Austin Found Podcast: Recent Episodes
Austin Found
Do you love Austin as much as we do? Find out how it became the city it is today via Austin Found, a podcast from journalist and history buff Michael Barnes and radio personality J.B. Hager. They share the stories behind the stories about the people, places, culture and history of the inimitable Texas capital.
Jacquelyn McGee - a former star athlete, outstanding teacher, and the first woman to run a large urban high school in Texas.
The standard history - which Zach has touted and which we have repeated - states that Austin's regional theater was born in 1932. Not so it turns out. According to contemporary stories in newspaper archives now easily available online, what eventually became Zach premiered as the Austin Community Players in 1921. That troupe turned into the Austin Little Theatre in 1927. It took the name Austin Civic Theater in 1949 and Zachary Scott Theater Center in 1967.
Among the secrets to the Austin Symphony's longevity: Its fiscal austerity, its capable leadership, and its willingness to disappear for a long period of time. Here we dig into the history of the Austin Symphony and its survival, including the last couple of years of the pandemic and its impact.
West Campus-area house constructed by Austin master builder Abner Cook — since 1958, it has been preserved and operated by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Texas.
Museum director Rowena Dasch shares with us the history of one of Austin's oldest homes, some stories from a living resident, Mary Cochran Bohls and updates us on the happenings as a museum including a recent discovery that it might include Austin's only intact slave quarters.
West Campus-area house constructed by Austin master builder Abner Cook — since 1958, it has been preserved and operated by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Texas.
Museum director Rowena Dasch shares with us the history of one of Austin's oldest homes, some stories from a living resident, Mary Cochran Bohls and updates us on the happenings as a museum including a recent discovery that it might include Austin's only intact slave quarters.
In Florence, on the border of Bell and Williamson counties, is the Gault Site, a vast archaeological treasure trove that dates back some 20,000 years.
In August of 2019, Pflugerville residentBen Rollman and a team of Lego enthusiasts arrived at the Texas State Capitol visitors center to deliver a Lego Masterpiece replica of our State Capitol.
We've all been there, love it, and share with pride Salt Lick barbecue with friends visiting Austin. You might be surprised and just how far back it goes and the history and traditions of this hill country landmark.
We are excited to announce that Volume 4 of "Indelible Austin" by Michael Barnes has made it to publication, which is not only great for Austin preservation, but for sharing many great stories in upcoming episodes of Austin Found.
Lonnie Limón could have worked anywhere in the country after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. But eventually, Limón moved to back to Austin, where he is closer to relatives — more than 3,500 of them.
The Limóns and the Estradas — the latter is his mother's family — have lived in Central Texas since the late 19th century.
More than 100 years ago, some members of the two clans moved into Austin proper, where they labored as cab drivers, shop clerks, and domestic workers before starting businesses and turning out community leaders.
The two families are almost universally familiar to longtime Austinites, especially in East Austin.
Lonnie joins the show to tell his family story, share memories of old East Austin as told by his family elders and give us his thoughts on the ever-changing community his family shaped.
Lonnie Limón could have worked anywhere in the country after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. But eventually, Limón moved to back to Austin, where he is closer to relatives — more than 3,500 of them.
The Limóns and the Estradas — the latter is his mother's family — have lived in Central Texas since the late 19th century.
More than 100 years ago, some members of the two clans moved into Austin proper, where they labored as cab drivers, shop clerks, and domestic workers before starting businesses and turning out community leaders.
The two families are almost universally familiar to longtime Austinites, especially in East Austin.
Lonnie joins the show to tell his family story, share memories of old East Austin as told by his family elders and give us his thoughts on the ever-changing community his family shaped.
One secret to Galindo's success had nothing to do with sleight of hand. One of the founders of the Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce, founder of Ace Tailors, and downtown landowner, Galindo left quite a footprint in shaping Austin.
Robert Lord was "the somewhat outlandish 'poet' who had a column in the Austin American Statesman back in the late 1960s and early '70s. Google has not turned up anything on this man. Interviewing Statesman colleagues from that era turned up nothing. Who was this mystery poet?
Co-founder and performer since the very begging of Esther's Follies unique sketch comedy troupe, Shannon Sedwick joins Austin Found to share their story. You might also be surprised at how many iconic places she has been a part of, including Liberty Lunch and The Tavern.
