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San Saba County, Texas

71 topographic sheets cover 22 settlements here, and 1 property is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

1 National Register listing published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Texas within the United States
San Saba County within Texas

What the record shows

  • 322 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 1 property here is on the National Register of Historic Places, listed as a building.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 23 populated places in this county; 22 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

1

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
San Saba County Courthousebuilding200303000328

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

1

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1876 - Map of San Saba County : exhibiting the extent of public surveys, land grants, and other official information ; compiled from the records of the General Land Office at Austin, showing also geology, agriculture, and mineral districts and all important details
Land ownership map (1876) - Map of San Saba County : exhibiting the extent of public surveys, land grants, and other official information ; compiled from the records of the General Land Office at Austin, showing also geology, agriculture, and mineral districts and all important details. Library of Congress.

The county from the air

37 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 730 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 37 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-09, scale 1:69000
1952-12-09, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-09, scale 1:69000
1952-12-09, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-09, scale 1:69000
1952-12-09, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-12-09, scale 1:69000
1952-12-09, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-19, scale 1:69000
1953-04-19, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-19, scale 1:69000
1953-04-19, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-19, scale 1:69000
1953-04-19, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-19, scale 1:69000
1953-04-19, scale 1:69000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-07-19, scale 1:16600
1961-07-19, scale 1:16600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-07-19, scale 1:16600
1961-07-19, scale 1:16600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-07-19, scale 1:16600
1961-07-19, scale 1:16600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-07-19, scale 1:16600
1961-07-19, scale 1:16600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-02-01, scale 1:17400
1966-02-01, scale 1:17400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-02-01, scale 1:17400
1966-02-01, scale 1:17400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-02-01, scale 1:17400
1966-02-01, scale 1:17400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-02-01, scale 1:17400
1966-02-01, scale 1:17400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:111494
1970-03-13, scale 1:111494. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:111494
1970-03-13, scale 1:111494. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:110656
1970-03-13, scale 1:110656. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-13, scale 1:110656
1970-03-13, scale 1:110656. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-21, scale 1:119111
1971-01-21, scale 1:119111. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-21, scale 1:119111
1971-01-21, scale 1:119111. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-21, scale 1:119111
1971-01-21, scale 1:119111. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-21, scale 1:117777
1971-01-21, scale 1:117777. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-11-16, scale 1:46426
1973-11-16, scale 1:46426. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-11-16, scale 1:46426
1973-11-16, scale 1:46426. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-11-16, scale 1:46426
1973-11-16, scale 1:46426. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1973-11-16, scale 1:46426
1973-11-16, scale 1:46426. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-01-07, scale 1:25000
1975-01-07, scale 1:25000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-01-07, scale 1:25000
1975-01-07, scale 1:25000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-01-07, scale 1:25000
1975-01-07, scale 1:25000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-01-07, scale 1:25000
1975-01-07, scale 1:25000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-01-28, scale 1:80000
1976-01-28, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-12-14, scale 1:80000
1977-12-14, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-12-14, scale 1:80000
1977-12-14, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-12-14, scale 1:80000
1977-12-14, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-12-14, scale 1:80000
1977-12-14, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

20 stations, 1 gage

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

14 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 206-1Justice Precinct 1: San Saba town: San Saba town - That part Bounded by Town limits; Town limits; Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Town limits
  • 206-2Justice Precinct 1: San Saba town - That part Bounded by Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway; Town limits; Wallace; Town limits
  • 206-3Justice Precinct 1: San Saba town - That part Bounded by Town limits, Wallace; 4th, Church, 3rd, Annex, High; Town limits; Town limits
  • 206-4Justice Precinct 1: San Saba town - That part Bounded by Wallace, Town limits; Town limits; Town limits; High, Annex, 3rd, Church, 4th
  • 206-5Justice Precinct 1 - That part east of State Highway 16, outside San Saba town
  • 206-6Justice Precinct 1 - That part north of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway and west of State Highway 16, outside San Saba town
  • 206-7Justice Precinct 1 - That part south of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, outside San Saba town
  • 206-8Justice Precinct 2: Richland Springs town
  • 206-9Justice Precinct 2 - That part north of Richland Springs - Bethel Rd. extended to precinct line, and U. S. Highway 190 and east of Richland Springs - Bowser-Indian Creek Rd., outside Richland Springs town
  • 206-10Justice Precinct 2 - That part west of Richland Springs - Bowser - Indian Creek Rd. and north of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
  • 206-11Justice Precinct 2 - That part south of Richland Springs - Bethel Rd. extended to precinct line, and north of U. S. Highway 190, outside Richland Springs town
  • 206-12Justice Precinct 2 - That part south of Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway and U. S. Highway 190, outside Richland Springs town
  • 206-13Justice Precinct 3
  • 206-14Justice Precinct 4

