When Republic of Texas Vice-President Mirabeau B. Lamar accepted an invitation from his friend Jacob Harrell for a hunting trip to Central Texas, the buffalo were running aplenty around Harrell's trading post alongside the Lower Colorado River.
As Lamar surveyed the verdant, rolling landscape, he mused about all great cities following Rome's tradition of being built on seven hills. On that fall day in 1838, Lamar declared, "This should be the seat of future government."
 When he succeeded Sam Houston as president a few months later, Lamar immediately set out to move the seat of government from Houston to the settlement that would soon be named Austin for Stephen F. Austin, who brought the first Anglo colonists to the area in 1821. Work on a new capitol began in May 1839, and the first 306 lots for the newly platted city sold on August 1, 1839.
The limestone hills and peridot-colored waters have always and continue to define Austin's legacy and charm. The original settlers, Tonkawa or Tickanwatic tribes who called themselves "those most like humans"-followed deer and buffalo herds to the fertile land. Spaniards explorers first arrived in 1709. They returned in 1730 to build a mission at the free-flowing, artesian-fed Barton Springs. Since prehistoric times, the springs have remained the lifeline, and according to most Austinites, the soul of the town.
The hills that circle the city and the play of sunlight on those hills inspired short story writer O. Henry, once a resident of Austin, to describe the town as looking as though it wore "a violet crown."
That purplish haze still settles over the city at sunset to paint a spectacular view, particularly from Mt. Bonnell. At 785 feet, it is one of the highest points within the city limits. Mystery, romance and tragedy surround the craggy landmark. Tales of ill-fated lovers leaping to their death from the precipice inspired the legend that the first time a couple climbs the 99 steps to the top of Mt. Bonnell, they fall in love. On the second trip, they get engaged. But, beware, the third climb could prove fatal. 
After winning independence from Mexico in 1836 and remaining an independent nation for a decade, Texas achieved statehood in 1845. During the Republic of Texas era, France sent Alphonse Dubois de Saligny to Austin as its charge d'affaires. Monsieur Dubois purchased 22 acres of land in 1840 on a high hill just east of downtown to build a legation, or diplomatic outpost. The French Legation stands as the oldest documented frame structure in Austin.
The mid-1800s brought growth to Austin, as the population increased from 629 in 1850 to nearly 3,500 in 1860. A flurry of construction on Capitol Hill resulted in several new landmarks-a new limestone capitol (1853), the Governor's Mansion (1856), and the Old General Land Office (1857).
After fire destroyed the old building, a gleaming new State Capitol opened in 1888. Built of distinctive Texas Sunset Red granite quarried in nearby Marble Falls, the $3.7 million building stood, then and now, as the largest of the country's statehouses. In dedicating the capitol on May 16, 1888, Sen. Temple Houston declared, "Here glitters a structure that shall stand as a sentinel of the years."
The 1880s signaled a boom period for Austin. In 1886, an impressive skyline began to take shape even prior to the start of construction on the new state capitol when cattle baron Col. Jesse Driskill opened the spectacular Driskill Hotel. Touted as "one of the finest hotels in the whole country," the Victorian structure remains one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. The hotel figures prominently in the careers of both U.S. Presidents with Austin connections. President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird shared their first date at the Driskill, and he also awaited results from the 1964 presidential election from the hotel. In 2000, then-Governor George W. Bush set up office at The Driskill while he awaited results from the contested election.
 In 1839, the Congress of the Republic ordered a site set aside for a "university of the first class." Not until 1882, however, did the construction begin on that university. From its humble beginnings as a single building on the original "Forty Acres," the University of Texas now ranks as one of the largest public university in the nation. Some 50,000 students attend classes each year on the sprawling campus.
Long regarded as a cultural, political, environmental and educational center of Texas, Austin attracts a diverse mix of writers, musicians, politicians, teachers, environmentalists and average citizens-all looking for a place where the water is clean, people are tolerant, the quality of life ranks higher than average and where pockets of small, unique neighborhoods exist within a larger, urban city.
By the late 1800s and into the early part of the 20th century, Austin's rolling hills to the west gave way to several prominent enclaves. Hyde Park, Travis Heights, Fairview Park, Tarrytown, Enfield and Pemberton Heights continue to be the preferred addresses for upscale living. Tucked away along the outskirts of the Old Enfield neighborhood was Clarksville, a community settled in 1871 by Charles Clark. Clark, a freedman, and his family settled on two acres of land that became the nucleus of Austin's African-American community.
Only a few descendants of Clarksville's original residents still live in the neighborhood today. The city's African-American community largely migrated east of downtown, and, from here, greatly influenced one of Austin's most bankable commodities. The early jazz and blues clubs that sprang up in the late 1920s, 30s and 40s birthed Austin's music scene. The late blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan professed to honing his unique talent in East Austin haunts such as Victory Grill.
From the beginning, Austin's population has been made up of a variety of immigrant groups. Germans, Swedes and Mexicans were most  prominent in the early years. The Mexican influence became even more prominent during the mid-1900s as large numbers of immigrants fled unrest during the Mexican Revolution. That community continued to grow rapidly during the last part of the 20th century. Hispanics now make up nearly 35% of Austin's population. For the past two consecutive years, Hispanic magazine has named Austin the "number one city in the U.S. for Hispanics to live and work."
Throughout its history, Austin has doubled in population every 20 years. The past two decades were no exception. With 657,000 people living within the city limits, Austin now ranks as the country's 16th largest city. The total metropolitan area includes 1.2 million.
Much of the city's most recent growth is a result of a technology boom. In 1967, Tracor Industries set up shop in far northwest Austin. Others soon followed-IBM, Texas Instruments, 3M, Motorola, Advanced Micro Devices, Samsung, Dell. From buffalo chips to computer chips, the little trading post by the river has emerged as the focal point of the Silicon Hills.
For the past two decades, Austin has made history as a leader in both technology and creativity. The same entrepreneurial spirit that led 19-year-old Michael Dell to launch a Fortune 500 company from his University of Texas dorm room has also propelled Austin as a music and film center. Austin City Limits, now in its 31st season, continues as the longest-running music show on television. As the location of such feature films as Alamo, Spy Kids, Friday Night Lights and Secondhand Lions, Austin ranks as the top filmmaking city in Texas and second most popular in the country. |
