Brushy Creek,Texas (unnamed copyrighting)

Brushy Creek, Texas is a small census designated place in Williamson County Texas, outside the Austin area. It has gone through some small periods of growth, but typically has followed them up with relative periods of decline in population. As of the most recent census, Brushy Creek as a town itself had only 50 residents, although the surrounding countryside that makes up the census designated place is comprised of over 15,000 people.

Brushy Creek was initially settled in the early 1840s. No one knows for sure the names of the initial settlers, but it is known that this group of settlers immigrated to the area in a wagon train from South Carolina. The area they came from, coincidentally, was Brushy Creek South Carolina, and this accounts for the fact that not only the town, but most of the surrounding streams are named Brushy Creek.

By 1858, the community had grown to a size of approximately 300 people, and started building some community buildings, some of which are still there, and are designated as Texas historical landmarks. Most notable were the combination one room school house and church, and the Olive Branch Cemetery. The cemetery can still be visited, and graves dating back to 1856 can still be seen.

As the surrounding areas began to be settled, Brushy Creek began to lose some of its residents to the neighboring communities. This was a trend that continued all the way until the 1940s. New residents would arrive, but at the same time more would leave.

For small time in the 1940s, this changed. Because of this change was the discovery of oil throughout the area. For the next 20 years, as wells were placed, and the will was harvested, the population of the actual town increased to over 300 residents for the first time in over 50 years. However as the oil wells tried up in the late 60s, the population began to decline again.

Brushy Creek, while being a small town, is a desirable area to live for those hoping to stay moderately close to Austin without having to live in a city. As a result, the town and the surrounding area have been largely unaffected by the recent housing crisis and recession. The median income in the area still remains far above national averages at $85,000 a year, and the average home price has maintained a constant level right around the $150,000 mark.