Mustang Ridge

Along the dusty trail, a stagecoach rattles towards a small settlement. This is Mustang Ridge, a town named after the rolling hills that define its landscape. Mustang Ridge sits fifteen miles south of Austin, nestled where Travis, Caldwell, and Bastrop counties meet. It began as a humble way station for travelers on the stagecoach route between Gonzales and Austin. The Old Spanish Road, also known as El Camino Real, also passed through this area. Think of weary travelers and cowboys, stopping at the local watering holes to refresh themselves and their livestock on their long journeys north to Kansas. One such watering hole, the Alligator Watering Hole, served as the headwaters of Cedar Creek. It was a vital stop near the intersection of the Austin-Lockhart Road and El Camino Real. Mustang Ridge wasn’t always a town. For years, the land here was dominated by sprawling ranches. Around 1900, cotton farming took hold, transforming the landscape and the livelihoods of the people. Tenant farming became a common practice until the harsh realities of the Great Depression forced many families to abandon their homes. Eventually, ranching returned, albeit on a smaller scale, coexisting with improved cotton farming methods. The children of Mustang Ridge attended the Creedmoor common school district. In 1966, these schools consolidated with the Del Valle Independent School District. Mustang Ridge officially became a town in 1985. Two determined men, Charles and Alton Laws, along with the support of Messrs. Webb, Sanders, and Robertson, spearheaded the incorporation efforts. They drew a city limit encompassing roughly 2,500 acres. By 1990, this small town had grown to include portions of three counties: northern Caldwell, southern Travis, and southwestern Bastrop. Today, Mustang Ridge retains its small-town charm, a testament to its resilient past.