Hutto, Texas: Hutto Hippo Statues
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 32.844 W 097° 32.522
14R E 639847 N 3380349
About 100 concrete hippos are scattered throughout the "Hippo Capital of Texas," including a large one in front of the high school, in tribute to an escaped circus hippo.
Waymark Code: WMPZN3
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/18/2015
Views: 8
From Williamson County Historical Commission:
According to local legend, it was in 1915 that a circus train stopped in Hutto at the depot to take on passengers, pick up and deliver mail and possibly take on water and fuel for the steam locomotive. The circus train workers also would have taken this opportunity to care for their animals. At some point during this historic layover, the hippo got out of the railcar and made its way to the nearby Cottonwood Creek. This caused much consternation for the circus workers. Local farmers and merchants watched the commotion in amusement and with interest as unsuccessful efforts were made to extricate the hippopotamus from the muddy waters of Cottonwood Creek. It is said that the Depot Agent, who at that time would have been Hal Farley, Jr., telegraphed the communities of Taylor and Round Rock that were eight miles to the east and west of Hutto to the effect of: “STOP TRAINS, HIPPO LOOSE IN HUTTO”. After much effort the hippo was prodded from the mud and water that resembled its natural habitat and was reloaded back onto the train car. Soon afterward the Hutto School adopted the hippopotamus as its mascot and as early as 1923 the hippo appeared on official Hutto High School graduation announcements.
Coordinates given are for the one shown that is located in Fritz Park.