Rouxville, Free State 4.36

Rouxville is a small wool and cattle farming town in the Free State province of South Africa and is situated on the N6 national route. The town is at the centre of the wool producing area of the Transgariep.Rouxville is situated near a number of interesting locations - Zastron (30 km), Aliwal North (34 km), Smithfield (35 km), Gariep Dam (60 km) and Bethulie. Lady Grey, the Witteberg mountain range (with the 2,769 m Avoca peak) and the Drakensberg mountain range are also easily accessible from Rouxville, while the Lesotho border is ca. 70 km away.HistoryThe town started after mail irregularities at Aliwal North led authorities to re-direct mail between the Cape Colony and the Orange Free State to the farm Zuurbult (founded by Petrus Wepenaar) in 1863. The distance between Smithfield and Aliwal North (70 km) was allegedly too long to be travelled in one day by horse and wagon, and as such Rouxville was created as the halfway stopover.The town was established in 1864 and named after Dutch Reformed Church Reverend Pieter Roux of the Smithfield parish. Roux traveled throughout the Eastern Free State for many years holding church services for local communities.