| |
Texas
State Capitol and Goddess
of Liberty
Vintage Photo Courtesy Texas State Library And Archives |
Historical
Marker TextThe Texas
CapitolAustin
became the capital of Texas Jan. 19, 1840, and this hill was platted as
Capitol Square. A modest statehouse
built here in the 1850s soon developed structural flaws. The Constitutional
Convention of 1876 set aside 3,000,000 acres of public land to finance another
building. This was authorized after the 1850s capitol burned on Nov. 9, 1881.
Architect E.E. Myers of Detroit won a national competition with his plans
for this capitol. The contractor was Mattheas Schnell of Rock Island, Ill. Basement
excavation began early in 1882. Railroads built especially for this project hauled
limestone from the Oatmanville quarries in Travis County as well as stone donated
by the owners of the Granite Mountain in Burnet County. The 900 workmen on the
project included 86 granite cutters brought from Scotland. Charles B. and John
V. Farwell, Chicago bankers, funded the construction and were repaid in land in
ten Panhandle counties, on which they founded the famous XIT
Ranch.
At dedication ceremonies on May 18, 1888, the capitol was accepted
on behalf of the people by state senator Temple
Houston, son of Texas hero Sam
Houston. He called it "a structure that shall stand as a sentinel of eternity."
(1976) |
 |
Texas
State Capitol - Dedication Of Fire Fighters Monumnent
Vintage Photo Courtesy
Texas State Library And Archives |
Texas
State Capitol Building during construction
1886 Photo Courtesy Texas State
Library And Archives |
Texas
State Capitol - Elijah Meyers Blueprint
Photo Courtesy Texas State Library
And Archives |
Texas
State Capitol Dome Under Construction
Photo Courtesy Texas State Library And
Archives |
Texas
Capitol Dome
TE Photo, 2004 |
Texas
Capitol Capital
TE Photo, 2004 |
Texas
Capitol Clock
TE Photo, 2004 |
Texas
Capitol Columns Details
TE Photo 2004 |
Texas
Capitol Cornerstone
TE Photo |
Texas Capitol Cornerstone - Left Side Inscription
"Commenced Feb 1, 1882"
TE
Photo
More Texas Cornerstones |
Texas
Capitol Dome Looking Up
TE Photo, 2004 |
Texas
Capitol Interior - People In Line
TE Photo, 2004 |
Texas
Capitol Interior - Wooden Capital
TE Photo, 2004 |
Texas
Capitol In Scaffolding
TE Photo, August, 2010 |
Capitol
Building Vintage Postcards |
Birds Eye View of Austin with distant voiew of the
Capitol
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Congress
Avenue showing the Capitol building
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
|
Congress
Ave, Austin, Texas, From Dome of Capitol
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Capitol At Night
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Texas
State Capitol Related Stories: |
The
State Capitol Dome Mike Cox
Land Commissioner W.C. Walsh had been watching
the construction of the new Capitol since the first shovel of dirt was tossed
on Feb. 1, 1882... As the new Capitol slowly took shape, so did Walsh’s layman’s
knowledge of architecture. Now, with construction about to begin on the dome,
Walsh grew increasingly uneasy...
Rusk’s
Capitol Role
by Bob Bowman
This month, Texans will quietly celebrate the 117th anniversary
of the completion of the Texas Capitol in Austin.
But, as in past observances, there will be little acknowledgment of the
role that East Texas,
especially the town of Rusk,
played in the capitol’s completion.
Goddess
of Liberty
The
statue that sits atop the Capitol in Austin
is something of a mystery.
Book
Hotel Here > Austin Hotels
|
"Austin
became the capital of Texas Jan. 19, 1840, and this hill was platted as Capitol
Square. A modest statehouse built here in the 1850s soon developed structural
flaws. The Constitutional Convention of 1876 set aside 3,000,000 acres of public
land to finance another building. This was authorized after the
1850s capitol burned on Nov. 9, 1881..." - from Historical Marker
See
Capitol
No. 1 by Mike Cox
The story of a civil engineer from San Antonio who
earned less than the value of a good mule for designing a new capitol for Texas...
The Fire in
the State Capitol by Mike Cox |
| Old Capitol during
the funeral of Gov. Andrew Jackson Hamilton, April 12, 1875. He was a known Union
sympathizer. Hamilton
Pool in Austin is named after him. |
| Original Capitol building
as it appeared after it burned on Nov. 9, 1881. |
First
Texas State Capitol Building
Vintage Photo Courtesy Texas State Library And
Archives | |
| Book Hotel Here
- Expedia
Affiliate Network | |
