Double Horn is an incorporated city in Burnet County, Texas, United States.[1] Until its incorporation in 2019, Double Horn was part of the community of Spicewood.

Geography

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Double Horn is located at 30°29′57″N 98°13′15″W / 30.49917°N 98.22083°W / 30.49917; -98.22083.[1] It is situated just north of State Highway 71 in southern Burnet County, approximately four miles west-northwest of Spicewood and five miles southeast of Marble Falls. The nearest major city is Austin, located 26 miles southeast of Double Horn.

Climate

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The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Double Horn has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.[2]

History

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The original settlement of Double Horn was established near the headwaters of Double Horn Creek in 1855, with the creek and town named for an incident where a pioneer found the remains of two bucks with interlocked antlers. It had a post office from 1857 to 1911, a school (the Double Horn School), a cotton gin, and two churches. In 1884, the population was 50; by 1896, this population had halved, and by 1936, only the school remained marked on state road maps. Double Horn had completely disappeared from maps as a separate community by the second half of the 20th century.[3] This location is close to a lightly populated ranching area marked on modern topographic maps as Shovel Mountain.[4]

The modern city of Double Horn, centered on the Double Horn subdivision, voted to incorporate in 2018 by a margin of 75-65, as a direct response to neighborhood concerns about the environmental impact of the nearby Spicewood Crushed Stone Quarry.[5] The city's first mayor (Cathy Sereno), a fire marshal, and five aldermen were elected in February 2019.[6] In response to the incorporation, the office of State Attorney General Ken Paxton sued to challenge the validity of the city's status; this lawsuit was originally dismissed in early April 2019, but that dismissal was overturned in 2020 by a Texas Court of Appeals.[7]

Education

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Public education in the city of Double Horn is provided by the Marble Falls Independent School District. Zoned campuses include Spicewood Elementary School (kindergarten - grade 5; located in Spicewood), Marble Falls Middle School (grades 6-8), and Marble Falls High School (grades 9-12).

The nearest library is Spicewood Community Library in Spicewood.

References

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  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Double Horn, Texas
  2. ^ Climate Summary for Spicewood, Texas
  3. ^ Handbook of Texas Online
  4. ^ Caltopo
  5. ^ Fields, Jared (December 7, 2018). "Double Horn residents vote to incorporate; now the real business begins". Daily Tribune. Marble Falls. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  6. ^ Fields, Jared (February 22, 2019). "Elected officials sworn in for new city of Double Horn". Daily Tribune. Marble Falls. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  7. ^ Bassman, Leslie (April 4, 2019). "In suit filed by state, judge rules for newly incorporated city of Double Horn". Austin American-Statesman. Austin. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
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