Austin | Historic Images & Postcards - Page 2

LoneStarMike · #1 Posted **Sep 1, 2009, 3:09 PM**

Here's a couple of historic maps I thought were cool.

I found the one above at http://www.judegalligan.com

You can go here to view the above map and then click on the image to zoom in a lot further.

The second map is from about 1890-1895

This one is from the Texas State Library

Go here to see this map, then click on the image to enlarge it a lot further, too.

Both maps were when the E-W streets were named after trees and they go all the way up to Magnolia St. (19th St, now MLK).

The detail on the larger versions of both maps is amazing.

MichaelB · #2 Posted **Sep 1, 2009, 5:33 PM**

Re; maps above. It is really cool how, in both photos, the original grid looks like a big boat ramp to the river. See it? It is like a big glacier cut a plane thru the land. I am sure it is exaggerated in the drawings, but it is cool.

MichaelB · #3 Posted **Sep 1, 2009, 5:41 PM**

Early Transportation: Notice on the second map (take the link and zoom in) you can see a trolly that runs up Congress, take a west turn at 13th street, turns right up Lavaca, left on MLK and north up the Drag!!!!!!!!

Gheeeeee..... looks like it's only take a hundred years or so to get back to this idea!!!!!

TXLove · #4 Posted **Sep 2, 2009, 2:54 AM**

Facinating stuff!

Downtown_Austin · #5 Posted **Sep 3, 2009, 6:26 PM**

This one was posted by Mopacs in another thread

Downtown_Austin · #6 Posted **Sep 3, 2009, 6:33 PM**

A little rough, but you can see a photo of the 300 block of Congress before the trees were installed.

Downtown_Austin · #7 Posted **Sep 3, 2009, 6:41 PM**

Notice the frontage road in downtown used to be two-way. This is a photo of the elevated section of I35 at 6th Street. These photos were found at TexasFreeway.com

JACKinBeantown · #8 Posted **Sep 6, 2009, 2:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

Notice the frontage road in downtown used to be two-way. This is a photo of the elevated section of I35 at 6th Street. These photos were found at TexasFreeway.com

Cool picture, but also a reminder that our nation's infrastructure is starting to age. That elevated highway is almost 50 years old now.

Raining Inside · #9 Posted **Sep 6, 2009, 3:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACKinNYC

Cool picture, but also a reminder that our nation's infrastructure is starting to age. That elevated highway is almost 50 years old now.

Yeah, the Minneapolis I-35 disaster is a reminder of that. It seems the country didn't take enough notice. I lived in Minnesota from 1997 to 2005 and drove across that doomed bridge many times, and I feel lucky.

LoneStarMike · #10 Posted **Sep 13, 2009, 7:06 AM**

BTW, KevinfromTexas had a thread awhile back with lots of Austin Postcards.

Link to other thread

The first 11 postcards are other cities, but the last 24 are all Austin.

LoneStarMike · #11 Posted **Sep 16, 2009, 5:10 AM**

These photos (and descriptions) are all from the Portal to Texas History's website.

http://texashistory.unt.edu/

November 23, 1956 - Aerial view of St. David's Hospital showing building, parking lot and part of the grounds.

January 25, 1957 - Exterior view of The Alamo Hotel at 400 W. 6th Street. Kash-Karry Grocery sign is visible in background at left. Wesley's Distinctive Dry Cleaning storefront is visible to the right of the hotel. The cleaners was located at 606 Guadalupe.

November 11, 1942 - Bands marching up Congress Avenue in the Armistice Day parade.

The next three photos of the TEC Building all have the same date - January 1, 1958, but they obviuosly weren't all taken on the same day.

Aerial shot of cranes and scaffolding at TEC construction site

Aerial shot of steel frame structure of TEC building

Aerial shot of finished TEC Building

June 22, 1947 = Exterior view of The American Statesman building which was located at 7th and Colorado Streets in 1947.

December 3, 1954 - Interior of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel showing the entrance to the hotel and the reception area.

Interior of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel showing the lounge.

Interior of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel showing the lounge with unidentified guests of the hotel.

February 25, 1948 - Austin National Bank Building on Congress Ave.

February 26, 1957 - Austin Skyline (more distant view) from the south on I-35

Link to large version of the above photo is here

February 26, 1957 - Austin Skyline (closer view) from South of Colorado River on I-35

Link to large version of the above photo is here

Downtown_Austin · #12 Posted **Sep 4, 2009, 3:41 PM**

Let's keep the photos coming!

Mopacs · #13 Posted **Sep 4, 2009, 5:06 PM**

They maintained East Avenue as a functional thoroughfare through the completion of the expressway (I would assume). Looks as though it was reconfigured as an undivided 4-lane city street, following I-35/US81 ROW acquisition.

KevinFromTexas · #14 Posted **Sep 16, 2009, 5:48 AM**

Archived 360 Condominiums construction camera photos. From day 1 until she was topped out 2 years later.

Enjoy!
http://oxblue.com/pro/open/demo/r1p&demo=1

KevinFromTexas · #15 Posted **Sep 17, 2009, 1:02 AM**

That's wild. And the photo does check out to be that date since the Perry Brooks Building is present. It was built in 1952 I believe. I guess the drought really was that bad, though I've never heard of the river being dry there. I would have thought that the dams would have kept the river basin full even during the drought, but I guess it really was bad.

Scottolini · #16 Posted **Sep 17, 2009, 2:21 AM**

Longhorn Dam didn't open until 1960.

KevinFromTexas · #17 Posted **Sep 17, 2009, 4:46 AM**

That's so strange seeing that truck down there and no water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottolini

Longhorn Dam didn't open until 1960.

That makes sense. I didn't realize it was that young. It's hard to imagine Lady Bird Lake without water. If the river hadn't been dammed there and the level controlled, I wonder what kind of affect that would have on the NIMBYS who oppose density along the river. You can't argue for it if there isn't any water! Of course, I'm glad we have it. Water front skylines are so much more interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_Dam

LoneStarMike · #18 Posted **Sep 22, 2009, 3:32 PM**

Speaking of water and floods, (and since it's raining today) here's a few I found at the Portal to Texas History website
( http://texashistory.unt.edu/ ) of the 1935 flood.

For each photo, you can click on the "extra-large" link to go to a much bigger version of the photo.

Trees on a flooded riverbank during the 1935 flood.

extra-large photo

Two unidentified boys stand next to a flooded riverbank during the 1935 flood.

extra-large photo

View down a street with homes on either side and standing water in the road during the 1935 flood.

extra-large photo

Exterior view of the Night Hawk restaurant showing an unidentified man walking in the flood waters towards the restaurant during the 1935 flood.

extra-large photo

Aerial photograph of the 1935 flood.

extra-large photo

Downtown_Austin · #19 Posted **Sep 22, 2009, 6:38 PM**

outstanding photos of the flood. Thanks for posting. Let's keep it rolling!

Downtown_Austin · #20 Posted **Sep 22, 2009, 11:26 PM**

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this photo was most likely take from where the convention center is today - facing east you can see the interesection of cesar chavez (water st) and red river. Waller Creek was flooded.