Hutto's Hippo Story Became Civic Identity

Hutto tells its hippo story as a local legend, which is part of the charm. In the 1915 story, a circus train stopped at the depot and a hippopotamus got loose, wandering toward Cottonwood Creek.

In the legend, the depot agent warned Taylor and Round Rock, and the school soon adopted the hippo as its mascot. The symbol showed up on high school graduation announcements as early as 1923.

The symbol stuck. Today the city has a costumed mascot named Howdy, and hippo statues around town make the story visible long before a newcomer hears it.