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, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
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.
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