Rockdale, TEXAS: Rockdale, Texas is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 79 and U.S. Highway 77, thirteen miles south of Cameron, the county seat of Milam County. In 1873, George Green, B. F. Ackerman and Frank Smith sold 400 acres of land to the International-Great Northern Railroad, which was laying track from Hearne to Austin. A sale of town lots was held on September 3, 1873, and the track was completed to Rockdale in early February 1874. The new town was named by Mrs. B. F. Ackerman for a rock, which was twelve feet high and had a circumference of twenty feet. The rock was adjacent to the road just outside Rockdale to Cameron. 
 
 The town of Rockdale claims its beginning as 1874. It was incorporated in 1878 and established an aldermanic government. The first major railroad town in Milam County, Rockdale quickly developed as a shipping and supply point for area farmers, who produced cotton, wool, vegetables, fruits, grain, hides and livestock. By 1884 Rockdale had 1700 residents, five churches, two schools, two steam gristmill-cotton gins a 250-seat opera house, a private bank, a weekly newspaper and other assorted businesses. Lignite coal was found by state geologists in 1867. 
 
 By 1870, Herman Vogel established the Vogel Mine which was a slope mine located on the east of Rockdale close to the International Great Northern railway. By 1895 six coal mines were in operation. Each mining area had a camp, store and a saloon. Hispanics fleeing the Mexican Revolution came to the Rockdale area and were employed in these mines. Mining became an industry to the area and two Rockdale residents served on the Texas State Mining Board: E. A. Camp and N. M. Bullock. By 1914, Rockdale was shipping 7,000 railroad cars of lignite coal every week.


Services
Police Department: 140 W. Cameron Ave, Rockdale,TX
 Emergency 911 (512) 446-3436

Fire Departement: 301 N. Wilcox Street, Rockdale, TX
Emergency 911 -(512) 446-2162

City Utilities