Out on the Austin speaking circuit, I often rely on stock speeches.

One audience favorite: “20,000 years of Austin history in 20 minutes.”

The title, at least, never fails to generate a laugh.

And those 20 minutes are usually followed by 40 minutes of sharp questions.

For the next few “From the Archives” columns, I thought it would be challenging to adapt that speech, built around 10 decisive moments in Austin history. After this introductory column, I’ll roll out each decisive moment, supported by material from our archives, over the course of 10 weeks.

10 decisive moments in Austin history

• The arrival of humans (20,000 years ago): Mike Collins and other archeological experts have dated prehistorical human activity in Central Texas to 20,000 years ago by interpreting artifacts recovered from the Gault Site north of Austin. Why did these Paleo-Indians, forebears of the Native Americans such as the Tonkawa, choose this area? The same reason others have done so since then: abundant food, water, shelter and materials that make life meaningful. Included at the Gault Site, for instance, are tiny art objects.
• The arrival of Europeans and Africans (500 years ago): Spaniard Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and an Arabic-speaking African named Esteban de Dorantes (Estevanico) were among 80 men shipwrecked on the Texas Gulf Coast. Four of them survived and spent the next years exploring the interior. Unlike what was accomplished in South Texas, the Spanish did not make a lasting impact on this part of Central Texas, although they briefly planted missions in the Austin area in 1730. Native Americans, including the Austin-area Tonkawa, still controlled most of the land that the Spanish, French, Mexicans and, later, Americans claimed in Texas until the mid-19th century.

• The arrival of Americans (200 years ago): Led by Stephen F. Austin, American colonists poured into Texas during the 1820s. Many brought along enslaved African Americans, although a few free Black families also immigrated. The colonists settled mainly in the Colorado and Brazos river basins. During the 1830s, they allied with a fair number of Tejanos in rebellion against the central government of Mexico, which led to Texas independence in 1836. Very soon after that, German, Czech and other immigrants took advantage of the newly available land as Native Americans were pushed to the west and north.
• Austin chosen as Republic of Texas capital (1839): A wilderness hamlet formerly named Waterloo, planted on a bluff above the Colorado River, Austin made an unlikely site for a national, much less a purportedly imperial capital. It lay deep within Native American territory without easy links to existing Texas population centers. Yet newcomers embraced its natural beauty, located on rolling prairies and clear creeks east of the “Colorado Mountains.” The urban grid laid out in 1839 still serves the needs of Central Austin nimbly today.
• Arrival of emancipation and railroads (1860-70s): Austin was not a center of slave trade, or for that matter, any trade, unlike Houston or Galveston, but more than 20% of its population was African American when the the Civil War began in 1861. After Texans learned of emancipation on June 19, 1865, many former enslaved people founded “freedom colonies” of independent African American landowners. Their descendants often are counted among the civil rights leaders of the 20th century. On Christmas Day in 1871, the railroad arrived from Houston, revolutionizing the local economy, culture and social life. Without railroads, Austin would not have become a city.

