Welcome to Austin, the Live Music capital of the World

Austin is the capital city of Texas, located in the central part of the state.  The Austin metropolitan area, a land area of 4,226 square miles covering Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, and Bastrop counties, has a population of 1,249,763 according to the 2000 census.  This is an increase from the census of 1980.  The Austin metropolitan area had a population of 585,000 in 1980.

In the early 1970s, many country-and-western musicians moved to
Austin. Since then, the city has assumed the nickname
“The Live Music Capital of the World.” Now,
each March, Austin hosts the South by Southwest music festival. This serves as a scene for new bands of various musical styles to play.

The history of Austin starts in 1838.  Five families, who
named the community Waterloo, first settled the area on the north bank of the Colorado River. In 1839, the Republic of Texas chose Waterloo as the site of their capital. A one-story frame building was erected to house government offices, a newspaper was founded, and town lots were sold. In December 1839, the city was incorporated and its name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin. Stephen F. Austin is considered the father of Texas.

In 1842, the capital was moved to Houston due to the threat of Mexican invasion. Three years later, the capital was returned to Austin, the same year Texas became a state. In 1850, the state elected Austin to be the permanent capital of Texas. Austin was the site of several Confederate army facilities during the American Civil War (1861-1865), despite the fact that its county voted against secession.

The city industrialized with two key events following the 1870s. In 1871, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad reached Austin. In addition, in 1880 the city began the construction of a dam and power plant on the Colorado River. 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 stretches for 95 miles inland from Austin and is known locally as the Highland Lakes. They are a major recreation and tourist attraction for central Texas.

During World War II (1939-1945) several military bases were built in and around Austin, lending to population growth during that time. Since the war, Austin has experienced unprecedented growth as the result of its economic diversification, its climate, its numerous recreational and cultural opportunities, and its significance as an international city.

Information above researched in Microsoft Encarta.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2003. ©

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