Austin, TX
From the Statesman archives: Austin started big as a national, even imperial, capital
No other moment in Austin history was more decisive than the move in 1839 to turn a tiny, rough hamlet on the Colorado River named Waterloo into the capital of the Republic of Texas.
Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar intended for the spot, renamed after the man who guided Anglo American settlers to Texas, to become a “seat of empire.”
And indeed, Austin owes its durability to its status as the capital of Texas, even though the designation was not made permanent until the 1870s. In fact, only three years after it was founded, returning President Sam Houston tried very hard to move the capital back to his namesake city, or at least for a while to Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Texas independence had been declared.
To illustrate how crucial the seat of government was to the citizens of Austin, look no farther than the Archives Wars and the durable celebrity of Angelina Eberly, who alerted the locals that a militia was attempting to abscond with the republic’s official papers in the middle of the night.
A statue of Eberly — her bedclothes flapping — stands with a threatening cannon on Congress Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets.
Here’s a story about the unlikely hero and her bronze likeness taken from the Statesman archives. “Austin heroine Angelina Eberly: Forever frozen in a bronze nightgown” was published Dec. 30, 2020.
Twice-widowed Angelina Bell Peyton Eberly (1798-1860) served as the innkeeper at Eberly House beginning during Austin’s earliest days.One night in late December 1842, a militia party, led by Thomas I. Smith and Eli Chandler, absconded with the archives of the Texas Republic, thus stripping our city of a key remnant from its recent status as national capital, which President Sam Houston, never a big fan of Austin, had moved briefly to Washington-on-the-Brazos.
Eberly rose, supposedly in her bedclothes, then lighted a 6-pound cannon loaded with grapeshot, thus alerting the town to the kidnapped records, without which a government could not govern. No mere cache of yellowing papers, the official archives, then as now, tell us who owns what land, who paid which taxes, who was given a government salary, and who served in the military, along with the details of all laws passed by the legislature, and judicial responses to those laws, and so much more.Eberly’s blast brought out an Austin posse, which tracked down the archive thieves to Kenney’s Fort, located at what is today Round Rock. After a few shots were exchanged, the Austin crew brought back the invaluable papers.
The Archives Wars ended with no injuries or deaths. The papers, national and state, have remained unmolested in Austin ever since.We can thank a private group called Capital Area Statues Inc. (CAST) for planting the $300,000 bronze memento of Eberly on Congress in 2004. An unusual and amusing mix of cultural and artistic leaders, this group is also responsible for the Philosopher’s Rock at Barton Springs Pool and the Willie Nelson statue at the W Austin Hotel.
From almost any direction, the first thing one sees of the Congress Avenue statue is the large, spoked wheels of the cannon’s carriage. As one approaches, the barefoot, animated figure of Eberly, her back arched and her bedclothes flying, takes over. And no wonder, since she is taller, at 7 feet, than most of the passersby strolling down the wide sidewalk alongside One American Center.One reason that this 2,200-pound grouping of pedestal, carriage, cannon and outraged cannoneer makes me smile is because it was meant to do so. Australian-born political cartoonist Pat Oliphant designed it, so the loopy exaggerations and spackled surfaces are intended.
For some time after its unveiling, Eberly stood in frozen open-mouthed alarm with no explanatory plaque. I can only imagine what tourists or even longtime locals thought of her placement near the social nexus of downtown Austin. Was her unexplained cannon pointed at the boozy crowds emerging from East Sixth Street?
When she was made public, someone complained that Eberly was practically bare-chested, or at least we could plainly view her lingerie. Others disliked the crude shapes and surfaces of Oliphant’s fantastical portrait.
Oh my, how public art brings out the critics!
Austin, TX
Building cleared after non-credible bomb threat made in Downtown Austin
AUSTIN, Texas — A Downtown Austin building was cleared after a bomb threat was made Saturday night.
Police say that the call came in at 9:38 p.m., after which officers arrived to the scene and cleared a nearby building at 311 E 6th St.
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The threat was found to not be credible, and no one was injured.
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Police say no one is in custody and they will be clearing the scene shortly.
Austin, TX
The richest small town in Texas tops our most popular Austin stories
Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson held a press conference Friday to discuss a new deal with Southwest Airlines and its expected impact on the city.
