This Vintage Austin photo includes a pair of ladies relaxing at Eliza Spring Pool.  The amphitheater was built by Andrew Zilker as a meeting place for the Elks Club.  The pool is no longer a swimming hole but instead serves as a safe habitat for the endangered Barton Springs & Austin Blind Salamanders.  The public can visit the spring and the Beverly Sheffield Education Center to learn more about the spring and its aquatic life. … [Read more...]

Dated 1936, the falls of Bull Creek.  The back of the photo reads, “The high falls near ‘Slanting Rock’ swimming hole in upper Bull Creek.  This shows about half of the falls.”  I assume the creek has morphed since the 1930s so I’m not sure which falls this photo is actually referencing as there are several along Bull Creek today.  Head out for a hike and decide for yourself which falls you think are in this photo! … [Read more...]

The vantage point for this Vintage Austin photo is near the present-day Austin American Statesman building looking north.  In the photo you can see a horse drawn carriage on the bridge (and they aren't waiting to see the bats fly!), the Capitol, and the frame of the Scarborough building, Austin’s first tower.  Located at 6th & Congress it stood eight-stories tall and is still there today. … [Read more...]

Today, the Seaholm Power Plant serves as commercial space but during the 1950s it was the sole provider of electric power for Austin.  As the city grew, Seaholm couldn’t keep up with the demand for electric power so other stations were built around town.  In 1989, Seaholm no longer provided power and in 1996 closed entirely.  In the distance of this Vintage Austin photo you can see the UT Tower.   … [Read more...]

This Vintage Austin photo is of Deep Eddy Swimming Pool.  Deep Eddy began as a natural swimming hole in the Colorado River and was expanded into a man-made pool in 1915 by A.J. Eilers.  At that time, it was a portion of the Deep Eddy Bathing Beach resort and played host to a number of attractions including a diving horse and a diving baby.  Deep Eddy is filled with fresh water (no chlorine!), is the oldest swimming pool in Texas, and is on the national register of historic places.       … [Read more...]

Constructed of the tower at the University of Texas began in 1934 and was completed in 1937.  The tower of the Main Building at the University is a well-known landmark.  The main building was originally the central library while the 27-story tower housed the book stacks.  If you wanted to make a selection, you’d first search the mammoth card catalog, then relay your choice to the front desk, and finally wait.  Waiting on the roller skate clad Tower Librarians, at their busiest, could take more than an hour and a … [Read more...]

Imagine our lovely city without ACL, without South by Southwest, without the Trail of Lights.  What in the world would we do for entertainment?  Well, in 1867, Austinites gathered in the street to watch a tight rope walker traverse Congress Avenue.  The caption on this vintage Austin photo states this is at 8th and Congress, where the performer began his journey from the Avenue Hotel.  Those with a keen eye may notice that the building in the distance is not the current Capitol building, but the one that was built … [Read more...]

Another school year is ending and many will be celebrating the class of 2017.  For this vintage photo, we travel back 110 years.  Here we see the graduating class from Austin High School in 1907.   … [Read more...]

In this Vintage Austin photo is the 1876 Travis County Courthouse, then located on the southwest corner of 11th and Congress.  By 1931, the unwanted occupants of the building (rats, pigeons, etc.) forced the county offices to relocate.  Once remodeled, the building became home to State agencies and was renamed the Walton Building.  It remained this way until 1964 when it was demolished.   … [Read more...]