This Vintage Austin photo from January 1963 is a great shot of downtown Austin from above. In it you can see several recognizable landmarks. Included are the Capitol, the UT Tower, Texas Memorial Stadium, a little bit of the Congress Avenue bridge, and the start of construction for the Crest Inn (also seen in a previous Vintage Austin post). It was completed in 1965 and located on the south east corner of Congress and Caesar Chavez. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin: Construction of the UT Tower
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...]
Vintage Austin: The Zilker Zephyr
This Vintage Austin photo features the Zilker Zephyr with the Capitol and a modest downtown skyline as its backdrop. The Zephyr has been hauling kids and adults around Zilker Park for decades. The 20-25 minute journey takes riders on a tour of the park to see Lady Bird Lake and Barton Creek. You can still take a ride on the Zephyr seven days a week, weather permitting, between 10am and 5pm. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin: Kids Biking Along Lady Bird Lake
This Vintage Austin photo, from the 1970s, includes kids enjoying the bike path along the south side of Lady Bird Lake, near present day Auditorium Shores. In the distance you can see the Crest Inn, built in 1965 and located on the corner of Congress Ave & Caesar Chavez. The Crest Inn building is still there, it operated as the Radisson for many years and is now the LINE Hotel. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin: Downtown Spectacle
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...]
Vintage Austin – Austin High School
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...]
Vintage Austin – Travis County Courthouse
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...]
Vintage Austin – The Governor’s Mansion
This vintage Austin photo of the Governor's Mansion is from 1882. Built in 1854, at a cost of $14,500, the Texas Governor's Mansion is the oldest Governor's Mansion west of the Mississippi River. While Zillow does not provide a Zestimate of the mansion, Travis County's 2016 appraised value is $20,800,620. If you visit the Friends of the Governor's Mansion website, you can view a virtual tour of the home. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin – UT Football
This Sunday, the Longhorns will kick off the 2016 football season with a home game against Notre Dame's Fighting Irish. In this vintage Austin photo, UT football players warm up during the 1941 season. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin – Tornado
On May 4, 1922, a pair of tornadoes tore through the Austin area resulting in more than half a million dollars in damages. This vintage Austin photo shows one of the funnels as it passed over the Capitol, which surprisingly didn't sustain any notable damage. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin – The Driskill Hotel
In 1886, construction was completed on the elegant Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin, on 6th street. The hotel is named on the Historic Hotels of America list and is Austin's oldest operating hotel. … [Read more...]
Vintage Austin – South Congress
In this vintage Austin photo from 1948, we stand just south of the Colorado River, on Congress Avenue looking north toward the Capitol. … [Read more...]