Author: Karen Sikes Collins
The Moore-Hancock Farmstead was built in 1849 facing the Upper Georgetown Road. Research into the farmstead and the people connected to it also turned up information about the Upper Georgetown Road and its residents.
The first section of the history of the Upper Georgetown Road and companion roads is based on the Minutes of the Travis County Commissioners Court, from its first meeting on 29 Dec 1844 to 13 Feb 1889. The second section with information about the residents along the Upper Georgetown Road is based on the 1854 School Census, federal censuses, and reminiscences of several “oldtimers” who lived along Burnet Road (Upper Georgetown Road) 1900-1940.
The Upper Georgetown Road roughly followed a road in use by 1841 leading from the northwest edge of Austin by the land of Gideon White, Enoch Johnson, Martin Moore, the McKenzies, and the Davises. Another road (the Hamilton Valley Road) was first called the Burnet Road because it went to the town of Burnet. This OLD Burnet Road crossed Shoal Creek about 34th Street and ran along the foot of the hills to the west of Shoal Creek while the Upper Georgetown Road lay east of Shoal Creek on higher ground. When a spur from the Upper Georgetown Road later connected with the old Burnet Road, this became the primary route to the town of Burnet, and the old Burnet/Hamilton Valley Road became a road used only locally by charcoal-makers and cedar choppers living in the hills west of Austin.
There was, as well, a third road on the east closely paralleling them for several miles-the Lower Georgetown Road which ran through Fiskville at Payton Gin Road (now very roughly North Lamar Boulevard.
29 Dec 1844
The Travis County Commissioners Court was formed.
11 Apr 1848
Enoch S. Johnson appointed overseer of road leading from Austin in direction of Williamson County “so soon as said road be secured.”
19 Feb 1850
George W. Davis appointed overseer on road from Austin to Williamson County via Merrill’s.
19 Feb 1851
All road overseers required to measure their roads and put up mile posts.
19 Feb 1851
The Austin to Georgetown Road via Brushy divided into two beats: Beat #1-George W. Davis appointed overseer; Beat #2-Nelson Merrill appointed overseer. This beat ran from Walnut Creek to the county line.
17 Feb 1852
James Wall appointed overseer “on the road leading from Austin to Brushy via Enoch Johnson’s” to Walnut Creek. All living along the road be required to work on the road.
16 Aug 1852
Appointment of committee to review the road “leading from the centre of the City of Austin, following the course of the Avenue leading from the centre of the north side of Capitol Square in a northerly direction passing along the east side of the square know as College Hill to the limits of the City tract adjoining said City, thence northwardly to the line between Travis County and Williamson County at Benjamin Allen’s on Brushy Creek…” Committee: Josiah Fisk, Enoch S. Johnson, W. Nowlin, J. Bennet, James Doxy.
16 Aug 1852
Petition of Josiah Fisk “praying for a road leading from Austin to Benjamin Allen’s on Brushy, commencing at the northeast corner of lot 83 in Division D of the tract adjoining the City of Austin, and ending at said Allen’s.” Committee appointed to review: Josiah Fisk, E.S. Johnson, F.W. Nowlin, J. Bennet, and James Doxy.
15 Nov 1852
Report of Committee: to establish a road “ from where the street stops at the northeast corner of Lot 83,…” road to run from northeast corner of said lot, thence on the line between the surveys of James P. Wallace and George Spier to the northeast corner of said Spier’s survey, thence to diverge a little to the east from a straight line between said surveys to where the road now crosses Little Walnut a little below the home built on the Wallace survey by J.H.Mitchell, thence on nearly a straight line to the good crossing on Walnut Creek in the survey of J.C. Brook, thence in a direct line to Benjamin Allen’s on Brushy.” The court established this road based on this report; Josiah Fisk was appointed overseer.
