Austin, Texas

City History

Prior to the arrival of settlers from the US, the area that later became Austin was inhabited by a variety of nomadic Native American tribes, including the Tonkawa tribe, the Comanches, and the Lipan Apaches. In the early 1830's the village of Waterloo was established and in 1839 the village was chosen to be the capital of the Republic of Texas. It quickly grew and was renamed Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin. The Texas state capitol building was completed in 1888 advertised as the 7th largest building in the world. The building still remains part of the Austin skyline. The state capitol building is taller than the United States capitol building. Austin is still known for the senators and schoolteachers who shaped its beginnings. Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and home to the University of Texas.. Situated in Central Texas, Austin is the fourth-largest city in Texas the 16th largest in the United States. The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Area that has a population of more than 1.5 million, and is among the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Residents of Austin are known as "Austinites," In the 1950's, Austin's first research labs and think tanks were first built and today the city is home to enough large sites of major technology corporations to have earned it the nickname "Silicon Hills." In the 70's the Austin music scene was born when artists such as David Rodriguez and Willie Nelson brought countrywide attention. Austin's official slogan promotes the city as "The Live Music Capital of the World", a reference to its status as home to many musicians and music venues.

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