Shoal Creek Bridges
1887 Map of Austin
Augustus Koch (1840–?). Austin, State Capital of Texas, 1887. Lithograph, 28 x 41 in. Lithographer unknown. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.
Koch's map shows (perhaps a bit too dramatically) the Shoal Creek valley at the western edge of the city. However, this map does hint at the origin of O'Henry's "City of the Violet Crown" quote in 1890. The only bridges across Shoal Creek shown on this map are a rail trestle at West 3rd, and bridges at Pecan (West 6th) and College (West 12th).
According to the City of Austin,
"The earliest mention the Austin History Center has found is from an article published in the Austin Daily Statesman on Wednesday, August 8, 1894. The article, "The Rest of the News," begins: "May 5,1890, was a memorable day in Austin. It was memorable for the reason that on that day the citizens of the City of the Violet Crown voted to build a granite dam across the Colorado River ..."
For a long time, it was believed that the first published use of the phrase is found in O. Henry's short story "Tictocq" in the Rolling Stones collection of O. Henry short stories. It was originally published in his local newspaper The Rolling Stone on October 27, 1894.
The phrase is used in Chapter Two: "The drawing-rooms of one of the most magnificent private residences in Austin are a blaze of lights. Carriages line the streets in front, and from gate to doorway is spread a velvet carpet, on which the delicate feet of the guests may tread. The occasion is the entr�e into society of one of the fairest buds in the City of the Violet Crown."
Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek is a thin, green line defining the western boundary of the original Austin settlement. The creek is 11.5 miles long, and its watershed encompasses only 13 square miles. In fact, the entire watershed is contained within a single broad valley, Shoal Creek Valley.
Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by
1942 Lamar Boulevard Bridge
Lamar and Shoal Creek boulevards, the roadways that now parallel Shoal Creek, were not constructed until the New Deal made funding available. The Lamar bridge is the second bridge to span the Colorado River (the first being Congress). The bridge features six open spandrel concrete arches and carries thousands of vehicles daily across the river.[2] Completed in 1942, the Lamar Boulevard Bridge was the second permanent bridge to cross the Colorado River after the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 7, 1994.
Lamar Boulevard Bridge over the Colorado River, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
1942 Lamar Boulevard Bridge
1942 Lamar Boulevard Bridge, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
Lamar Boulevard and Shoal Creek are inextricably linked. Austin began with Shoal Creek as its western boundary, and for decades growth to the west remained hampered. With the construction of the New Deal bridges across Shoal Creek, Austin began to shift to the west. This necessitated the construction of a north/south road to parallel Shoal Creek through the Shoal Creek Valley. The result is Lamar Boulevard, cobbled together with pieces from the original Baylor and Ruiz streets.
Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
Pfluger Bridge is a pedestrian and bicycle crossing of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. It connects downtown to Auditorium Shores and Butler Park.
In the early 1990s, the city secured $950,000 in matching federal funds to widen the South Lamar Boulevard Bridge as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).
Pfluger Pedestrain Bridge, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
1936 Union Pacific Bridge
1936 Union Pacific Railroad Bridge over the Colorado River, crossing near the mouth of Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
Designation: Union Pacific Railroad
Type: Deck/through plate girder
Spans:
1 60-foot deck plate girder span
1 99.9-foot through plate girder span
10 101.4-foot through plate girder spans
1 99.9-foot through plate girder span
1 60-foot deck plate girder
Main Span Length: 101.4 feet
Total Length: 1,333 feet
According to bridgestunnels.com, "The Missouri Pacific Railroad bridge over the Colorado River in Austin, Texas was constructed in 1936.
The first crossing of the bridge was the International - Great Northern Railroad (IGN) that existed from Hearne to Longview.(1) It was extended to Rockdale in 1874 and south Austin on December 28, 1876. The first bridge over the Colorado River was a wrought-iron double intersection Pratt through truss built on limestone piers that was completed in 1881.(2)
Jay Gould acquired control of the IGN and the company was leased to the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company (MK&T, Katy) for a period of 99 years beginning on June 1, 1881. The lease was cancelled on March 2, 1888 and the line remained the IG&N until May 1, 1901 when it became a part of the Calvert, Waco & Brazos Valley Railroad (CW&B).
The Colorado River bridge was partially replaced in 1904 when the superstructure was removed and replaced with the current plate girder superstructure.(2) The work shortened the original span length with the addition of new concrete piers.