The deal, approved Thursday by the Austin City Council, awards Southwest $2,750 for each new Austin-based hire over the next five years. In exchange, the airline plans to add 2,000 high-paying jobs with an average salary of $180,000 and invest in local workforce initiatives, including the city’s new Austin Infrastructure Academy.
Officials say the deal will strengthen Southwest’s presence at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the carrier already handles more than 40 percent of all passenger traffic.
The partnership is expected to bring in nearly $20 million in local tax revenue, and the incentive program will last for five years and pay Southwest up to $5.5 million.
Mayor Watson said the agreement will not only create new jobs in Austin but will improve the overall experience at AUS.
“We’re building lives and careers at the same time we’re building tarmacs and terminals,” Watson said. “Southwest is choosing Austin because our people, our workforce, and our future make us a smart investment. This deal creates thousands of good-paying jobs, improves the passenger experience, and ensures the benefits flow directly to Austin workers, families, and tourists. This agreement is proof that Austin means business and cares about the success of its people.”
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Read the full story at KVUE.com.
Austin, TX
Austin, TX, Proves It’s a Ski Town at Ikon Pass Stoke Night – SnowBrains

You might ask, “Why is there an Ikon Pass Stoke Event in Austin, Texas?”
Fact: There are more skiers and snowboarders in Texas than in Colorado. According to a 2017 Snowsports Industry Association study, Texas is home to roughly 800,000 skiers and riders, compared to Colorado’s 500,000. That impressive number puts Texas third in the nation for total ski and snowboard participants, behind only California and New York. Texans alone make up about 6% of all U.S. ski and snowboarders. And the proof is on the slopes: Ski areas in Colorado and New Mexico report that a staggering 70% of their out-of-state visitors hail from the Lone Star State. Yes—the legend of Texans being everywhere on the mountain is absolutely true.
Fact: Every Texan who skis is a destination skier. With no local ski resorts that are a quick Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City or short interstate drive away, Texans go big: they travel, stay longer, and spend more at Ikon Pass Destinations. As Kristin Rust, Vice President of Communications for Alterra Mountain Company, puts it, “Texas is a huge market, and Austin has a great number of pass holders.” With Ikon Pass offering such a wide network of resorts, and Texas home to so many skiers, Austin is a natural place for a Stoke Event.
This year’s Ikon Pass Stoke Event took place at Loro, the wildly popular South Lamar hangout blending Asian smokehouse flavors with laid-back Austin vibes. The gathering drew a lively crowd of local Ikon Pass holders. Guests enjoyed a spread of standout dishes—Oak-Grilled Edamame, Wonton Chips and Dip, Arugula & Melon Salad, and Oak-Smoked Brisket—paired with beer, wine, soft drinks, and Austin-meets-après cocktails like an Old Fashioned and, of course, the non-traditional slope-side margarita, a playful nod to Jimmy Buffett and the city where Margaritaville was written.
Attendance was strong, and the outdoor, under-the-oaks setting added an easy, welcoming feel. The energy was high as skiers swapped plans for upcoming trips to Ikon Pass destinations including SkiBig3 in Banff, Jackson Hole, Killington, the six Utah resorts on the pass, and the perennial “home resorts” for Texans—those in Colorado and New Mexico. Members of Austin Skiers, the city’s long-standing ski and travel club, were out in force and buzzing about club trips to the Ikon Pass resorts of Snowmass, Mt. Bachelor, SkiBig3, and Steamboat.
A major hit of the night was the CMH Heli-Skiing virtual-reality experience, a full 3D immersion complete with helicopter-ride visuals of the Canadian Rockies and a run down untouched powder with a small ski group. Riders found themselves carving turns, watching skiers float past, and looking up, down, and across the alpine terrain—an astonishingly vivid taste of what a heli-ski trip feels like. The CMH station stayed packed all evening.
The night wrapped up with a spirited swag giveaway, where lucky attendees scored prizes including Yeti mugs, a coveted Shot-Ski, and an Ikon Pass. What a great way to top off a fantastic night!
In the end, the Ikon Pass Stoke Event proved to be a fantastic celebration of Austin’s vibrant ski community—a chance to meet fellow snow lovers, swap stories, and get excited about the season ahead. For one night, Austin truly became a “Ski Town.”
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