• The University of Texas founded (1883): Although only a few male students matriculated when classes began in temporary quarters, UT quickly became the second defining institution in Austin after government — itself to be represented by the city’s largest building in 1888, the domed Texas Capitol. Its faculty laid the intellectual foundation for the city’s future in science, engineering, technology, law, business, literature, music, movies and the arts. Just as promised in the Texas constitution, UT has become a global force in education, now complemented by a cluster of area colleges and universities.
• The Austin Dam collapses (1900): When the dam across the Colorado River, completed in 1893 out of giant granite blocks, collapsed during one of the city’s devastating floods, it changed the intended course of Austin development. Instead of a manufacturing and distribution center supported by cheap electricity, Austin became the “home city” or “city of homes,” as defined by the leafy neighborhoods — segregated from the 1920s to the 1960s — that surround downtown and what long remained its two major economic engines — government and the university.
• The federal government intervenes (1900s): Few people today recognize the huge impact made by several waves of federal intervention in the city. The feds planted military bases and training camps around Austin during the world wars. They funneled relief money through the capital city during the Great Depression, when federal funding helped pay for bridges, streets, state structures and the UT Tower, along with the Highland Lakes dams that provided crucial protection from the worst floods, while supplying water and electricity as well as recreational opportunities. Then after World War II, the feds turned over to UT a closed magnesium plant north of town that became a research center and the locus of Austin’s high tech boom.
• A distinctive Austin culture flourishes (1960s-2000s): While real wealth arrived for the first time with the tech boom, the city’s creative culture thrived, sequentially, in the fields of music, moviemaking, traditional arts, digital arts and innovative dining. Meanwhile, the political culture gelled during the 1970s as the new antiwar, youth, green, gay, Chicano and women’s movements joined the traditional labor and civil rights groups in a progressive coalition that survives, if uneasily, to this day.
• Austin character matures (now): Cultures were not the only things that evolved. Austin’s collective character, as observed during daily reporting on the scene, can be described as open (to difference, to change, to stasis), smart (not just in the bookish sense), kind (not merely its quickly multiplying nonprofits), fun (the party never stops) and alert (to the world as well as the community). This was not always the case and is still not always the case today. Yet it makes Austin more than just another big city.

Most of the holidays may be over, but winter is sticking around — and it’s bringing freezing weather to Texas next week.

A polar vortex, a weather pattern similar to the historic winter storm that struck Texas in 2021 — when every county in the state experienced below-freezing temperatures for the first time — is making its presence felt and is expected to reach Texas by Monday.

The upcoming polar vortex will bring arctic air from Canada down throughout most of the U.S. While not as severe as the 2021 Great Texas Freeze, the phenomenon will quickly drop temperatures into the 20s and 30s across Texas next week, down into the teens in some northern parts of the state.

What is a polar vortex?

A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that swirls around the Earth’s poles, primarily in the stratosphere, creating a strong band of west-to-east winds. When this vortex weakens, it can send frigid air from the Arctic southward, bringing dangerously cold temperatures to mid-latitude regions like the southern United States.

In 2021, the polar vortex prompted widespread power outages across Texas, resulting in rolling blackouts and leading to the deaths of 246 people.

When will the polar vortex reach Texas?

The effects of the polar vortex are expected to reach Texas on Monday and bring freezing or below-freezing temperatures throughout the week.

The impending event could bring snow to all 48 contiguous states, except for southern California, southern Florida, and southern Arizona. However, snowfall is unlikely in parts of Texas that are not in the northern regions, and any areas that do receive snow will likely experience only a brief period of accumulation, as temperatures are expected to warm back into the 40s during the daytime.

How cold will it get in Texas? See forecast map

The National Weather Service and NOAA forecast Texas temperatures will begin to dip Monday, with some North Texas regions seeing freezing temperatures. By Wednesday, most of the state will have high temperatures in the upper 30s and lows in the teens and low 20s. These will slowly creep back up by Thursday evening.

As several cold fronts rush through Texas, the northern parts of the state will see the lowest temperatures.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

How to prepare your home during freezing temperatures

To prepare your home for freezing temperatures, insulate exposed pipes, seal any drafts around windows and doors, and ensure your heating system is in good working order.

Here are some tips:

• Insulate vulnerable pipes to prevent frozen pipes. When temperatures drop below 32 degrees, let a few faucets drip to prevent freezing and bursting. Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to reach the pipes.
• Caulk gaps and openings around windows, doors, air conditioners, and mail chutes to prevent cold air from entering. For extra protection against heat loss, you can install weather stripping and seals.
• Keep driveways and sidewalks free of ice and snow, and repair any step or handrail issues.
• Winter brings more residential fires, so ensure all smoke detectors work by testing them monthly and replacing batteries as needed. Also, install a carbon monoxide detector to prevent toxic gas buildup.
• Keep your thermostat at 65 degrees or higher and ensure your home is well-insulated. A programmable or energy-efficient thermostat can help maintain warmth in key areas while saving on energy costs.

The NWS Weather Prediction Center has general tips for staying safe in winter weather.

How long will the cold last?

These wintry conditions are predicted to sweep through Texas and move on by next weekend.