Bastrop County history

In 1838 another significant industry began when the Bastrop Steam Mill Company started operation.

Congress also began whittling away at the boundaries of the huge county; in 1840, when Travis County was formed, Bastrop County shrank almost to its present dimensions.

In 1851 Bastrop Methodists built the county’s first church, a weekly newspaper was founded, and the Bastrop Educational Society opened Bastrop Academy.

In 1856 Bastrop Military Institute (later Texas Military Institute, Austin) opened.

In 1870 Bastrop County's population topped 11,000, and it had 34 manufacturing establishments.

In 1874 Bastrop County assumed its present size with the establishment of Lee County.

In 1894 the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, which had taken over the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston route, selected Smithville as the site of its central shops.

Bastrop established a public library, and by 1909 had graded schools and two banks.

Farmers had continued to raise corn and cotton primarily, and 1920 was a peak year for corn, with almost a million bushels harvested.

After much lobbying by the Texas members of the House and Senate, Camp Swift was chosen in July of 1941 to be one of the 14 new military camps to be built.

When the camp gradually closed after the war, Bastrop shrank to 4,000, then 3,158 in 1950.

On April 21, 2007, the Texas Army National Guard officially opened the 136th Combat Arms Training Regiment and Texas National Guard Training Center of Excellence at Camp Swift.