Rocksprings is a town in and the county seat of Edwards County, Texas, United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 874, down from 1,182 at the 2010 census and 1,285 at the 2000 census. The town received its name from natural springs associated with the porous limestone rocks in the area.
History
J. R. Sweeten sited Rocksprings in 1891 because of the springs nearby. Also in 1891, the town acquired a post office and was made county seat. The original courthouse built in the town burned in 1897. By 1914, Rocksprings had a population around 500.
During the early 1900s, hostilities between Anglos and Mexicans along the "Brown Belt" were common. On November 3, 1910, in Rocksprings, Antonio Rodriguez, a 20-year-old Mexican, was burned at the stake by a white mob for allegedly killing a white woman, Effie Greer Henderson. This event was widely publicized and protests against the treatment of Mexicans in the U.S. erupted within the interior of Mexico, namely in Guadalajara and Mexico City. This was part of a series of racist killings known as la Matanza.
On April 12, 1927, the town was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town. The tornado killed 74 townspeople and injured 205, almost a third of the population at the time.
Geography
Rocksprings is located northeast of the center of Edwards County at (30.016161, –100.209023). Rocksprings sits on top of the Edwards Plateau. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Economy
The economy of Rocksprings is centered on the wool and mohair industry, and the town is recognized as the Angora goat capital of the world. Tourism has become a growing part of the economy, with the opening of Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area, located about northeast of Rocksprings.
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rocksprings racial composition<br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic)
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|White (NH)
|214
|24.49%
|-
|Black or African American (NH)
|2
|0.23%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native (NH)
|5
|0.57%
|-
|Asian (NH)
|4
|0.46%
|-
|Pacific Islander (NH)
|1
|0.11%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|2
|0.23%
|-
|Multiracial (NH)
|12
|1.37%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|634
|72.54%
|-
|Total
|874
|
|}
As of the 2020 United States census, 874 people, 559 households, and 340 families were residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the census