Circleville Texas Webpage

Relics excavated from Indian mounds along the San Gabriel River indicate a Native American presence in the Circleville area dating back some 10,000 years. As late as the early 1800's, a sizeable Tonkawa Indian population made the area their home. Other tribes native to the area included: Lipan Apaches , the Penateka Comanches,Tawakoni, Mayeye, Yojuan, Kiowa, and Choctaw.

As Texas gained it's independence from Mexico and became a republic, President Lamar decided to use his army to drive the Indian populations out of Texas. In 1840, most tribes were driven out and settled on reservations in the Indian Territory ( that later became Oklahoma). However the comanches, Apaches and Kiowas continued to wage a war with the armies of Texas until their eventual defeat in the Panhandle region of Texas in the 1870's.

In 1836, the Circleville region was still the hunting grounds of hostile Indian tribes, and sparsely settled at that time. In 1836, Captain John J. Tumlinson and his company of 60 Texas Rangers built a fort on nearby Block House Creek to patrol and protect families from Indian attacks.Believed to have been the first building erected in present Williamson County, the fort was built at the request of Major Robert McAlpin Williamson, for whom the county would later be named.After only two months of occupancy, however, the Rangers had to abandon the fort when they were recalled to Bastrop.They were needed to cover the retreat of frightened families fleeing their homes and seeking refuge in safer quarters as Santa Anna's army advanced into Texas in his attempt to quell the Texan's fight for independence. This flight, known as the Runaway Scrape, continued until news came of Santa Anna's defeat at San Jacinto. When Rangers finally returned to Block House in 1837, they found the fort had been burned by Indians.

CIRCLEVILLE ESTABLISHED IN 1857

Circleville evolved as a small settlement on what is now State Highway 95 one mile south of the San Gabriel River and approx. 5 miles north of Taylor. The town was settled in 1853 by three Eubank brothers: James, Joseph, and William Eubank. Circleville was named for its semicircle of homes.

In the early days, Circleville had a general store, a gristmill, a gin, a molasses press, tin and pewter shops, a blacksmith shop, a carding factory, a school, a church, and, post office (1857 to 1911).

The Kansas, Texas and Missouri Railroad ran through town in the 1880s; several train wrecks occurred there because of a dangerous curve near the San Gabriel River. The Circleville school was consolidated with the Jonah school in 1949.

In 1980 Circleville had a cattle auction barn, two stores, a tavern, and a population of fifty. In 2000, the population of Circleville was listed at forty-two.

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