Austin, TX
From the Statesman archives: How Mueller neighborhood streets got their Austin names
Tooling through Mueller, have you ever wondered how the streets of this 21st-century neighborhood, such as Camacho, Taniguchi and Scarbrough, earned their names?
We offer partial historical answers in today’s column.
By way of background, a stroll through the American-Statesman archives reveals several strata of history about Austin street names.
- 1839: The original map of Austin, drawn by master surveyor L.J. Pilie, reveals three types of street names: 1) north-south streets named after Texas rivers, which is still the case; 2) east-west streets named after Texas trees (changed to numerals in 1886, but a change adopted slowly); 3) other names, including the grand-sounding Congress Avenue for the wide street that bisected the new capital of the Texas Republic, as well as names that represented different types of boundaries (East, West, Water).
- 1886: City leaders replaced the tree names with numbered streets on Sept. 21, 1886. Edwin Waller, charged with hacking the city out of the wilderness, had actually preferred numbers for east-west streets, as a July 11, 1839, letter to Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar proves. Some maps from the late 19th century and early 20th century show both numbers and tree names for the same streets.
- Late 1800s-early 1900s: As Austin slipped outside of the downtown grid and the garden plots to the east, more streets were named after early Texas leaders and Austin residents (Lamar Boulevard, Barton Springs Road); or nearby towns already named after early Texans (Burnet Road, Cameron Road); local landmarks (Asylum Road, later renamed Guadalupe Street); or nearby communities (Dessau Road, Old Fredericksburg Road, later renamed South Lamar Boulevard).
- Late 1900s: Three major trends: 1) New freeways named by federal, state or city transportation entities (at times confusing, such as the doubly dubbed MoPac, named for the parallel Missouri Pacific railroad, but also known as Texas Loop 1); 2) new suburban streets named by developers after faraway, fanciful or imaginary people and places, or conversely, actual local geography; and 3) throughways, some later expanded, named after local politicians (Ben White Boulevard) or highway officials (Ed Bluestein Boulevard).
- 2000: The new Mueller redevelopment provided a singular opportunity to name a lot of new streets under the scrutiny of a public-private project. The plateau east of Interstate 35 had already been associated with several key historical events — the scalping of settler Josiah Wilbarger in 1833, the purchase of land by twice-enslaved Newton Isaac Collins in 1872, and the opening of the city’s first civilian airport there in 1930. It was named after City Council Member Robert Mueller (pronounced Miller), who died in office in 1927.
Austinites revved up efforts to move Mueller Municipal Airport, located a few miles from downtown, in 1984. A leading candidate for a replacement was land near Manor, which helps explain some of the industrial, commercial, office and hotel space built on speculation during this period near Interstate 35 and U.S. 290. The city, however, chose the federal offer of Bergstrom Air Force Base in Del Valle. It became Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which opened in 1999.
At that point, what to do with the hundreds of acres that had been the main footprint of the Mueller Airport?
The city of Austin entered into a partnership with Catellus Development Corp. to create a neighborhood based on ideas associated with “new urbanism.” Those ideas included urban-like density, walkable streets, sensitive landscaping and a mix of resident incomes. Also clustered around the former airport were movie studios, a children’s hospital, a children’s museum and Rathgeber Village, home to several social service groups.
Meanwhile, a committee was convened to choose Mueller street names from the names of significant Austin figures, some of them not well known, especially to newcomers.
Here are just a few of those street names (I’ll return to the subject in future “From the Archives” columns):
- Zach Scott Street: The movie and stage actor Zachary Scott (1914-1965), son of a prominent Austin family that included Dr. Zachary Scott (1880-1964), is perhaps best remembered for film roles in “Mildred Pierce” and “The Southerner.” He is the namesake for Zach Theatre, formerly known as Zachary Scott Theatre, the city’s largest resident theater company.
- Barbara Jordan Boulevard: The former U.S. congresswoman’s early life and career are associated with Houston, but the fearless defender of the Constitution spent her later years in Austin as a professor at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. Two large statues of Jordan (1936-1996) can be found in the city, one on the University of Texas campus, the other at Austin-Bergstrom.