The CW&B was put into receivership in 1908 and a new company, the International & Great Northern Railway Company (I&GN) purchased the foreclosed company in 1911. This lasted until 1922 when a new company was chartered - the International - Great Northern Railroad Company (IGN).(1) The new IGN became a part of Missouri Pacific (MP) in January 1925 when the MP sought out the railroad after it was nearly taken over by a rival - the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway. The IGN and MP were independent operations until March 1, 1956 when the the IGN was sold to the MP.
In 1981, the MP was merged with the Union Pacific Railroad."
1936 Union Pacific Railroad Bridge
Union Pacific bridge near Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
Shoal Creek Pedestrian Bridge
Pedestrian bridge over Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks. This bridge connects the mainland to the Shoal Creek peninsula.
Mouth of Shoal Creek and the Shoal Creek Peninsula
Mouth of Shoal Creek, looking south toward Auditorium Shores, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
President Mirabeau B. Lamar visited the settlement of Waterloo, situated somewhere between the mouth of Shoal Creek and the Congress Street Bridge, in 1838. He chose this site for the new capital, Austin.
The artificial peninsula at the mouth of Shoal Creek is being restored by the CIty of Austin. According to the city, the project is:
Reinforcing the eroded shoreline along Lady Bird Lake with limestone boulders
Repaving the trail with concrete, and adding a new walkway on the western half of the peninsula that connects to the existing trail.
Removing dumped concrete and failing retaining walls from the peninsula’s perimeter, and reconstructing a sloped shoreline along the inside and tip of the peninsula.
Landscaping the peninsula with native vegetation and removal of some of the invasive species.
Seaholm Power Plant and Green Water Works Redevelopment
According to the City of Austin, "The former municipal power plant is being redeveloped into a mixed-use anchor for the district. Two new buildings, an underground parking garage and green roof plaza will be added to the existing generator building. The site will feature a mix of office space, retail, residential, a public plaza and an outdoor terrace overlooking Lady Bird Lake."
"The site of the former Thomas C. Green Water Treatment Plant will be redeveloped by Trammell Crow into a multi-block, high density mixed-use project. Nueces Street and 2nd Street will be extended through the site, connecting the 2nd Street and Seaholm Districts."
"The 2nd Street Bridge over Shoal Creek will connect the Green Water and Seaholm developments. The project includes reconstruction of the Shoal Creek Trail/Parkland and the extension of 2nd Street to West Avenue. 2nd Street is being designed as a ‘Festival Street’ that will extend the pedestrian dominant realm of the Seaholm Plaza to Shoal Creek. The project is being done in conjunction with the New Central Library."
"A new central library is being designed for the south part of the substation between the Seaholm development and Shoal Creek. The building will be integrated into the adjacent parkland which is being completely reconstructed."
Seaholm construction site, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
1925 West 3rd Street Railroad Trestle
1925 West 3rd Railroad Trestle over Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
According to Amtrak's Great American Stations, "The Houston and Texas Central Railroad came to Austin in 1871, with its main tracks on Pine (now Fifth) Street. The stone Old Depot Hotel built by Carl Schaeffer with architect Abner Cook was Austin’s and the state’s first railroad station and was operational from 1871 to 1872. Known as Railroad House, it still stands on 5th Street and houses Carmelo’s Italian Restaurant. At the time it was built, it accommodated passengers traveling to other railroads and four stagecoach lines. This building was placed on the Texas State Historical Survey."
"The other two signature depots which once served Austin stood opposite each other at Congress Avenue and Third Street; about four blocks away from Railroad House and have both have been razed. The buff brick International & Great Northern (later Missouri Pacific) station, with its distinctive round turret, was built in 1881, and the red brick Houston and Texas Central Railroad (later Southern Pacific) was built in 1902. During its heyday, in the 1920s, 18 trains a day would come through the tracks on Third Street."
According to Bridges and Tunnels, "The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad also known as the Katy, constructed a mainline branch to Austin that opened on July 14, 1904. It split from the Katy main at Granger, proceeding southwest to Austin and San Antonio."
"In 1925, the Shoal Creek timber trestle was reconstructed. The new bridge featured eleven spans with walkways on the north and south sides of the crossing."
"In July 1964, the Katy lost a contract to a trucking firm to carry mail for the U.S. Postal Service. That resulted in the discontinuation of passenger service - which carried mail, from Dallas to San Antonio. In 1976, the Katy was abandoned from Georgetown south to Pershing at the junction with Austin Western Railroad, and the line through downtown Austin was disused some time after 1988."