Co-founder and performer since the very begging of Esther's Follies unique sketch comedy troupe, Shannon Sedwick joins Austin Found to share their story. You might also be surprised at how many iconic places she has been a part of, including Liberty Lunch and The Tavern.
Did you know that exactly one native Austinite was nominated for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court? And not that long ago, historically speaking.
During the early 1960s, before the arrival of IBM in 1967, the entire workforce in Travis County hovered around 80,000. Today, the tech industry alone employs more than 120,000 workers in Central Texas.
Manager of Visitor Services/Tour Ambassador at Visit Austin, Harrison discusses growing up in East Austin and shares his passion for Austin architecture and it's history.
Manager of Visitor Services/Tour Ambassador at Visit Austin, Harrison discusses growing up in East Austin and shares his passion for Austin architecture and it's history.
The Ku Klux Klan has emblazoned a long historical scar on Texas. At one point during the 1920s, the group was almost a daily fact of life. It took an effort by crusaders such as future Texas Gov. Dan Moody to quell the tide.
According to a 1967 article, the Zilker Christmas Tree was concieved by Mrs. Alden Davis, special chairwoman of Yule Fest, which, along with Trail of Lights, celebrated its 50th in 2014.
Stephen L. Clark Gallery, a story that reaches back to 1993. Clark, former owner of the Waterloo Ice House group, opened the spot that pulls together so many strands of Austin Culture.
A populist palace from the beginning, the Paramount was the biggest of big-time venues in Austin, at least from 1915 until late in the 20th century. As the theater has since passed 100 years old, it is crucial to recall that the grande dame of Congress Avenue--frequented by all social and economic classes, although in segregated seating for its first 50 years--hosted some of the top showbiz names.
"Virgil Oliver---first Negro in the South to serve on a jury." Could that possibly be true? Did Austin play such a dramatic role in the struggle for civil rights? Well, yes and no.
A little over a month after they said goodbye to their mother, 10 of the Zamarripa children gathered in their childhood home on Tillery Street.
Now in their 50s, 60s and 70s, they showed two guests the spots in the house that made family history. One sibling might disagree with another, but with so many eyewitnesses to that history, a shared narrative emerges.
Along with allies such as Shudde Fath, Roberta Crenshaw, Dorothy Richter, Scotty Sayers, Ben Crenshaw, Bill Bunch and others, Arnold showed that steady, smart and well-informed environmental and neighborhood activism can change the city forever.
Surprisingly, Lakeway has been well documenting and preserving it's short history. A west Austin hotbed for retiree's and now young prosperous families, we give you a brief history of Lakeway, Tx.
Eddie Wilson was the founder of the legiondary Armadillo World Headquarters that shaped Austin as a music town. After AWH he purchased Threadgill's which continued the music heritage of our city. We run through a listener submitted list of great Austin restaurants that are now gone and gather Eddie's thoughts and memories.
Eddie Wilson was the founder of the legiondary Armadillo World Headquarters that shaped Austin as a music town. After AWH he purchased Threadgill's which continued the music heritage of our city. We run through a listener submitted list of great Austin restaurants that are now gone and gather Eddie's thoughts and memories.
What we know know as Tarrytown was once a poor farm in the late 1800's. It was for paupers, convicts, and farmhands, some looking for work, some looking for food in tough times. It was even used for some criminals to pay off debt.
As much as we love Austin, dealing and adjusting to the heat is a very real consideration, especially with so many moving here. Can you handle it? Not sure? Give this a listen.
This Victorian mansion, known as Chateau Bellevue, is home to the Austin Woman's Club, formed by female leaders in the 1920's. However, not the only castlelike structure in Austin, we explore more in the Austin surroundings.
Between World War 1 and the Great Depression, the Jazz Age picked up where Guy Town's vices left off.
Teresa Lozano Long, major philanthropist, longtime educator and community leader, died at age 92.
Austin civil rights pioneer, school namesake, church co-founder, business leader and lifelong educator Bertha Sadler Means died at age 100.
Texas is home to just three surviving small reservations, two of which, the Alabama-Coushatta in East Texas and the Kickapoo on the Rio Grande, were set aside for immigrant Native Americans, meaning the remnants of tribes what were forced into Texas from their original homelands in the eastern United States
What happened, then, to the Caddos, Comanches, Wichitas, Kiowas, Apaches, Karankawas, Tonkawas, Coahuiltecans, Jumanos and other indigenous Texas tribes?
