Elgin

Established in 1872 around cotton and the railroads, Elgin is famous for two products it's been making since 1882: reliable bricks and delicious hot sausage. This small community just outside Austin produces 232 million bricks and 3 million pounds of sausage annually. Visitors can sample the famous sausage at any of the community's historic barbeque joints and at annual community celebrations like Western Days in June and the Hogeye Festival in October. The beautifully restored buildings in the historic district are made of locally produced brick dating from the 1890s. The new Elgin Union Depot Museum, in an awardwinning restored depot, explores the history of the railroads, agriculture, transportation and the Swedes who settled the Blackland Prairies.