15 Nov 1852
Report of committee on second road: to establish a “road leading from the centre of the City of Austin to the limits of the City tract, thence northwardly to the line between Travis and Williamson Counties at B. Allen’s,…to run from where the street ends between Col. H. Grooms and M. Kliens, thence to diverge a little to the east, to the east line of P.W. Nowlins tract out of the survey of J.P. Wallace, thence on a line between the portion of said survey which belongs to the heirs of Redding and said Nowlin, Chas. F. Compton, Wm. Starr, and J. Fisk and J. Buttery to the Applegate survey, thence to be a little to the west to where we reviewed the road to cross Walnut Creek from lot No. 83 in Brooks survey, thence with said in a direct line to B. Allen’s on Brushy.” The court established this road and appointed Joseph Lee overseer.
16 Nov 1852
The court rejected the road between Grooms and Klein.
16 Nov 1852
Petition to establish other road from Centre of Capitol Square to Allen’s…commencing at north end of the Avenue…line between Cockburn and Nowlin, and Compton and Bennett thence to a point on Gillilands Creek where the road known as Allen’s road crosses said creek, thence with the said road to crossing of Brushy.” Joseph Lee appointed overseer.
16 Nov 1852
George W. Davis petition for “road to cross Shoal Creek below Edward Seiders thence along the foot of the mountains to intersect the road leading to Hamilton’s Valley…” The court appointed a commission to review the road.
22 Feb 1853
The report of the Commission reviewed road “to leave the street near the premises occupied by Martin James, thence to continue westwardly as the road now traveled crossing Shoal Creek at the present crossing, thence to turn up towards the mountains leaving the premises of M. Rennick, Mr. Case, and Mr. Meddling on the West of the same and Mr. Reiley and Mrs. Vann on the east of the road, thence continuing up the foot of the mountains with the Indian Trail, leaving George W. Davis on the east side. At Spicewood Spring on the west side of the road, leaving also Mr. McKenzie’s field on the east side and intersecting the Hamilton’s Valley road when the same turns into the cedar brake…”
22 Feb 1853
Decreed that the “road leaving from Austin to the county line in the direction of Georgetown via McKinzies and Merrill be and the same is hereby declared a road of the first class and shall be worked and cleaned out as such. Order further that precinct No. 1 of said now shall commence at the limits of the City of Austin and end at the center of the northern branch of Walnut Creek.” Enoch Johnson appointed overseer on precinct 1 and “the hands living at the following places be required to work on the same: Lacy McKinzie, Daniel McKinzie, Mr. Wm. Allison, Martin Moore, William Robertson, Mr. Saunders and son, E.S. Johnson.
22 Feb 1853
“Ordered by the court the road leaving from the City of Austin to the county line from the north end of the avenue running from Capitol Square in the City of Austin via east of Fisk’s field to the county line in the direction of B. Allen’s on Brushy…” be a first class road and have only one precinct.
23 Feb 1853
Enoch S. Johnson appointed overseer of precinct 1 “on the road leading from Austin to the county line in the direction of Georgetown via Merrill’s…” those living at the following places are to work on the road: Lacy McKinzie, Daniel McKenzie, Mr. Allison, Martin Moore, William Robertson, M. Saunders and son, E.S. Johnson.
23 Feb 1854
Enoch S. Johnson appointed overseer on precinct 1 of Georgetown Road and the following named persons be required to work on same: E.S. Johnson and hands, M. Moore and hands, Geo. W. Davis and hands, Daniel McKenzie, Mrs. McKinzie’s hands, J.D. Doxey, Renick, John Hancock’s hands, H. Up church and all others known to said overseer not here in enumerated.”
23 Feb 1855
James McKenzie appointed overseer of precinct 1. Those required to work the road: Ann McKenzie and hands, Geo. W. Davis and hands, J. Hancock’s hands, B. Par?, Martin Moore and hands, James Doxey and hands, Geo. M. White, E.S. Johnson.
21 May 1855
Petition to appoint a commission to review and mark out a road from Austin to the county line in the direction of Georgetown. Commission members: James McKenzie, N.R. Land, Robert Bratton, Enoch S. Johnson, John Hancock.
