City was always going to have a ‘rockin’ name

Dear editor,

I thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful article, Gee, what a mountain, in the May 5 Reporter. Thanks to you and the Noacks for trekking over hill and dale (and mountain) in search of Rockdale’s rich and entertaining history.

I believe Rockdale was destined to have the word rock somehow in its name. Lucille McCann Dennis wrote, The History of Rock-dale and publisher her work in the Rockdale Lair (school yearbook) in 1936.

A portion of the above reference fourth paragraph reads as follows; “In the beginning of 1873, some sturdy pioneers with surveying outfits left Cameron in a southwestern direction to survey large tracts of land lying near Rock Prairie, about 18 miles away.

“Later it developed that George Green, B. F. Ackerman and Frank Smith had sold to the International & Great Northern Company four hundred acres of land on which to lay off a town.”

This town would later become Rockdale.

In all likelihood both the north and south rock outcroppings were well know for thousands of years by the Native Americans, both residing and hunter gathering in the area.

I believe that the pioneers knew this as well, and hence the earlier pioneering name of Rock Prairie.

The Milam County Historical Commission’s website link to Mrs. Dennis’s excellent work is www.milamcountyhistoricalcommission.org/newspaper_093.php

(An underscore exists after newspaper and before 093).

Respectfully, Jack Brooks bjohnr2010@hotmail.com