During the 1960's, Austinites, found themselves in a unique position. Many remained loyal to the man who had served as their congressman, senator, vice president and president. Others, played a part in the local protest movement against the war.
You know one — the French Legation — as the “oldest house in town.” Locals and tourists love this Creole-style home that rests on a steep crest; it was built for Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, France’s chargé d’affaires to the new Republic of Texas.
You are probably familiar with the other handsome house — Boggy Creek Farm — because of its organic foodstuffs rather than its history.
Austin leaders wanted more integration in the 60’s and didn’t know where to find black owned business and started a black registry. In 1973, the Villager was born.
Any alert observer passing along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Chestnut Avenue in East Austin inevitably notices two revolutionary sites. One is the David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with its dramatically escalating roofline, color-block windows and soaring modernist steeple. The other is the radically geometrical and cantilevered residence located a bit to the east of the landmark church at MLK and Maple Avenue known as the Phillips House.
John Saunders Chase Jr. — the first licensed Black architect in Texas and, in 1952, the first African American to graduate from University of Texas’ School of Architecture — designed all three striking buildings.
The story of Deaf Smith, a war hero and the fight to preserve the Texas School for the Deaf, the oldest continuously operated school in the state.
You've heard the stories of the legendary Armadillo, where hippies and rednecks co-mingled... oh, and ballet.
German settlers in Austin formed a traditional singing group as early as 1852. The tradition continues today at the Saengerrunde Hall at 1607 San Jacinto Street, adjacent to Scholtz Garden.
Known for comfort food such as beef tips, chicken-fried stea, chicken and dumplings, and icebox pie, the Frisco Shop was part of the Night Hawk chain, which Harry Akin, mayor of Austin from 1967 to 1969, started in 1932.
During the past 30 years, TreeFolks has set down more than 2.8 million trees in the Austin area. Tree Folks now works with a 1.2 Million dollar annual budget planting trees around Austin
The Buford Tower conceals three secrets. The graceful, six-story Italianate structure poised above Lady Bird Lake is a fire tower without any fires to fight and a bell tower without any real bells.
Over the course of more than a century, Austinites have known Benson as many things. Among them: adventurous youth, World War II veteran, textbook publisher, thoroughbred breeder and polished social dancer.
Yet it has been his legendary golf game that has followed Benson through much of his life.
Some citizens are honored merely for reaching the centennial mark. The Bastrop-born-and-reared Shudde Bess Bryson Fath has been spearheading causes for more than half her life, even before the fire station plan sparked her public outrage.
Little-known fact: One of the earliest space travelers from Earth was an Austin Native. Sam the Space Monkey was born in 1957 at the Balcones Research Center.
Austin doesn't have--never had--a true "gayborhood," defined as a district with a high density of LGBT residents, businesses, and street life.
A watercolor portrait of Austin's landscape would start with a green wash. Then add splashes of white (limestone) and blue (creeks, rivers, and lakes).
Mark Erlewine is known in Austin and elsewhere as a master of making and repairing guitars. He has created or repaired guitars for Jerry Garcia, Albert King, an dOtis Rush. He has created or repaired custom guitars as well for John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Elvis Costello, Bo Diddley, Johnny Winter, Joe Walsh, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.
When did the Shaw-Pease sale take place? Folklore- along with some surviving newspaper articles and other sources- tell us that Gov. Shivers took possession of Woodlawn from the Pease family and moved in exactly 100 years after the Pease family. Hmmm. Not so fast.
H.E.B. is celebrating 80+ years of selling food in the Texas capital. With two dozen stores in the area, H.E.B. has earned about 60+ percent of the grocery market in Austin. We've gathered dozens of facts, history, and did-ya-knows about one of Texas' iconic brands.
For a place with a reasonable reputation for public safety, the Austin area has produced some of the most traumatic and sensationally reported crimes in American history.
Austin’s music posters — especially the psychedelic ones that promoted shows at Vulcan Gas Company, Armadillo World Headquarters and other venues — resembled some of the posters produced in San Francisco at the time.
Some of the most rudimentary pen-and-ink techniques were used in part because they were the least expensive methods at the time and the most easily reproduced.
Started by the Chamber of Commerce In 1962, Austin Aqua Festival, long before the advent of South by Southwest (1987) or the Austin City Limits Music Festival (2002), it included parades down Congress Avenue and on Town Lake, boating races and skiing showcases, beauty contests and decorated floats, community games and fishing contests, wandering entertainers and craft sellers, food booths and nightly concerts.
