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History in
a Pecan Shell
The
name comes from Santiago Del Valle, the owner of the original land
grant. The town developed in the mid 1870s with a post office being
granted later that decade.
The community soon had a gristmill and two cotton gins as well as
a school and three churches. Although the population was a mere 50
persons, it swelled to 75 for 1900.
By the late 1920s Del Valle had 150 residents (estimated) but fell
drastically during the Great Depression. Some sources give the figure
of 25 residents. The community was transformed in 1942 when Del Valle
Air Field was constructed. The field was later renamed Bergstrom AFB
and became the Austin Bergstrom International Airport in the
1980s.
From the early 1970s through 2000 the estimated population was steady
at 300.
Other that the name on the post office, Del Valle is hard to discern.
Anticipated construction of hotels and service industries for the
airport never materialized and today (2009) closed businesses, vacant
lots and abandoned signs liter the area. |
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Travis
County 1907 Postal Map showing Del Valle
(Below "V" in "TRAVIS". East of Austin.)
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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