Chronology of Significant Historic Events
1835 Milam County is named after Benjamin Rush Milam
1873 Settlers in the area sell 400 acres to the railroad for a townsite
1874 The International & Great Northern railroad company begins operation and helps spur growth around Rockdale
February 4, 1874 Mrs. B.F. Ackerman gives the town of Rockdale its name after seeing a large rock on a sandy prairie north of the town
1878 City of Rockdale is incorporated
1883 City bond election provided $10,000 for construction of a city hall and school building. A design by Architect F.E. Ruffini was not built and the project was put on hold.
1884 Rockdale’s population reaches 1,700 residents boasting five churches, two schools, two cotton gins, a 250-seat opera house, a private bank, and a weekly newspaper
1890 Texas’ first coal mine, Black Diamond Coal Company, is opened in Rockdale by Hermann F. Vogel and Gus Lorenz
1891 The San Antonio and Aransas Pass railroad begins operation in Rockdale
1894 The city acquired land for a city hall
1895 In February, work begins on Rockdale City Hall from architect A. O. Watson’s plans. By August, work came to a halt as the contractor had trouble acquiring materials. It is not clear when the building was finished.
1897 A boiler exploded at the water and electric light plant. The town was left without water or light for approximately 30 days. The damage to the power plant was $8,000.
1901 Sanborn maps show City Hall completed, newspaper articles note that city council erected a stage in the city hall
1920 Oil is discovered near Rockdale
1923 An Austin Newspaper described planned improvements to the building including a bisecting wall on the first floor and a rebuilt facade.
1939 City Hall is remodeled extensively with the bell tower and auditorium being removed. The bisceting wall on the first floor may have been installed at this time. A remodeled fire station is housed in the rear of the building during this alteration.
1951 Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) held a groundbreaking ceremony in Milam County, 6 miles away from Rockdale including plans for a coal power plant (Sandow Power Plant)
1953 Population reached 2,311
1954 A total of 19,471 people toured the Alcoa facilities as part of the grand opening celebrations
1950s Fire station within the building was remodeled and enlarged
1955 Population reached 6,027
1959 The San Antonio and Aransas Pass railroad closed
1986 The fire department was relocated and the former spaces inside the city hall were remodeled for police function
2002 City Hall functions moved to a new building, the police department moved in
2004 El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail includes multiple sites in Milam County
2008 Alcoa plant closed
2018 Sandow Power Plant shut down due to clean energy growth
2019 The Rockdale Police Department is scheduled to move to a new $4 million dollar building, vacating the old city hall
2020 The City of Rockdale sells the 1895 City Hall to Vision Historic Preservation Foundation to be restored and developed.
