Austin History

Texas has been historically an area inhabited by Native American tribes since the 11th century. The area where Austin today stands was inhabited by the Native American tribe of Tonkawa, along with the Lipan Apaches tribe and Comanches tribes which passed through the area and lived in the other parts of Texas. The Spanish explorers were the first to discover this area and they used this area as a way to travel to other parts of America. A few permanent settlements were also created by the Spanish; however none of them turned into permanent ones. The first permanent mission was settled in the Zilker Part area in Austin, which was the combination of three small missions.

In the beginning of the 18th century, the Spanish built permanent settlements and forts around the area where the present city of Austin stands. With the independence of Mexico, the region of Texas gained attraction with new settlements in Austin and other parts of central Texas. However the growth of these settlements was hampered by the presence of Native Americans who were in a constant war with the settled people. The growth in these regions was also hampered because of the same causes and reduced the number of people migrating to Texas. In 1835 the residents of Texas waged a major war against the Native American Tribes and succeeded after two years of war. This led the region now known as Texas to be known as a country of its own with its own president, monetary system and congress.

The capital city of the new founded country of Texas was chosen to be Austin and named after the father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin. The region around that Waterloo area was chosen because of its pleasant surroundings, hills and waterways. The city was also chosen because of its geographical location between the trade routes of Galveston Bay and Santa Fe and also between Red River and the country of Mexico. The newly selected area was planned by Edwin Waller who laid out the plan of the capital city. A temporary Texas State Capitol building was erected in 1939.

Even after the war of Texas and the formation of the country of Texas, the conflicts between the Native Americans did not end. The Texas Rangers were in constant clashed with the Comanches who till 1840 were involved in two wars, the Council House Fight and the Battle of Plum Creek. These two wars assured the end of the conflicts between the Texas Rangers and the Native Americans, whose numbers greatly dwindled. This also led to people from other parts of North America and Mexico moving into Austin and led to the formation of various counties. After 1845, the Republic of Texas became a part the newly formed Untied States of America.

The city of Texas suffered a number of attempts to be disregarded as the capital of Texas, because of its proximity to Mexico and the threat of Native Americans. By 1840's the town had only 854 after the Congress left Austin. By 1880's numerous schools and the establishment of the University of Texas brought numerous people to Austin. Further growth was seen after the completion of the state capitol building in 1888 and was at that time the seventh largest building in the world. After 1920 the government of Austin launched various beautification projects that led to creation of the city's infrastructure.

Austin History

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