- Camacho Street: Lorraine Fuentes “Grandma” Castro Camacho (1917-1999) worked in food service for the Austin school district, but more than that, she was a volunteer and community organizer who took care of the youth in the Holly Street neighborhood for decades. Mother of beloved community historian Danny Camacho, she lent her name to the Lorraine “Grandma” Camacho Activity Center.
- Taniguchi Street: A native of Japan, Isamu Taniguchi (1897-1992) immigrated to the U.S. as a teen. During World War II, he was forced into an internment camp at Crystal City, about 115 miles southwest of San Antonio, where he worked in the carpentry shop and maintained gardens. He retired to Austin in 1967, where his son and grandson became prominent architects and educators. In gratitude to the city, he almost single-handedly created the Isamu Taniguchi Japanese Garden at the Zilker Botanical Garden.
- Scarbrough Street: Named after Lemuel Scarbrough (1889-1965), part of at least four generations of his family who turned a farmer-oriented general store into the city’s most glamorous and comprehensive department store. Like his relatives, Lemuel became a philanthropist and civic leader. The Scarbrough Building, including its art deco additions, still commands the southwest corner of Congress Avenue and Sixth Street.
- Emma Long Street: While Austin city government was led by a club of white businessmen for more than a century, Emma Long (1912-2011), an American-Statesman reporter, broke that mold in 1948 by becoming the first woman elected to the City Council. Long was unusually progressive for her time and promoted many of the changes that redefined Austin during the 1950s and ’60s. She reactivated the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and is the namesake for Emma Long Metropolitan Park in Northwest Austin.

Austin, TX
Texas Longhorns’ SEC Opponents Revealed for 2026 and Beyond

The debate over whether or not the SEC should move to nine conference games has been raging on for a while now, but that debate has finally been put to bed.
Last month, SEC presidents moved to adopt a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026. As part of the schedule, each team will have three annual opponents with the other six games rotating. This will allow every team to play each other at least once every other year.
The SEC previously announced that the Texas Longhorns’ annual opponents would be Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, at least until the league reevaluates annual opponents ahead of the 2030 season. Now, they know exactly who they’ll be facing in conference play for the next four years.
Here’s a look at the Aggies’ full list of conference opponents from 2026-29, as revealed by the league on Tuesday night.
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
Home
Away
As part of the nine-game schedule, the Longhorns will finally get to play the other half of the SEC. The conference previously had each of its 14 existing members play either Texas or Oklahoma, but not both, when those two teams joined in 2024, and then just repeated the same matchups in 2025.
This will allow the Longhorns to play some teams they haven’t faced in decades, most notably South Carolina (last played in 1957), Tennessee (1968) and Auburn (1991). With them now playing every other team in the conference at least twice in a four-year span, they have a chance to forge some new rivalries as well.
Additionally, the new schedule will fix a major problem the Longhorns face this season. As they are the designated home team for this year’s Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma in Dallas, they don’t play a true home game between last Saturday against Sam Houston and Nov. 1 against Vanderbilt. They play three road games against SEC opponents and have a bye in that time, thus explaining the month-long drought.
Now, though, the SEC can simply give the designated home team five home games against conference opponents, including the game in Dallas, and the designated road team four home game, thus solving the inequality problem.
It’s a new era in the SEC, and even with the nine-game schedule, the Longhorns are well equipped to compete in their new home.
Austin, TX
Researchers make concerning discovery at bottom of popular lake: ‘Shows how pervasive our impact is’

Austin, Texas, has a growing microplastic problem in its soil and bodies of water.
Danielle Zaleski, a student at the University of Texas’ Jackson School of Geosciences, pulled a core sample from the floor of Lady Bird Lake in Austin. The mesh, intended to separate sediment from plastic, clogged almost instantly. The sample contained so many fragments that the count had to be abandoned.
What’s happening?
