Urban Rivalry In A Rural County: The Contest For Dominance Between Rockdale And Cameron In Milam County, Texas, 1873-1954
Abstract
Throughout the history of the United States, natural resources have played key
roles in determining where towns are formed, and when towns will die. For just as
long, waterways, roadways, and railroads have played an equally important role in
determining the location and success of many towns. This thesis builds on these two broad themes—resources and transportation—to examine how Rockdale, Texas was
able to become the most powerful town in southern Milam County, and successfully
compete with Cameron, Texas for dominance in Milam County. Cameron was the
established county seat in Milam County when in 1873, the International & Great
Northern Railway bypassed Cameron and built its track south of the Little River. For
two years, the newly established Rockdale was the terminus of the rail line. The
railroad connected Rockdale with a large network of cities and it grew into an important
center in the county.
This thesis also engages a third theme, community leadership and promotion,
that is crucial in determining how a community thrives. In the years that followed, city
leaders consistently worked to improve their town, strengthen relations with other
towns, and diversify their economy. In 1951, the culmination of three-quarter’s of a
century of progress, combined with the natural resources found near Rockdale, the
Aluminum Company of America erected a large aluminum smelting plant that would
forever change Rockdale and secure its position as an important center in Milam
County. The success that Rockdale capitalized on in 1951 was made possible by a
series of events over the previous eight decades.