22 Aug 1855
Report from the committee “to find the old road established by same to be the best and can see no reason why a change should be made.”
18 Feb 1856
Enoch S. Johnson appointed overseer of precinct 1. Those living along and required to work are: John White, Martin Moore, John Hancock and 3 hands, James D. Doxey and 1 hand, George W. Davis and 3 hands, John Hogan, Mrs. McKenzie and 1 hand, M.C. Brewer, Ben T. Gault, James P. Davis, Blackstone H. Davis.
16 Feb 1857
George W. Davis appointed overseer of precinct 1. Those required to work: E. Johnson and hands, John White, Martin Moore and hands, Mr. Berry, James O. Doxey and hand, B.H. Barett, George W. McKenzie, Mrs. Cazine’s hands”together with all other hands liable to work on roads not herein designated being nearer said road precinct than any other who may not be set apart for some other road.”
Feb 1858
James O. Doxey appointed overseer. Those to work road: Enoch Johnson and hands, John White, Martin Moore and hands, John Hancock and hands, Mrs. Perry, B.H. Davis, James P. Davis, Mrs. McKenzie and hands, Ben Garrett, Geo. W. McKenzie, Mrs. Cazine and hands.
17 Aug 1858
Petition of George Hancock “to change the road leading from Austin to Georgetown by Merrill’s so as to run on the line between him the said Hancock and Martin Moore.” Court granted since it would not inconvenience the public.
21 Feb 1859
Petition of James Rogers to change the road “to run from Austin City between the outlots at present o Cupid’s by Wm. S. Hotchkiss and James P. Neal, thence by Michael Summers and crossing Shoal Creek at Edward Seiders, thence through the lane dividing the farm of W. C. Philips from that of W. P. Mahen and S. B. Reid, thence with the east line of Mrs. Narvalls farm to the southeast corner of same instead of remaining with the present road to the left of Mrs. Narvalls, thence to intersect the road running along the west side of Mr. Davis and Mrs. Vanns farms at or near the corner southwest of said Vanns enclosure, thence with said road crossing Spice Wood Spring Branch and by the residence of Captain Rogers, thence to the left of said Rogers farm to intersect the present road at or near the crossing on Big Walnut Creek.” The court established the road.
21 Feb 1859
George W. Davis appointed overseer of precinct 1 of road now “commencing at Austin City and ending at Spice Wood Spring the following hands to wit: George Hancock and hands, John Hancock and hands, T.J. Vann, Dr. W.C. Philips and hands, S.B. Reid, C.F. Compton, Mrs. McKenzie’s hands, Geo. W. McKenzie, Mrs. Corzine’s hands.
20 Feb 1860
The previous order was “illegally made” and the court now ordered that the Austin Georgetown road be reestablished to run by Mrs. Ann McKenzies.
20 Feb 1860
B.T. Gant appointed overseer. Those listed to work: Ed Rogers, Ja. Rogers, James Rogers and hands, Alexa. McKenzie, Mrs. A. McKenzie’s hands, Isaac Holman, J.M. and J.J.Pitts, Soan and hands, Mrs. Elizabeth Moore’s hands, John Hancock and hands, George Hancock, George W. Davis, James P. Neal and hands, Bryce Dillingham, Edward Seiders, C. Krahn, Rudolph Bertram, Wm. Hardeman, Parrish, James O. Doxey.
21 May 1860
Petition of George Hancock to discontinue one of the roads from Austin to Georgetown. “…the roads leading from Austin city to Hamilton and Georgetown run parallel and very near together for a distance of nearly 9 miles and pray that two roads be merged into one until the northern boundary line of the county is reached, and as located, that the traveling community would receive no inconvenience thereby.” “And petitions further that there is as well another road running below and parallel with the roads mentioned, above and known as the Fiskville road and leads from the City of Austin to Georgetown to travel either one of which for the distance of 10 miles would lead to almost the same point.” The court appointed a commission to review.