Wildfire, 1993 to 2020

407 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 407 of them, burning about 66,875 acres. 39 started naturally and 6 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning131
Missing data/not specified/undetermined128
Equipment and vehicle use86
Natural39
Arson/incendiarism6
Power generation/transmission/distribution6
Recreation and ceremony4
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Smoking2
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
15 August 1993Missing data/not specified/undetermined12,892 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSAN SABA FIRE
2 August 2020Equipment and vehicle use9,813 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceMAYS
19 October 1999Missing data/not specified/undetermined6,213 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceWILLIAM'S RANCH FIRE
6 September 2000Natural5,205 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceDEEP CREEK
22 August 2015Equipment and vehicle use3,409 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceLOG CABIN
30 July 2014Natural2,079 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceHAVELAH COMPLEX FIRE
26 July 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,935 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceKIRK RANCH
30 March 2008Debris and open burning1,800 acresTexas A & M Forest Servicenot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1956 to 2026

60 of 258 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 258 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 1 injury and about $3,872,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail158
Thunderstorm Wind51
Flash Flood23
Tornado17
Heavy Rain3
Flood3
Funnel Cloud2
Wildfire1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1994Thunderstorm WindSan Saba1 hurt, $50,000A teenager, camping at the San Saba River, was struck by a large wind-blown tree limb. The youth sustained a broken collar bone and a punctured lung. Wind damage also occurred at a nearby ranch and to a pecan grove.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindCountywide$900,000Severe thunderstorms brought strong winds to San Saba county resulting in widespread wind damage across much of the county. Tree and power lines were reported down across the county with the worst damage reported in the northern portions of the county.
June 2004Flash FloodCountywide$800,000Heavy rains on the morning and early afternoon of the 9th produced rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour for several hours. Total rainfall amounts of upwards of 10 inches were reported over a 6 mile wide area from southwest San Saba county across the city of San Saba, then on into the northeastern portions of the county. The city of San Saba received the most damage with homes and businesses becoming inundated with water. Also several streets were scoured due to the fast movement of the water. The heavy rains also caused minor flooding on the San Saba river at San Saba and the Colorado river near San Saba.
June 1997Flash FloodRichland Spgs$800,000Very heavy rains fell over San Saba County the morning of the 6th. The northwest part of the county received the highest amounts, with ten inches of rain reported at Elk Grove. Eight inches of rain fell at Richland Springs while six and a half inches was measured in the town of San Saba. Major flooding occurred throughout San Saba County. Many residents were stranded in the floodwaters, but later rescued.
October 1993HailRichland Springs$500,000Golf ball-size hail was reported in Richland Springs. Windows were knocked out of building and several cars were damaged.
March 1999Tornado (F2)Richland Spgs$300,000The same thunderstorm that spawned a brief touchdown in McCulloch County produced a second tornado south of Richland Springs. A hunting cabin, two trailer homes, 2 barns, and 3 vehicles were destroyed.
June 1997Flash FloodCherokee$150,000Up to six and a half inches of rain fell and flooding was reported throughout the county. HIghway 71 was closed.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindCountywide$50,000The emergency manager reported that widespread wind damage occurred across San Saba county. Power lines and trees were downed across the county.
May 1994HailSan Saba$50,000Wind gusts to 70 mph unroofed several houses and blew out windows.
May 1994Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$50,000Wind gusts to 70 mph unroofed several houses and blew out windows.
October 1993HailRichland Springs$50,000Golf ball-size hail fell intermittently for an hour, knocking out windows and damaging cars.
November 2000Flash FloodCountywide$25,000A series of thunderstorms produced 6 to 8 inches of rain across much of San Saba County, causing most of the creeks and streams in the county to flood. Many roads throughout the county were flooded and impassable, including Farm Roads 45, 500, 502, 765, and 2927. After the flash flooding had subsided, extensive flooding along both the Colorado and San Saba Rivers would follow.
June 1992Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1987Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