You've seen St. John's street just off I-35. There was once an orphanage for African Americans and host to the St. John's encampments and the St. John's circuit.
What was the Lions club in Austin and how it shaped some places and things we are familiar with today.
Built in 1895 and became a dining spot in 1946 in South Austin just a couple miles south of Downtown, it has been serving dinners and cocktails to Austinites for more than 70 years.
A Rollingwood resident has preserved an underground nuclear fallout shelter that remained sealed and untouched for 50 years.
The first edition of what would become the Austin American-Statesman was published 149 years ago today. Over the next year leading to our sesquicentennial, we will periodically look back at the newspaper’s history and its role in Austin’s rise.
53 years of serving steak a la Mexicana, chicken mole, soft tacos, menudo and barbacoa de cabeza on East 7th St. This is the story of Jorge Guerra and a welcoming East Austin family owned restaurant that was welcoming and shaped and improved this part of East Austin.
The Swante Palm School is downtown Austin's historical ghost ship. Most Austinites remain unaware of its past as a Republic of Texas ,Confederate, and United States military base and armory.
Turns out there was more than steak, barbecue, Tex-Mex and fried chicken: Austinites were a bit adventurous in the 1970s.
Now impenetrable Interstate 35, it was a wide, parklike avenue around which white, black, Latino and Asian communities clustered.
A big storm in 1915 sent waves roaring through the populated canyons of the two creeks, wreaking destruction.
In 1730, three Spanish missions were planted on the Colorado River near what is now Austin. But where?
Or is it? Austinites tend to remember the dish at places such as Raw Deal and Texas Tumbleweed
Austinites cherish their memories of funky old spots for eating, drinking, picking and dancing. Even if the places were less than ideal.
The mystery behind a family cemetery plot in southwest Austin led to riveting stories about a double tornado that hit Austin on May 2, 1922. We also discovered how it affected the Bargley family, which was especially hard hit by this natural disaster that killed 13 people.
Austinite’s generally divide the city between east and west, or less frequently between north and south. What if, instead, we visualized the city as united by circles of historical growth? We could read our past in these tree rings of building trends.
Austin never experienced the race riots or other major racial violence of other American cities in the late 20th century, but its road from segregation to civil rights was marked instead by steady, valiant leadership from some pioneers whose names should be better remembered. They were opposed by some people whose names should be remembered for other, less admirable reasons.
It’s not obvious to the fresh newcomer, but Austin is a border town. It lies on the boundary between the wet farmlands and forests of the East and the dry ranch lands and scrub hills of the West, and a lot of the city’s culture is derived from that contrast, as well as its position between the Catholic and Lutheran South and the Baptist and Methodist North of Texas.
You’ve heard of Sergeant York, the most decorated American veteran of World War I. After all they made a hit movie with Gary Cooper as York. But what about Private “Buck” Simpson, an Austin cedar chopper and the second most decorated American veteran from that war? Turns out, he was a character in a family of Central Texas characters.
“We’ve been here before. In 1918, city officials shuttered Austin for almost a month during the worst pandemic in modern times. We look at how folks are responding locally to the coronavirus crisis and what they can learn from the past."
There was a time, not long ago, when all African-American police officers in Austin served on a separate and definitely not equal East Austin squad patrolling East 11th and 12th streets, mostly on foot. Officers Mal Wiley, Leonard Flores and Ernie Hinkle all served during the 1950s and ‘60s when Austin was a very different city. And they tell their engrossing police stories from very different perspectives.
One of the most spectacular fish kills in history hit the Colorado River in 1961 was traced to an East Austin “insect powder” factory. Green activist Rachel Carson told the basic story in “Silent Spring,” but it has been lost to popular memory even as Austin became an environmental mecca. Until now.
What were once were Native American trails are now boulevards and freeways. We can trace the routes taken by Tonkawas, Apaches and Comanches, as well as Spanish, German, Anglo-American and African-American pioneers in Central Texas and how they became the modern roads we know so well.
Do you love Austin as much as we do? Find out how it became the city it is today via Austin Found, a podcast from journalist and history buff Michael Barnes and radio personality J.B. Hager. They share the stories behind the stories about the people, places, culture and history of the inimitable Texas capital.
This episode is an introduction of what to expect from this show.