In 1882 the Austin and Northwestern Railroad built a rail line through this site to haul granite quarried at Granite Mountain in Marble Falls to build the State Capital in Austin. The town of South Gabriel was moved here around the tracks, and Bertram was founded. The railroad became the lifeblood of the area, with stock pens and a loading dock built by the tracks, and cattle, sheep, goats, cotton, and wool shipped by rail while passenger service became a great convenience. In 1900, after the Great Hurricane destroyed Galveston, granite rip-rap was hauled through Bertram to build Galveston's sea wall. In 1909, red brick for Bertram's school house was shipped in by rail. In 1912, 175,000 pounds of wool in 700 sacks were shipped out. In 1916, 1,000 head of cattle filling 21 rail cars were shipped. In 1928, 11,624 bales of cotton were ginned in Bertram and shipped by rail. The golden age of Bertram and the railroad ended shortly after World War Two, but in recent years the railroad has gained new life through freight and excursions, with long trains of crushed gravel and lumber run daily and the Austin Steam Train Association bringing visitors on weekends.