Oatmeal is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Burnet County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. Its population was 20 in 2000.

History

The area's first settlers were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

families during the late 1840s who lived on Oatmeal Creek. The community's name is either an alteration of a Mr. Othneil – the area's first gristmill owner or a supposed translation of the name Habermill (Haber being a

German dialect German dialects are the various traditional local varieties of the German language. Though varied by region, those of the southern half of Germany beneath the Benrath line are dominated by the geographical spread of the High German consonant s ...

word for Hafer, "oats"). A post office was established in 1853 under the name Oatmeal. The community had the first orchard in Burnet County and a

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

pressing station operated here. A gin built in the 1870s continued to serve as a local landmark into the early 1900s. It also had a general store at one time. A cemetery was deeded in 1871, although burials were recorded in the area as early as 1854. In 1936, Oatmeal had two churches and scattered dwellings. By 1990, the population was around twenty – consisting mostly of families engaged in farming and ranching. It also had a church, a community center, and a cemetery during that time. That figure remained the same in 2000.

Stringtown

Following the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, a colony of

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...

, freed slaves, settled in the eastern part of Oatmeal. The settlement, known as Stringtown, included homes, a building used as a church and school, and Burnet County's only all-black cemetery. The community of Stringtown remained in existence until the early 1920s.

Culture

Oatmeal's water tower is painted to resemble a box of oatmeal. Since 1978, the community of Oatmeal and the nearby city of Bertram have celebrated an annual Oatmeal Festival, originally a parody of chili cookoffs. Ken Odiorne, a local resident, started the tradition by writing to the major producers of

oatmeal Oatmeal is a preparation of oats that have been de-husked, steamed, and flattened, or a coarse flour of hulled oat grains (groats) that have either been milled (ground) or steel-cut. Ground oats are also called white oats. Steel-cut oats are ...

at the time to ask for assistance. Only one company,

National Oats National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, responded. The Oatmeal Festival has played a significant role in the continued notoriety and existence of Oatmeal, Burnet County's second-oldest community.

Geography

Oatmeal is situated along RM 243, approximately eight miles southeast of Burnet and northwest of

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 ...

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Oatmeal 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 Oatmeal, Texas
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Education

The first schoolhouse opened in 1858, only to be replaced by a second building eleven years later. In 1936, Oatmeal's school continued to operate. Today, the community is served by the

Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Burnet Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in Burnet, Texas, United States. Located in Burnet County, small portions of the district extend into Llano and Williamson counties. In 2009, the school distric ...

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Burnet County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Populated places established in 1853