City of Junction

Duane's take

Here's the story as the official marker tells it, straight off the sign at Junction, Kimble County. Now, every town's got a beginning, and Junction's beginning starts with a name that didn't stick. When Kimble County organized in 1876, they platted the townsite and called it Denman.

Denman. Perfectly fine name, nothing wrong with it, except the voters decided otherwise. They looked at where they were standing, right there where the North and South Llano rivers come together, and they voted to change the name to something that said exactly what the place was.

A junction. You can't argue with geography, and Junction didn't try. Growth came steady, the way it tends to in a place that earns its living honestly.

By 1882, just six years in, three hundred people called it home. They had themselves a courthouse, a jail, a school, two churches, two stores. That's a town, right there.

Not a dream of one, not a sketch of one; a working, functioning town with the bones already set. Then came the long work of building a city. In 1927, Junction incorporated.

In 1929, they bought a water system and built a sewer system, same year, both of them, like they decided to do the whole thing at once and get it over with. In 1939 and 1940, they erected a municipal hall and a fire station. In 1955, they put in a swimming pool, which (if you've ever spent a summer in the Hill Country) is not a luxury, that's infrastructure.

Along the way, eight mayors, sixty-three aldermen, and five city secretaries kept the machinery turning. Annexations came. The years piled up.

And by 1970, the population had climbed to two thousand six hundred and fifty-four souls. Started as Denman. Renamed by the will of the people.

Built piece by piece over nearly a century. Junction, Texas, a town that knew exactly where it was from the very start.

What the marker says

County seat of Kimble County. Townsite platted 1876 (year of county organization) as "Denman" soon had named changed by voters to denote site at confluence of North and South Llano rivers. Growth was steady. By 1882 had 300 people, a courthouse, jail, school, 2 churches, 2 stores. In 1927, town was incorporated; water system bought, 1929; sewer system built, 1929; municipal hall and fire station erected 1939-40; swimming pool installed 1955. Eight mayors, 63 alderman, 5 city secretaries, and others have held offices. After annexations, by 1970 population reached 2654. (1972)