Stagecoach stopped in Running Brushy

Stagecoach stopped in Running Brushy

Written by Jim Dawson Thursday, 07 September 2006

Stagecoach roads had the same influence in the establishment of communities, schools, churches, stores, shops and post offices that the railroads eventually had on city development.

The Austin to Lampasas Springs Stage Line operated between 1856 until about 1877. Owned and operated by Minos M. Long, it headquartered out of a stable on Congress Ave. near the capitol in Austin, and made stops at Jollyville (Pond Springs), Buttercup and Running Brushy (both now part of Cedar Park), Bagdad (now Leander), Liberty Hill and Burnet. The stage carried mail, passengers and some freight. The 65-mile trip took seven hours and cost $7.

Teams of horses were replaced at Running Brushy, Liberty Hill and Burnet. The stop at Running Brushy was on land owned by George Cluck. One of the original land owners in the area, his wife, Hattie is best remembered as the first woman to ride the Chisholm Trail cattle drive (see Community Impact history, May 2006). Cluck built a stage stand to hold fresh horses for the line. They were kept in the stand to be fed and rested for their next trip. Cluck’s stand contained 12 horses most of the time. There was also a stop at Liberty Hill for the noon meal.

In the early years, the stage made the trip to Lampasas twice a week. In later years, the stage traveled to Lampasas on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and back to Austin on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

After 1877, stage line changed the route so that it passed through Round Rock and to points north of Austin.

Mileposts modernized the roads during the early years of settlement. Records show that the Travis County commissioners court directed the overseers to measure roads and set up mileposts beginning in 1851. The 17-mile marker was originally located in the area which is today Middle Brook Apartments, 335 Cypress Creek Road. This marker has been moved to protect it from vandalism and weather damage and can be seen at the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce office, 1490 E. Whitestone Blvd., Bldg. 2, Ste. 180.

Research provided by Diane Goodwin, Cedar Park Heritage Society president.

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