Walnut Springs, TX

Walnut Springs is a small town located in Williamson County, Texas. The population of Walnut Springs was 2,924 as of the 2010 census. It is located approximately 25 miles north of downtown Austin and is part of the Austin- Round Rock metropolitan area.

The town was founded in 1881 by J.M. "Pete" Walnut and his wife, Melissa (née Smith). The Walnuts were early settlers in Williamson County and had a ranch near what is now Round Rock. In 1883, they built a store on the site that would later become Walnut Springs. The store served as the main commercial center for the area for many years.

In 1906, Pete Walnut's son-in-law, Rufus Cox, began to develop land in and around Walnut Springs into residential subdivisions known as "Cox Place." Cox Place became one of the most popular residential areas in Williamson County during the 1920s and 1930s. Many prominent Austin families owned homes there including the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Chandlers, Simpsons and Whitneys. In 1941, Rufus Cox developed another subdivision called "Coxwood." This development became even more popular than Cox Place and remains one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Walnut Springs today.

Today, much of what was once known as Cox Place has been redeveloped into new homes and businesses while other parts remain largely unchanged since its inception over 100 years ago. The historic district surrounding Main Street (which includes both Walnut Springs' original store building and Rufus Cox's original subdivisions) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (#NRHP-7000569).