 A group of them settled on land in the eastern part of Oatmeal.In 1870 the black population of the county had increased to 358, keeping pace with the growth of the total number of residents; the number of blacks had fallen to 248 by 1880, however, and the number of new white residents was such that after 1890, blacks represented less than 3 percent of the total population.Some found work on farms and ranches, but by the turn of the century many had moved into the Marble Falls area to work in town.