Pilot Knob, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pilot Knob
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 Pilot Knob
Location in Texas
Pilot Knob
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Travis |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Pilot Knob is a small, unincorporated community in southern Travis County, Texas. It's named after a special hill in the area that used to be an extinct volcano. This community is mostly rural, with homes on large pieces of land. You can also find convenience stores and other small businesses here. Pilot Knob is part of the larger Greater Austin metropolitan area.
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The Story of Pilot Knob
Pilot Knob gets its name from a unique hill that was once a volcano. This volcano is now extinct, meaning it won't erupt anymore! People first started living in this area sometime after the American Civil War. In the 1940s, there was a church and a few scattered houses.
In 1963, residents tried to officially make Pilot Knob a town. However, they didn't get enough signatures to do so. More recently, in 2012, a new neighborhood called Easton Park began to be built within the Pilot Knob area. This neighborhood is a planned community, meaning it was carefully designed before construction.
Where is Pilot Knob?
Pilot Knob is located where two main roads meet: US 183 and Farm to Market Road 812. It is about 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Austin. This community is situated in the southern part of Travis County.
Learning in Pilot Knob
In 1907, Pilot Knob had its own school. It had two teachers and taught 99 students. Later, around 1956 or 1957, this school joined the Del Valle Independent School District. Today, students in the Pilot Knob community attend Hillcrest Elementary School, John P. Ojeda Junior High School, and Del Valle High School.
A Special Person from Pilot Knob
One notable person connected to Pilot Knob is Newton Collins. He was a freedman, meaning he was a formerly enslaved person who gained his freedom. Newton Collins came from Alabama and owned a large farm of 506 acres (205 ha) in Pilot Knob. In 2018, an elementary school was named after him to honor his legacy.
