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!
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
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