The History of Austin
If you’re interested in Austin real estate, you may want to know about Austin’s history.
Before its current residents called Austin home, Tonkawas, Comanches, and Lipan Apaches tribes hunted and camped along the creeks, including the area now known as Barton Springs. Once belonging to Mexico, the Spanish set up temporary missions in the area during the late 1700s. By 1835, Anglo settlers arrived and settled permanently in the area.
Originally called Waterloo, this area was chosen as the capital of the new Republic of Texas. It eventually was changed to its current name – Austin.
Austin is named after Stephen Fuller Austin, who is responsible for successfully bringing 300 Americans to Texas. Because of this he is known as the Father of Texas.
In 1840, Judge Edwin Waller became the first mayor of Austin. September of 1881 was the beginning of Austin City Public Schools. Soon after, it established itself as an educational hub by opening several universities.
By 1888, Austin’s grand capitol building was built. To this day, this landmark building still graces the Austin skyline.
Austin was on its way to being the star attraction of the great state of Texas and in more ways than one.
Austin furthered its prominence by becoming a politically strong based town beginning in the 1970s. In 2000, presidential candidate and Texas governor George W. Bush set up his presidential headquarters in Austin, which focused the spotlight on the town.
Music is also a deep part of Austin’s enriched history. Because various ethnic groups settled in Austin with their unique musical styles, Austin became a cultural music mecca.
Furthermore music greats such as Willie Nelson and Janis Joplin brought national attention to the area in the 1970s. Even struggling musicians launched their careers in Austin by performing in live venues. Austin’s vibrant music scene attracted the attention of PBS. Highly impressed, they created the series, “Austin City Limits” in 1975.
All of this led to Austin earning the world renowned distinction as “The Live Music Capital of the World.”
High technology is another part of Austin’s history. Beginning with the end of the Depression, Austin started being the center of technology. Numerous Austin research laboratories and think tanks were founded by the 1950s. This grabbed the attention of high-tech companies such as IBM. The technology industry is still drawn to Austin’s high-tech appeal today.
Austin is a town made of great strength, even in the face of adversity. This was proven on April 6, 1909 when the Colorado River waters raised 11 feet above the granite dam. The dam broke and water flooded downtown Austin. As a result, there were damaged homes and 47 fatalities. A concrete dam was built in 1940; thus, this ended Austin’s flooding problem. This also created the serene Lake Austin.
Today Austin is more popular than ever. Thanks to a strong economy and low housing costs, it is a hot spot for young people looking to set roots. And as it moves further into the 21st century, Austin real estate will continue to being the best property in the nation.
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