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Introduction
Austin, capital city of
Texas, located in the central
part of the state. The seat of
Travis County, Austin lies on
the Colorado River where the
river emerges from the Texas
hill country and the Balcones
Escarpment. Austin is the
northern hub of a major economic
and population region that
extends southward to include the
San Antonio metropolitan area.
Austin houses major state and
federal government offices and
serves as a manufacturing,
commercial, recreational,
educational, and convention
center.
Population
Austin’s population
increased significantly
in recent decades,
largely because of the
city’s economic
diversification,
especially into
high-technology fields.
In 1980 the city had a
population of 345,496;
by 2000 the population
had grown to 656,562.
According to the 2000
census, whites
constitute 65.4 percent
of Austin’s population;
blacks, 10 percent;
Asians, 4.7 percent;
Native Americans, 0.6
percent; and Native
Hawaiians and other
Pacific Islanders, 0.1
percent. People of mixed
racial heritage or not
reporting an race are
19.2 percent of
inhabitants. Hispanics,
who may be of any race,
make up 30.5 percent of
the population.
The Austin
metropolitan area
includes Travis,
Williamson, Hays,
Caldwell, and
Bastrop counties and
covers a land area
of 10,945 sq km
(4,226 sq mi);
notable cities
included besides
Austin are San
Marcos and Round
Rock. The
metropolitan area
population grew from
585,000 in 1980 to
1,249,763 in 2000.
Economy
For much of
Austin’s
history, the
city’s
economy was
dominated by
the state
and federal
government
and the
University
of Texas.
Beginning in
the 1980s,
the arrival
of several
computer
technology
corporations
and research
organizations
helped
diversify
the economy.
Since 1990
additional
high-tech
companies
have moved
to the city.
Austin’s
other
manufactured
goods
include food
products,
printed
materials,
furniture,
and office
supplies. In
the early
1970s many
country-and-western
musicians
moved to
Austin. The
city has
since
assumed the
nickname
“The Live
Music
Capital of
the World,”
and each
March it
hosts the
South by
Southwest
music
festival,
which serves
as a venue
for new
bands of
various
musical
styles.
The city
is
served
by
several
railroads,
an
interstate
highway,
and the
Robert
Mueller
Municipal
Airport.
A new
facility,
the
Austin-Bergstrom
International
Airport,
opened
in the
spring
of 1999.
As a
state
capital
close to
Mexico,
Austin
benefited
from
increased
international
trade
resulting
from the
North
American
Free
Trade
Agreement
(NAFTA),
which
eliminates
most
tariffs
and
trade
barriers
among
the
United
States,
Mexico,
and
Canada.
Points of Interest
Among Austin’s points of interest are the State Capitol Building, constructed of Texas pink granite between 1882 and 1888, and the Governor’s Mansion (1856). Several buildings reflect Austin’s early architecture, including the French Legation (1841), the residence of the French ambassador to the Republic of Texas, which existed from 1836 until 1845; and the Driskill Hotel. Austin is home to the largest colony of urban bats in North America. Between April and September more than 1 million Mexican free-tailed bats congregate under the Congress Avenue Bridge in the city. Natural landmarks in the region include Barton Springs, a spring-fed swimming hole that maintains a constant temperature of 20° C (68° F); Mount Bonnell; and Lake Austin. The city also has an extensive park system covering a total of about 8,500 hectares (about 21,000 acres).
Educational and Cultural Institutions
Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin (1883), the largest branch of the University of Texas. Other educational institutions include Huston-Tillotson College (1875), Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (1902), St. Edward’s University (1885), and Concordia University at Austin (1926). Austin’s cultural institutions include the Elisabet Ney Museum, once the home and workshop of the noted German-American sculptor; the home of O. Henry, which is now a museum housing many of the author’s possessions; the Texas Memorial Museum; the Laguna Gloria Art Museum; the Paramount Theatre for Performing Arts; and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, housing papers and memorabilia of the 36th president of the United States.
History
In 1730 Franciscan missionaries established three temporary missions in the area, at sites which for centuries had been occupied periodically by groups of Native Americans. The site of the present city was settled in 1838 on the north bank of the Colorado River by five families, who named the community Waterloo. In 1839 Waterloo was chosen as the site of the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas. A one-story frame building was erected to house government offices, town lots were sold, and a newspaper began publication. In December 1839 the city was incorporated and its name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, who is considered the father of Texas.
In spite of protests from the citizens of Austin, the capital was moved to Houston in 1842 because of a threatened Mexican invasion. After being located in Houston and in Washington-on-the-Brazos, the capital was returned to Austin in 1845, the year Texas became a state. Austin became the permanent capital in a state election in 1850. Despite the fact that its county voted against secession, Austin was the site of several Confederate army facilities during the American Civil War (1861-1865), and volunteers from the city organized a company of light infantry.
The Houston and Texas Central Railroad reached Austin in 1871, and other railroads soon followed. The construction of a dam and power plant on the Colorado River prompted a period of industrialization between 1880 and 1900. The dam was destroyed in a flood in 1900 and was rebuilt in 1912. After major flooding in the 1930s, the Colorado River Authority constructed a series of dams and reservoirs on the river. This chain of reservoirs, known locally as the Highland Lakes, stretches for 153 km (95 mi) inland from Austin and is a major recreation and tourist attraction for central Texas.
During World War II (1939-1945) population growth was enhanced by the establishment of several military bases in and near the city. During the decades since the war Austin has experienced unprecedented growth as the result of its economic diversification, its climate, its numerous recreational and cultural opportunities, its significance as an international city, and its allure as a haven for retired people.
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