19 Nov 1860 Petition of George Hancock, James Rogers, etc. Recommend “leaving the Georgetown Road commencing at the northeast corner of the survey belonging to the heirs of Jesse Burditt deceased, thence with the east boundary line of James Rogers survey to the northeast corner of J.B. Rogers survey, thence nearly due north across the lands of Ben T. Gault and W.N. Hardeman to the crossing of Walnut Creek at the lower corner of said Hardeman farm thence up and on the bank of Walnut Creek about 500 varas, thence in a north direction to the Georgetown Road.” The court appointed a commission to review.
20 Feb 1861
Report present-road as described above; a new commission appointed.
20 Feb 1861
J.O. Doxey appointed overseer of precinct 1. Those required to work: Alex McKenzie, Mrs. Ann McKenzie’s hands, J.M. and J.J. Pitt, Elizabeth Moore’s hands, John Hancock’s hands, George Hancock’s hands, George W. Davis hands, Bryce Dillingham and hands, C. Krahn, J.P. Neal, R.H. Simpson, Jacob Lutza.
Feb 1862
Mr. Vance appointed overseer. Those required to work: S. Wolman, J.M. and J.J. Pitts, Elizabeth Moore’s hands, John Hancock’s hands, George Hancock’s hands, George W. Davis’ hands, Brice Dillingham and hands, Edward Seiders and hands, J.P. Neal, R.M. Johnson, Jacob Garza.
Feb 1863
George Hancock appointed overseer. Does not list those required to work.
Feb 1864
George Hancock appointed overseer.” “…with the hands that live on and are liable to work said road.” No list.
Feb 1865
George Hancock appointed overseer. No list.
Feb 1866
Edward Seiders appointed overseer. No list.
1 Jul 1867
Petition of George Davis that “road leading from Austin to Georgetown via Krohns, Hancocks, Davis and Merrilltown be discontinued as a public road from the sign post 1 1/2 mile from Austin to a point on said road north of Robinson’s farm; and for the survey and opening of a road from the said sign post via McGary’s, Vanns, Spicewood Springs and Rogers, thence on to Merrilltown, intersection the old road at or near Walnut Creek.”
2 Jul 1867
Report of survey of Austin-Georgetown road via Fiskville, it is reported to be obstructed by Horacio Grooms fence and ordered it removed.
27 Jan 1873
$350 appropriated for repairs “of road running east from Lunatic Asylum, known as lower Georgetown Road.
6 Oct 1873
Petition of James Manis etc. to change the Austin to Georgetown Road (indexed as Upper) “to run as follows: Beginning at southeast corner of Burditt tract, now owned by James Manor, thence running N 30 degrees E with said Manor’s line, to the north east corner of the same, and thence to intercept the Austin-Georgetown road at the mouth of Rogers land.” Court appointed a commission to review: G.W. Davis, Salem Hancock, and A.B. Townsend. [Salem was a former slave of John Hancock and new landowner along the road.]
24 Nov 1873
Previous reviewers defaulted so new ones appointed: Giles H. Burditt, A.B. Townsend, E. Zimmerman, E.W. Hollar, Robert Smith.
26 Jan 1874
Petition of James Manis dismissed.
27 Jan 1874
Application of A. Bledsoe, etc. to change the Upper Austin to Georgetown road “closing of the lane between A. Bledsoe and F. Tegener and the running of the Georgetown road through the street opened in front of the residence of said Bledsoe to the south end of said street, thence by the most direct route to the intersection of the Georgetown Road.”
31 Mar 1874
Court received the report and ordered the change as requested “that the road now open between the lot of A. Bledsoe and F. Tegener be closed and the street in front of A. Bledsoe house to the southeast corner of his plank fence be adopted as the county road and that the route of travel from thence to Austin be on the public streets as laid out on the original map of the City of Austin.”
