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A bill previously passed by Congress in May, 1838, specified that any site selected as the new capital would be named Austin, after the late Stephen F. Austin; hence Waterloo upon selection as the capital was renamed Austin. The first lots in Austin went on sale August 1839.
Austin, the southernmost state capital of the contiguous 48 states, is located in Central Texas on the Colorado River. Austin is 146 miles (230 km) northwest of Houston, [57] 182 miles (290 km) south of Dallas [58] and 74 miles (120 km) northeast of San Antonio.
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- The contemporary city
Austin, city, capital of Texas, U.S., and seat (1840) of Travis county. It is located where the Colorado River crosses the Balcones Escarpment in the south-central part of the state, about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of San Antonio. Austin’s metropolitan area encompasses Hays, Williamson, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties, including the cities of Roun...
The state’s fourth largest city, Austin originated as the riverside village of Waterloo, in a buffalo-hunting region occupied by Tonkawa and Comanche peoples. In 1839 it was selected by scouts as the site for the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas and renamed to honour Stephen F. Austin, father of the republic. By 1840 Austin was incorporated, with 856 residents. When Mexican invasion threatened Texas in 1842, the government moved to Houston, but the town’s citizens, determined to keep Austin the capital, staged the so-called Archive War, forcibly retaining government records. The government returned to Austin in 1845, the year in which Texas was admitted to the United States. Austin’s pink granite State Capitol (1888), modeled after the U.S. Capitol, succeeded an earlier structure (burned 1881).
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The city flourished as a trading centre for ranchers and farmers after the arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad and the construction of a permanent bridge across the Colorado River in 1871. A flood in 1900 caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of the bridge. With the harnessing of the river for flood control and power in the early 20th century, industry began to develop. Austin experienced dramatic growth during the 1990s, fueled mainly by high-technology industries.
Business, research and development, and manufacturing concerns involving computers, computer equipment, semiconductors, telecommunications, software, and biotechnology are among the city’s major employers. Government, education, and health care services are also primary economic factors. Railroads play an important role in trade, transporting most international cargo to international ports. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opened in 1999 on the site of a former U.S. Air Force base.
The city’s population is ethnically diverse. Less than half of its people are of European descent, more than one-third of the population is Hispanic, and African Americans and Asian Americans each constitute slightly less than one-tenth of the population. Austin’s educational resources, particularly the University of Texas (1881), which has its main campus there, have contributed to growth. Other educational institutions include Huston-Tillotson College (1875), St. Edward’s University (1885), Concordia University at Austin (1926), and Austin Community College (1972).
At dusk, portions of the central city are lighted by “artificial moonlight” from mercury vapour lamps atop 17 165-foot (50-metre) tall towers (erected in 1894). The O. Henry Home and Museum is housed in what was O. Henry’s residence from 1893 to 1895, and the Elisabet Ney Museum, situated in her former studio, houses a collection of Ney’s sculptures; Ney created many life-size figures, including those of Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston standing in the national and state capitols. The French Legation Museum (1841) was built by French chargé d’affaires Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, who was to represent the French government in the Republic of Texas; if he occupied the house at all, it was probably for a very short period. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum (1971), situated on the campus of the University of Texas, contains archives, documents, and memorabilia of Johnson’s public career. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum (2001) showcases exhibits on the state’s history. The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, on the university campus, has a notable collection of Latin American art. Other facilities include the Austin Museum of Art, the Mexic-Arte Museum, and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum. The city supports an array of cultural organizations including a professional symphony orchestra, an opera company, and a ballet troupe, as well as a variety of art galleries and theatre groups.
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Austin is known for its vibrant music scene. Formerly a centre of country and blues music, it now celebrates a variety of genres including rock, folk, jazz, and Latino music. More than 100 live music venues are centred primarily around the Warehouse District and Sixth Street, and a long-running public television series, Austin City Limits, showcases musical talent. Dozens of local recording studios and record labels make significant economic contributions. The South by Southwest Conference, devoted to music, film, and interactive media, is held each year in March. The city is also a favourite moviemaking location, and it is home to many artists associated with music and film.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 23, 2023 · AUSTIN (KXAN) – Did you know the land of Texas’ capital city wasn’t always called Austin? Before it became the city it is today, there was once a site on the Colorado River called Waterloo.
In 1839 it was made capital of the Republic of Texas and renamed to honour Stephen Austin; when Texas became a state in 1845, Austin was its capital. As the home of the University of Texas, it has expanded as a research and development centre for defense, high-technology, and consumer industries.
Mar 6, 2024 · Austin played a crucial role in the settlement of Texas and was a prominent figure in the fight for Texan independence. It is only fitting that the capital city was named after this influential historical figure.
By 1839, Waterloo would adopt the name Austin and the frontier town would become the capital of the Republic of Texas. The City is named for Stephen F. Austin, the “Father of Texas.”.