1925 West 3rd Street Railroad Trestle
1925 West 3rd Street Railroad Trestle, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
According to Amtrak, "The Houston and Texas Central Railroad came to Austin in 1871, with its main tracks on Pine (now Fifth) Street. The stone Old Depot Hotel built by Carl Schaeffer with architect Abner Cook was Austin’s and the state’s first railroad station and was operational from 1871 to 1872. Known as Railroad House, it still stands on 5th Street and houses Carmelo’s Italian Restaurant. At the time it was built, it accommodated passengers traveling to other railroads and four stagecoach lines. This building was placed on the Texas State Historical Survey.
The other two signature depots which once served Austin stood opposite each other at Congress Avenue and Third Street; about four blocks away from Railroad House and have both have been razed. The buff brick International & Great Northern (later Missouri Pacific) station, with its distinctive round turret, was built in 1881, and the red brick Houston and Texas Central Railroad (later Southern Pacific) was built in 1902. During its heyday, in the 1920s, 18 trains a day would come through the tracks on Third Street."
1925 West 3rd Street Railroad Trestle
1925 West 3rd Street Railroad Trestle, Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
According to TxDOT (2006), "The UPRR timber trestle over Shoal Creek, constructed in 1925, features eleven spans, and walkways on its north and south sides. The bridge, with its l50'-0" length and impressive 35'-0" height, is the largest of three remaining wood trestle bridges in Austin. The bridge has been determined Eligible for listing in the NRHP by previous survey efforts and is currently being considered for inclusion in the City of Austin Local Landmark Program. The current survey concurs that the property is Eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion C at a local level of significance. The resource is a highly intact, good example of an early 20th century open deck pile trestle bridge."
Carmelo's
The Houston and Texas Central Railroad came to Austin in 1871, with its main tracks on Pine (now Fifth) Street. The stone Old Depot Hotel built by Carl Schaeffer with architect Abner Cook was Austin’s and the state’s first railroad station and was operational from 1871 to 1872. Known as Railroad House, it still stands on 5th Street and houses Carmelo’s Italian Restaurant. At the time it was built, it accommodated passengers traveling to other railroads and four stagecoach lines. This building was placed on the Texas State Historical Survey. Photo by Ted Lee Eubanks.
Carmelo's
Carmelo's, with the Frost Bank Building to the left, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
Little Shoal Creek
According to the Handbook of Texas, "Its small tributary, Little Shoal Creek, was covered over by a storm sewer in 1917 so that it is possible to drive by automobile along its former course where Union soldiers watered their horses in post Civil War days. It ran down San Antonio and Nueces Streets, had its head in a spring about Twentieth Street in the alley back of Newman Hall, and joined the mainstream near Fourth and Rio Grande Streets. "
Mouth of Little Shoal Creek, Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
West Avenue Bridge
West Avenue Bridge over Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
West Avenue served as a western boundary for Austin for a number of decades. The provenance of this bridge, however, is yet to be determined. The utilitarian nature of the structure suggests a construction date after the New Deal era.
1931 West 5th Street Bridge Over Shoal Creek
1931 West 5th Street Bridge, Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
The following text is excerpted from the Texas Historic Bridge Inventory.
"Concrete cantilever bridge composed of three spans of curved girders resting on piers and abutments. Constructed in 1931 as part of Austin's city beautification program. Under the City Plan, Fifth Street was widened and extended to serve as a relief route for traffic on West 6th."
According to the Texas Historic Bridge Inventory, this bridge meets National Register eligibility under Criterion C, Engineering, at the state level of significance.
1931 West 5th Street Bridge
1931 West 5th Street Bridge dedication plaque, Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
Shoal Creek Above West 5th Street
Shoal Creek above the West 5th Street Bridge, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
1887 West 6th Street Bridge
1887 West 6th Street Bridge, Shoal Creek, Austin, Texas, by Ted Lee Eubanks.
The following text is excerpted from the Texas Historic Bridge Inventory.
"This triple-span bridge was constructed in 1887 as a replacement of a small bow-string bridge on West Pecan Street over Shoal Creek. The bridge is an example of a true masonry arch bridge, with the barrels, abutments, piers, and arch rings composed of large stones. The large cut-water piers extend beyond the deck and rest on concrete footings. The masonry is composed of large blocks of rough-cut, quarry-faced limestone laid in regular courses and set with flush mortar joints. "
"The West 6th Street Bridge represents not only an element in the transportation system of a modern American city, but also survives as an extant example of late nineteenth -century adaptation of local materials and skilled hand-labor workmanship. "
The bridge is not listed on the NRHP.
