Brown-Dumas Blacksmith Shop

From the plaque:

At the turn of the 20th century, the Brown-Dumas Blacksmith Shop was an integral part of Austin's thriving commercial core, where dirt streets and horses and buggies dominated the scene. Built circa 1905, the Brown-Dumas Blacksmith Shop is the only remaining structure of its era near this important intersection of Congress Avenue and West 2nd Street (originally known as Live Oak Street). The Austonian developer recognized the significance of this early brick commercial structure and resolved to incorporate it into the high-rise condominium tower.

The blacksmith shop was in serious disrepair when acquired in 2006 and restoration of the building was to be no small feat. Having stood vacant, abandoned and vandalized for many years, only portions of the buildings perimeter walls remained intact and the roof framing was caved in. Prior to the start of the preservation effort, the fragile and damaged structure collapsed during one of Austin's extreme wind storms in November 2006. Following the collapse, it was necessary to disassemble the building entirely, document the historic components, and store the materials offsite.

The Austonian remained true to their commitment to restore the facade. Plans were drawn up to reconstruct the historic storefront at the base of the new tower, using original materials and recreating the remains of the original signage found on the brick. As a result, the historic Brown-Dumas facade will live on as a reminder of the scale and construction of early 20th century buildings in downtown Austin.

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

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Travis County Texas Veterans Memorial

The Travis County Texas Veterans Memorial is located next to the Travis County Peace Officers Memorial on the south lawn of the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse across from Wooldridge Park.

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

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Travis County Peace Officers Memorial

The Travis County Peace Officers Memorial and the Travis County Texas Veterans Memorial were dedicated on December 10, 2010.  They are located on the south lawn of the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse across from Wooldridge Park.  This is the Travis County Peace Officers Memorial.  Tomorrow will be the Travis County Texas Veterans Memorial.

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

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Angelina Eberly

In 1842, six years after Texas won its independence from Mexico, the capitol of the young republic was an isolated village on the western frontier whose name had recently been changed from Waterloo to Austin. President Sam Houston thought Austin was an inappropriate location for the capitol of Texas, and campaigned to have it moved to a city he found more to his taste--Houston. When the citizens of Austin resisted his attempts to move the capitol, Houston sent a delegation of Texas Rangers to steal the government archives. They would have succeeded if it had not been for a fiery local innkeeper named Angelina Eberly, who heard the rangers loading their wagons in the middle of the night. She hurried down to the the corner of what is now Sixth and Congress and fired off the town cannon, missing the rangers but blowing a hole in the General Land Office building. The cannon fire roused the populace, who chased down the rangers and recovered the archives near Brushy Creek. Had it not been for Angelina’s impulsive gesture, Houston would now be the capitol of Texas. In a very real sense, Angelina Eberly was the savior of Austin.

The statue of Angelina Eberly firing off her cannon was erected at the very spot this historic event took place: Sixth and Congress in downtown Austin, TX.

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

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The Gault Homestead

Included as part of a 320-acre land grant awarded to J. P. Whelin in payment for his service to the Republic of Texas Army. This property has had a long and varied history. Soon after he was granted the land, Whelin sold it to Nathaniel C. Raymond, who in turn sold it to John M. Gault two years later.

Gault built a log cabin on the Whelin Grant in the 1850's, and he and his family established a farm. In 1855 they purchased adjoining land from Captain Nelson Merrill and soon thereafter built a larger home on that tract of land.

Gault died about 1865 and was buried in Merrilltown  Cemetery. The homestead property remained in his family until 1892, when it was sold to William and Edna Graves. They maintained the Gault Homestead as tenant property for a number of years, during which the original cabin was enlarged with a board-and-batten addition. R. C. Cox acquired the property in 1929, and his family lived in the cabin through the following decade.

After a succession of owners, the Gault Homestead became part of a modern housing development in the 1980's. It remains as a reminder of the Merrilltown community and of the county's early rural heritage.

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

Here's a few more pics from the Gault Homestead.

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo

From Arguendo & Dixi's Daily Austin Photo