Austin: past and present and future.....

Austin: past and present... (edit/delete)

Austin - Past and Present

Once an area where Native Americans camped and hunted, the City of Austin is now a bustling mixture of arts & culture and the high tech industry.

In the late 1700s, Austin was the site of a temporary Spanish mission. The first permanent Anglo settlers arrived in the 1830s and formed the settlement of Waterloo. This settlement was chosen to be the capital of Texas in 1839, at which time a city was promptly built and named after Stephen F. Austin, "the father of Texas."

Milestones in Austin's history included:

• When it was built in 1888, Austin's capitol building was advertised as the 7th largest building in the world.
• The Austin City Public Schools opened their doors in the fall of 1881. That same year, a predecessor of the Huston-Tillotson College came into existence.
• Initial attempts to open the University of Texas in Austin were met by opposition. Why? It was said that sending your son to school so close to lawmakers would negatively influence his morals.
• The Great Granite Dam was constructed on the Colorado River in 1893, stabilizing the river and providing hydraulic power to generate electricity. This attracted manufacturers to the area.
• This dam was replaced by 1938, through a series of federally funded dams.
• Several think tanks and research laboratories were founded by the 1950s, drawing innovative thinkers and high-tech companies to the area. It was a trend that continues today.
• In the 1970s, communities interested in the preservation of neighborhoods, the environment and local history came into action and are still a major part of Austin today.

Also in the 1970s, musicians like Willie Nelson helped the musical rebirth of Austin by drawing national attention to the city. This helped attract more musicians, and today you'll find a wide variety of artists playing in Austin's venues on any night of the week.