Oatmeal is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Burnet County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. Its population was 20 in 2000.

History

The area's first settlers were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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 sh ...

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 type of dairy product produced in a range 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 prod ...

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 20 – 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 is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

, a colony of

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

, 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 Bertram may refer to: Places *Bertram, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Australia *Bertram, Iowa, United States, a city *Bertram, Texas, United States, a city *Bertram Glacier, Palmer Land, Antarctica Other uses *Bertram (name), a list of peo ...

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

at the time to ask for assistance. Only one company, National Oats, 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 refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Oatmeal has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, 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.

References

External links

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