WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — Long before Williamson County was officially designated a Texas county in 1848, generations of people had called it home.
One of those people included a woman nicknamed “Leeann” or “The Leanderthal Lady,” so named because she was found buried in an ancient site near the modern-day city of Leander.
Her grave was discovered in 1982 by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) engineers who were taking soil samples for highway construction. She lived 10,000 to 13,000 years ago, and the site is now considered one of the earliest intact burials uncovered in the U.S.
Nearly 20 years before the discovery of the Leander burial site, TxDOT inadvertently located another Williamson County landmark. In 1963, workers taking core samples for a new overpass on Interstate 35 uncovered what would later become known as Innerspace Caverns near Georgetown.
The cave and its dramatic rock formations were sculpted by water passing through porous limestone over the eons. It was estimated to be around 25 million years old.
The caverns opened as popular tourist attraction in 1966 and have continued to host thousands of visitors a month.
As Williamson County celebrates its historic people and places, it’s also important to acknowledge its connection to the legendary outlaw Sam Bass.
Bass and his gang made off with thousands of dollars from robbing trains across the Midwest and in Texas in the 1870s. When word got out that Bass was heading to Round Rock, Texas, to rob a bank, local police were tipped off and waiting for him.
As Bass picked up supplies at a store, he was shot by police officers and died of his injuries a few days later. Bass is buried in Williamson County.
These are just a few of the colorful characters, unusual places and great stories that give the county something to celebrate on its 175th birthday.
For a rundown of family activities celebrating the county’s birthday this weekend, you can visit the event's website.