Hye is an unincorporated community in western

Blanco County Blanco County (Spanish: "white", ) is a United States county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in Central Texas and its county seat is Johnson City. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,374. The county is named for ...

, Texas, United States. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had a population of 105 in 2000. Hye is part of the Texas-German belt and in very conservative rural Texas.

History

The first settlers came to the area in 1860 when several farmers and ranchers moved to Rocky Creek, located three miles east of the community. It continued to grow when German and Anglo settlers came to the area throughout the 1860s and 70s. Hiram ("Hye") G. Brown and his parents settled in the Rocky Creek area of Blanco County, circa 1872. He constructed a small store and house near the Pedernales River on the

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

- Fredericksburg road. Brown was appointed postmaster upon getting a post office established in his store on April 17, 1886. The post office was named Hye for him. The establishment of the post office drew other businesses to the area, eventually bringing in a grist mill, a blacksmith shop, and a cotton gin. In 1904, Brown erected a new building for the store and post office. In 1965, on the porch of the Hye post office, Lyndon B. Johnson swore in

Lawrence F. O'Brien Lawrence Francis O'Brien Jr. (July 7, 1917September 28, 1990) was an American politician and basketball commissioner. He was one of the United States Democratic Party's leading electoral strategists for more than two decades. He served as Postm ...

as United States Postmaster General. Johnson's boyhood home is located nearby and is reported to be where he mailed his first letter at the post office when he was just four years old. The community's population was 200 during the 1920s and 30s, dropped to 50 during World War II, grew to 90 in 1947, its zenith of 140 in 1968, and settled at 105 from 1970 through 2000. In 1966, the Hye General Store and Post Office was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, marker number 2607. The Garrison Brothers Distillery also operates in the community.

Geography

Hye lies along

U.S. Route 290 U.S. Route 290 (US 290) is an east–west U.S. Highway located entirely within the state of Texas. Its western terminus is at Interstate 10 southeast of Segovia, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 in northwest Houston. It is the ...

near the

Gillespie County Gillespie County is a County (United States), county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 26,725. The county seat is Fredericksburg, Texas, Fredericksburg ...

line, west of Johnson City, the county seat of Blanco County. It is also located west of Austin and east of Fredericksburg.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hye has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Hye, Texas
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Education

Hye is served by the Johnson City Independent School District. Garrison Brothers Stillhouse

References

External links