Pound House Post January 2020
BY THE NUMBERS
166 years ago 2 families made the long trek by wagon from Mississippi to Texas: Joseph & Sarah Pound and the Moss Family (Sarah’s sister, Indiana, and her husband). They were the first to settle in what is today Dripping Springs, Texas. Very soon after they were joined by a 3rd family, the Wallace family. Together these pioneers started their lives and built a community. The Pounds had 9 children. The house they built to shelter themselves expanded from 1 room to 4, and as time passed, that house was handed down from generation to generation of Pound descendants for 129 years.
4 years after their arrival, the Moss family opened the first post office and gave Dripping Springs it’s name. Within another 25 years the city expanded to include a steam gristmill and cotton gin, with a population of 130. The first school opened in 1881.
According to census reports, in the mid-1980’s Dripping Springs had 20 businesses and more than 600 residents. The population grew steadily for the next few decades, but by 2013 this area saw a sudden swell in new residents as modern-day pioneers flocked from near and far and word spread that this gem in the Hill Country offers prime living. To illustrate this change, in 2006 the number of new house building permits came in at 6; In 2017 it was 317, according to city-data.com. The population change from 2000 to 2017 was 150%. In a land area of 3.3 square miles the latest statistics show a population density of 1,173 people per square mile. It’s not hard to understand why with an average of 226 sunny days per year, a capitol city only 25 miles away, and enveloped by natural beauty, this town has no shortage of idyllic settings for celebrating and living. In fact, by the mid-2000’s over 35 wedding venues could be found within a 15-mile radius. According to Destination Dripping Springs, there are over 3,500 wedding per year in Dripping Springs. And in 2019 the DSISD had a record 7,100 students enrolled in their district.
With their modest beginnings, the first settlers probably never imagined the growth we see today. And new residents are still making the journey here: they no longer come by way of wagon, but like the Pounds, they do come from many other states. As more families call Dripping Springs home the town has expanded to incorporate a plethora of eateries, and a bevy of wineries, breweries, and distilleries. A huge number of banks, churches and shops. Places where families conduct their business, play, find respite, learn and live. At the heart of it all, thanks to the forming of the Friends of Pound House Foundation 28 years ago, we still have the 1 original house in the place where it all began: Our heritage center, The Dr. Pound Farmstead. We serve as a touchstone to the past so that pioneers of the present can see and learn about the history of our town, experience respite from the flurry of the modern-day busyness, and connect with a story that belongs to all of us. Join us in 2020 for a workshop, an exhibit opening, a special event or a tour. Continue the legacy and make the history of Dripping Springs part of your present story.