Lampasas was founded along the banks of Sulphur Creek in the 1850s, and has had a love/hate relationship with this creek ever since. Sulphur Creek has flooded the while town several times, causing lots of damage and some loss of life.
The most recent major flood occurred in 1957. A series of small dams along Sulphur Creek were built in the late 1950s, and have done much to control floods in the city of Lampasas.
Larger dams upstream on thr Colorado River have also benefited the town by providing hydroelectric power and controlling inflows into Sulphur creek.
Here are some excerpts from the Handbook of Texas online: (
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"LAMPASAS COUNTY. Lampasas County covers an area of 714 square miles near the center of Texas.
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The majority of Lampasas County is drained by the Lampasas River, which runs north to south in the eastern portion of the county. The remainder of the county is drained by the Colorado River, which forms the county's western border. There are a number of spring-fed creeks throughout the county. Four reservoirs are located near the town of Lampasas in the southwestern corner of the county, as well as various mineral springs along Sulphur and Burleson creeks. . . .
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For centuries various Indians hunted in the area, attracted by the large herds of buffalo, the plentiful streams, and the various mineral springs on Burleson and Sulphur creeks, which were noted for their healing properties. In 1721 the Aguayo expedition supposedly passed through the county on its way to East Texas, and in 1735 a missionary expedition from San Antonio is said to have discovered mineral springs in the future county on the way home from an inspection trip. . . .
Settlers were drawn to the area after Moses Hughes and his invalid wife, Hannah (Berry), moved near the site of what is now Lampasas in November 1853, seeking to take advantage of the medicinal springs.
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On February 1, 1856, in response to a petition signed by 135 Lampasas County citizens, the Sixth Texas Legislature formed Lampasas County, named after the Lampasas River, from parts of Travis, Bell, and Coryell counties. Burleson, renamed Lampasas, was made the county seat, and the new county was organized on March 10, 1856.
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In 1954 the Hill Country Soil and Water Conservation District, along with the governments of Lampasas and Burnet counties, began planning a flood-prevention program on Sulphur Creek. Work on construction of dams on the creek was accelerated after the creek flooded again in 1957, and the dams did much to eliminate flooding. . . . [end]