is held on Labor Day Weekend each year and has quite literally put this town back on the Texas state map.

3. Is Home to the First Orchard

The first Orchard

Photo: royaltypecans.com

In the land of peaches and pecans, establishing an orchard is no small task. According to Burnet County records, it was the first place in the county to have an official orchard. Records do not indicate what was harvested from the orchards. Farmers in the area speculate that peaches were most likely grown and harvested in the old orchard.

4. It Had the First Cheese Press

Cheese press.

Photo: www.geograph.org.uk

Cheese on oatmeal? Not such an appealing combination. But cheese in Oatmeal, Texas was. It was home to the first and only cheese press in Burnet County.

5. The Water Tower

Oatmeal water tower.

Photo: www.flickr.com

The water tower in Oatmeal, Texas is fashioned after its namesake: a canister of instant oatmeal. As mentioned above, in 1978, when members of the Oatmeal community discovered their beloved town was no longer on the map, they took action.

When National Oats agreed to step in, the annual festival was born. Although it serves as free advertising for National Oats, the company famous for “3-Minute Oats”, the water tower is a landmark that travelers and tourists love to photograph.