Austin History

Austin is the capital of Texas and the seat of Travis County. As a center of government, it's no surprise that the folks are passionate about their politics. However, the presence of the University of Texas has lent a decidedly liberal focus to the city. Environmentalists and civil liberties activists are the rule rather than the exception, and the Democrats and Libertarians are just as well represented as the Republicans. Indeed, Austin's blue-state leanings have led to it being dubbed "the blueberry in the tomato soup" by a number of Texas conservatives. Many Austinites, embracing the eclectic, alternative culture of their city, have adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird."

The city of Austin actually began as a tiny settlement called Waterloo, established at the gentle bend in the Colorado River sometime in the 1830s. When the new Republic of Texas was formed in 1836, the founding fathers debated fiercely over the next course of action. President Sam Houston advocated joining the U.S., while Vice-President Mirabeau B. Lamar wanted Texas to remain an independent nation. When Lamar became President of Texas in 1838, he suggested making Waterloo the capital city, despite the fact it was located on the western edge of the settled territory and threatened by attacks from the Penateka Comanche. Lamar's vision of Texas was a territory extending all the way to the Pacific, and he hoped placing the capital that far west would encourage expansion.

So in 1839, Waterloo became the capital of Texas. The new city was named in honor of Stephen F. Austin, "the father of Texas," and was meticulously laid out by Judge Edwin Waller, who would later go on to become Austin's first mayor. The city plan (which has survived relatively intact to this day) included a hilltop site for a capitol building, with commerce centered on the two main thoroughfares of Congress Avenue and Pecan Street (now Sixth Street). The Texas State Capitol, completed in 1888, was financed by selling land in the Texas panhandle (which eventually became the XIT Ranch) and constructed from "Texas Pink Granite" donated by the owners of Granite Mountain near Marble Falls. At the time of its construction, the capitol building was heralded as "The Seventh Largest Building in the World."

With its heavy student population and liberal culture, Austin boasts a vital music scene and, in fact, bills itself as the "Live Music Capital of the World." Sixth Street is lined with bars, clubs, and other venues that come alive when the sun goes down, with live performances of country western, blues, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and more. Sixth Street also plays host to a number of annual art and music festivals, such as South by Southwest and the Old Pecan Street Festival. Austin City Limits, which first aired on PBS in 1976, broadcasts performances from artists of every musical genre and is the inspiration for the Austin City Limits Music Festival held every September in Zilker Park.

Congress Avenue features a number of museums and galleries, including the Austin Museum of Art and the Mexic-Arte Museum. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is a state-run museum that tells "the Story of Texas" through exhibits and interactive displays. Also of interest on Congress Avenue is the Congress Avenue Bridge, which is home to the largest Mexican free-tailed bat colony in North America. From late February until early November, up to 1.5 million of these bats roost under the bridge during the day. But at night, they come flocking out to hunt for insects. The impressive sight of thousands of bats emerging from beneath the bridge draws hundreds of spectators each evening, many of whom bring picnic baskets and lawn chairs to the spectacle.