Oak Hill was established in 1849, when Martin Walker began selling portions of his land grant along Piney Creek in northern Bastrop County. Settlers developed the community as a small agricultural hub. By the early 20th century, about 50 families lived in Oak Hill. Farming was the backbone of the community, with cotton and corn as the principal cash crops. Families also raised livestock and grew vegetables for their own use.
Oak Hill had the features of a modest but thriving rural settlement. A one-room schoolhouse, in operation by at least 1905, educated 39 children that year under a single teacher. A church, shared by several Protestant denominations, served as both a spiritual and social center. The community also had a general store that provided goods and supplies for local families.
The Oak Hill Cemetery was founded in 1868, with its earliest marked graves dating to that year, though it is believed that earlier unmarked burials took place. The cemetery continues to exist today as the most visible remnant of the community.
Displacement During World War II
In 1942, following the U.S. entry into World War II, the federal government selected the Oak Hill area as the site for a new military installation: Camp Swift. The government acquired approximately 55,906 acres in Bastrop County, encompassing Oak Hill and surrounding farmland. Residents were informed they had six months to leave. Families were compensated for their property, but most homes, businesses, and public buildings were either dismantled, moved, or demolished to clear the way for military construction.
With this action, Oak Hill ceased to exist as an active community. Unlike some neighboring rural areas that partially rebounded after the war, Oak Hill was never reestablished.
Camp Swift
Camp Swift rapidly developed into the largest Army training camp in Texas. At its peak, it housed about 90,000 troops, who trained for combat in Europe and the Pacific. The camp also operated as a prisoner of war (POW) facility, holding thousands of German soldiers; estimates suggest around 3,865 POWs were detained there during the war.
The camp included barracks, mess halls, parade grounds, and training facilities spread across its vast acreage. Although parts of the land were eventually returned to private ownership after the war, Oak Hill itself did not return as a functioning community.
Present-Day Remains
Today, little remains of Oak Hill beyond the Oak Hill Cemetery and some concrete foundations from Camp Swift. The cemetery, with its earliest headstones dating to 1868, is still maintained. It stands as the primary marker of a once-thriving settlement that disappeared during the mobilization of World War II.
Camp Swift itself remains partially active. It is now used by the Texas Army National Guard as a training facility, preserving its role in military readiness, though at a much smaller scale than during its World War II peak.
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