A recent report from KXAN dissected research into how microplastic pollution has built up in Austin’s lakes over time, finding that older sediment contained only a few hundred particles per sample while recent layers had thousands.
Zaleski, who works with the University of Texas and the city, has been documenting the rise of microplastics in Austin’s lakes. In older sediment, buried deeper underground, she measured about 200 particles for every 100 grams. Near the surface, the number spiked to 4,600.
The sharpest concentrations were found downtown, beneath Interstate 35, where tire dust and synthetic road debris flow directly into the water. “It’s just another one of those things that shows how pervasive our impact is,” said Brent Bellinger of the city’s Watershed Protection Department, per KXAN.
Why is microplastic pollution concerning?
Microplastics are created when larger plastics break down or during manufacturing. These particles are now found everywhere, including the air, water, soil, and even human bodies. Studies estimate that the average person ingests between 39,000 and 52,000 particles of microplastics and nanoplastics every year.
Garden of Life’s clean vitamins and supplements are made with pure, whole-food ingredients to support your health and everyday wellbeing. You can boost your routine with bestselling probiotics, collagen, vitamins, and protein — all without synthetic ingredients, artificial flavors or colors, binders, or fillers.
And for a limited time, get 25% off specific Garden of Life products with code Back2Garden.
|
The health risks are still being studied, but scientists have linked microplastics to respiratory problems, digestive issues, and possible chemical exposure. For cities like Austin, the concern goes beyond ecology: These lakes provide recreation, influence property values, and connect to broader water supplies. If the buildup worsens, it could threaten both public health and the city’s economy.
The problem isn’t unique to Texas. Research has documented microplastic pollution in rivers, oceans, bottled water, and even in rainfall. These findings suggest the issue is systemic, driven by the massive global use of plastics and inadequate disposal systems.
What’s being done about microplastics?
According to KXAN, Austin’s Watershed Protection Department is incorporating Zaleski’s findings into an upcoming city report, which could inform new policies on stormwater management, waste reduction, and infrastructure design. Researchers also hope the data will push for tighter controls on road runoff, one of the largest contributors.
On an individual level, reducing the use of single-use plastics remains one of the most effective ways to cut back on microplastic pollution. Simple swaps that use less plastic — such as reusable water bottles, cloth bags, or alternatives to plastic packaging — can help limit the plastic stream before it breaks down into microscopic fragments.
Communities around the country are also experimenting with bans on plastic bags and foam containers, along with efforts to clean and restore waterways.
Tackling microplastics won’t be easy, but cities like Austin now have clearer evidence of how urgent the problem has become.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Austin, TX
Live updates from Texas football game Saturday in Austin

Can UTEP (1-1), which has never beaten Texas in six previous games, spring a monumental upset?
Follow along for scores and live updates.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said running back Quintrevion Wisner and defensive tackle Alex January were doubtful entering the game, and neither player is listed on the Longhorns’ pregame depth chart. Receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., whom Sarkisian also described as doubtful, is listed atop the depth chart but is not suited up during team warmups.
When: 3:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin
TV/radio: SEC Network, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)
Line: Texas is favored by 41½ points; over/under is 50½ points.
Sunny skies and hot with highs in the high 90s.
-
Finance1 week ago
Reimagining Finance: Derek Kudsee on Coda’s AI-Powered Future
-
World1 week ago
Syria’s new president takes center stage at UNGA as concerns linger over terrorist past
-
North Dakota1 week ago
Board approves Brent Sanford as new ‘commissioner’ of North Dakota University System
-
Technology1 week ago
These earbuds include a tiny wired microphone you can hold
-
Culture1 week ago
Test Your Memory of These Classic Books for Young Readers
-
Crypto1 week ago
Texas brothers charged in cryptocurrency kidnapping, robbery in MN
-
Crypto1 week ago
EU Enforcers Arrest 5 Over €100M Cryptocurrency Scam – Law360
-
Rhode Island1 week ago
The Ocean State’s Bond With Robert Redford