| Official Name: | Willow City, Texas |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Pushpin Map: | Texas#USA |
| Pushpin Image: | Relief map of Texas.png |
| Pushpin Label: | Willow City |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of Texas |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Texas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Gillespie |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2000 |
| Population Footnotes: | 75 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 522 |
| Coordinates: | 30.4008°N -98.7014°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 78675 |
| Area Code: | 830 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 48-79432[1] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1380785 |
Willow City is an unincorporated community in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community has an estimated population of 75 in 2000.[2] The 1905 Willow City School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas on May 6, 2005.[3]
Willow City is located along FM 1323 in northeastern Gillespie County, approximately 12 miles northeast of Fredericksburg.[4]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Willow City has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[5]
The area was first settled before the American Civil War, and it became a gathering point for English-speaking settlers in Gillespie County, mostly inhabited by German speaking settlers around and after the War. Named simply "Willow" in 1877 when the post office was established, the growing community became "Willow City" ten years later. At the turn of the century, Willow City was home to 132 inhabitants, but this number dropped steadily since then, going as low as 17 in 1964 before settling around 75 since the 1970s.[2] [4] [6]
Willow City was home to the Alfred Pfeil Gin, in which a boiler exploded September 2, 1924, killing two people. The walls of one end of the building were blown out, and one end of the boiler was found more than a hundred yards away. Farmer Edgar P. Smith was killed instantly and hurled about 50 yards. His nude body, missing its legs, was found in the creek. Walter M. Icke[7] was found near the original site of the boiler and died shortly after medical assistance arrived.[8]
On December 15, 1847, a petition was submitted to create Gillespie County. In 1848, the legislature formed Gillespie County from Bexar and Travis counties. While the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of non-German Anglo names.