March 2004Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$15,000A camper trailer was destroyed and many tree limbs were knocked down.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$11,000no account filed
September 2000WildfireSan Saba$10,000no account filed
July 2002Flash FloodNortheast Portion$5,000Heavy rains continue to fall over northeast San Saba county causing road closures over the eastern portions of the county.
July 2002Flash FloodCountywide$5,000Law enforcement reported significant street flooding in the San Saba area. Creeks and streams also overflowed their banks along State Highway 16 north of San Saba.
October 2000Flash FloodNorthwest Portion$5,000Thunderstorms dropped 3 to 5 inches of rain across the northwest sections of San Saba County. Several roads were reported flooded, while water entered a house in Richland Springs.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$5,000Winds estimated at 60 mph uprooted trees and disrupted power lines throughout the community.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$5,000Trees and outbuildings were damaged by high winds.
May 1994Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$5,000Trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
November 1994Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$5,000Trees were blown down by high winds.
October 1993Thunderstorm WindColorado Bend State P$5,000Trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
May 2007HailSellman$4,000Golfball size hail fell for several minutes.
June 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
April 1978Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
January 1973Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1956Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
March 2002Thunderstorm WindRichland Spgs$2,000Several trees were knocked down by high winds when a severe thunderstorm roared through San Saba County.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$2,000Powerlines blown down
July 1998Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$2,000A hay shed was damaged by high winds.
January 1998Tornado (F0)San Saba$1,000A small shed was destroyed
July 1998Thunderstorm WindSan Saba$500A television antennae was blown down and destroyed.
April 2026Flash FloodCherokee-Extensive flooding along Cherokee Creek in Southern San Saba County. State Highway 16, Ranch Road 501, and multiple county roads are flooded and impassable.
March 2025HailAlgerita-Public reported half dollar size hail through social media.
May 2025HailSan Saba Co Muni Arp-Law enforcement reported golf ball to baseball size hail along US 190, east of San Saba.
May 2025HailSan Saba-Public reported quarter size hail.
May 2025HailCherokee-Public reported ping pong ball size hail.
May 2025Heavy RainSan Saba-An LCRA automated rain gauge reported 5.66 inches of rain in 1 hour.
May 2025Heavy RainCherokee-An LCRA automated rain gauge reported 5.22 inches of rain in 1 hour.
May 2025HailSan Saba Co Muni Arp-Public report of quarter size hail on social media.
May 2025HailChappel-Storm chaser reported golf ball size hail.
May 2025HailBend-Park officials reported ping pong size hail at Colorado Bend State Park.
May 2025HailRichland Spgs-Public reported half dollar size hail.
May 2025HailRichland Spgs-A storm chaser reported half dollar size hail.
May 2025HailHarkeyville-A storm chaser reported ping pong ball size hail.
April 2025HailSan Saba-Law enforcement reported nickel size hail.
July 2025Flash FloodRichland Spgs-San Saba Sheriff County dispatch reported that there was a flooded low water crossing along County Road 362 near Dry Creek where the fire department was not able to drive through in order to respond to a house fire.
June 2025FloodAlgerita-San Saba Sheriff's Office reported a home near Maxwell Crossing (County Road 340) along the San Saba River was surrounded by flood waters.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSan Saba Co Muni Arp-Law enforcement reported large tree branches on the road at County Road 113. Time estimated by radar.
May 2024HailSkeeterville-Public reported quarter size hail.
May 2024HailSellman-Public reported half dollar size hail.
May 2024HailCherokee-An emergency manager reported marble to ping pong ball size hail in Cherokee.
April 2024HailSan Saba-An emergency manager reported quarter to ping pong ball size hail in San Saba.
April 2024HailChappel-Public reported ping pong ball size hail.
April 2024Thunderstorm WindSan Saba-Law enforcement reported many trees blown down across the city of San Saba.
April 2024HailBend-Public reported half dollar size hail at Colorado Bend State Park.
April 2024HailBend-Public reported quarter size hail in Bend. The time was estimated by radar.

Mines and quarries

4 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 4 workings inside this county. 3 still produce and 1 is closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken3
Copper1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Boroughs ProspectCopperOccurrence
Texas Arch Aggregate PitsStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Texas Arch Aggregate QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Texas Arch Aggregates QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every populated place in the county

23

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.