Mahomet-Sycamore Springs Community

George Ater settled near the head of Bear Creek in 1853, and a stage line from Austin to Lampasas passed close to his home from 1855. His post office application was granted in 1857, and the office stayed in his house for twenty-five years. When the railroad bypassed the first Mahomet in 1882, the post office moved to Alex M. Ramsey's home at Sycamore Springs, and the name moved with it. In 1884 Mahomet had a steam gin and corn mill and fifty people. The post office closed in 1916, and forty-seven residents remained in 2000.

What the plaque says

Mahomet-Sycamore Springs Community Settlement in this part of Burnet County began in the 1850s. Two early communities were Mahomet and Sycamore Springs, originally located 8 miles from each other. Pioneers of Mahomet were George Ater, William G. Hall, and Mr. Sanford, while Sycamore Springs was settled by the Smart, Stewart, and Williams families. Although Sycamore Springs once had 3 gins, a general store, a school, and 2 churches, little evidence of the community now remains. Much speculation has taken place over the years concerning the origin of the unusual name of the Mahomet settlement. Research now indicates that the town was probably named by first postmaster George Ater, who came to Texas from Mahomet, Illinois. both the original Mahomet Post Office and an Austin-Lampasas Stage stop were located at his home. The Mahomet Christian Church, moved from Sycamore Springs in 1899, continues to worship near this site. Mahomet is also the home of the Mt. Horeb Masonic Lodge, which was relocated from nearby Williamson County in 1915. The community burial ground (.5 mi. SW dates from the early 1850s. The history of these two related settlements is an important part of Burnet County's heritage. (1985)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge: Doeskin Ranch — 16 mi
  A free federal refuge north of Lake Travis kept for two songbirds that need old juniper and oak, with trails at the Doeskin Ranch unit near Bertram.
• Hancock Springs Park — 22 mi
  Lampasas's city park on Sulphur Creek, with a spring-fed swimming pool that holds about 69 degrees all year, the walls of the old bathhouse and a golf course.
• Inks Lake State Park — 26 mi
  A state park on a constant-level lake of the Colorado, between Buchanan and Inks dams, with pink granite and gneiss at the water and CCC work along Park Road 4.
• Longhorn Cavern State Park — 26 mi
  A cave carved by an underground river in the Hill Country, cleared of mud by hand in the 1930s and reached down 52 stone steps on a guided tour.

More markers nearby

• Mount Horeb Lodge — steps away
• Mahomet Cemetery — 0.3 mi
• Prairie View Cemetery — 3.0 mi
• The Community of Briggs — 4.7 mi