16 Nov 1888
Petition to lay out public road of first class “beginning at a point in the northern city boundary line where an extension of Rio Grande street will intersect with the present road at or near the southwest corner of Peters St. Martins enclosure, thence following the present road to the northeast corner of Mr. Edward Seiders pasture, very nearly in front of the old George Hancock residence, thence crossing the present road in a northerly direction in a direct line abreast of and along with Lewis Hancock’s field fence and through his pasture to a point where said line will intersect with the present road.” Jury appointed to assess damages.
13 Feb 1889
Court heard report and ordered road as follows: “Beginning on south side of Tom Pitts house and nearly in front of it, from this point east, some 40 or 50 feet to a street running northwardly on east side of Pitts and Strayhorn’s premises to a street running east and west, thence west with said street one block to the corner at Pete St. Martin’s and main road, thence northwardly with main road and turning west along lunatic Asylum grounds to Seider’s corner, thence west one hundred yards farther to a road leading northwardly through Mr. Seiders property which he has liberally offered in a good 60 foot road to north line of Seiders’s land, opposite to Lewis Hancock’s where we cross the present traveled road, and through Mr. Hancock’s pasture making his field fence the east line of our road, a distance of 890 varas.” Damages awarded $500 to Lewis and Louisa Hancock for 3 4/10 acres taken for road.
Information about those who lived along the Upper Georgetown Road came from censuses as well as from the memories of descendants of earlier families.
In 1849 when the Moore-Hancock Farmstead was built, there were two other nearby houses well-known to Elizabeth and Martin Moore. Elizabeth’s father, Gideon White, had built a log house at Seiders Springs about 1839 near 34th and Shoal Creek where his family had lived until 1842 when they moved into town for safety. When Mexican troops invaded Texas forcing President Sam Houston to move the government further east, most Austin residents also left, and Comanches moved back into their former hunting grounds. The White family log house probably stood vacant until 1850 when Edward Seiders moved his family there. Edward had married Elizabeth Moore’s younger sister, Louisa. The move back to Louisa’s family home put the sisters within east walking distance of each other. Elizabeth was even closer to older sister, Cornelia, whose homestead included the rock building at 41st and Alice Avenue (now Medical Parkway). Cornelia and Enoch Johnson had begun making improvements on her inherited land in 1848. Farther out the Upper Georgetown Road but within 5 miles of the Moores were two other equally early settlers, the McKenzie and Davis families who built their houses about 1848. About 12 miles further out was Nelson Merrill who established his homestead in 1837.
In 1853, Judge John Hancock purchased over 500 acres bordering the Moores to the west. He built a log house and several slave houses located only a ten-minute walk from the Moore’s home becoming their closest neighbor.
A school census taken in 1854 divided Travis County into 19 districts. In district 12 were listed 18 families with 48 school-age children, including Martin Moore (school-age children Catherine and James). Most of these families lived along or near the old road which came to be called the Upper Georgetown Road and were probably within five miles of the Moore residence: James W. Riley (school-age children were Sarah, Mary, Phoebe, and John), Hall Medlin (Sarah, Isaac, Lewis, Napoleon, and Dignal), Luke Bott (Cora), Enoch S. Johnson (Roena, Amelia, Mary, and Martha), Edward Seiders (Edward), Ennis Bone (Thomas, Martha, Andrew, and Henry), A.W. Anderson (Lacerta, Arminta, and William), William Case (Caroline and Glover), Frances Harris (Joseph, Elizabeth, and David), Josiah Hudson (William, Green, and John), George W. Davis (Sarah, Richard, William, and Glen), Anne McKenzie (Martha, Lacy, Mary, Francis, and Amanda), John McGuire (Bertha and Edward), Asa McKenzie (Asa), and the Radcliff family (Malala, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Nathaniel). These families would have been acquainted with their pioneering neighbors, the Moore family.
Another source for knowing who lived on or near the Upper Georgetown Road is the list of people required by the Travis County Commissioners Court to work on the road. The Court had the power to appoint road overseers and to require those who lived along the road to contribute labor to maintain it. In 1853, the first year that residents along the Upper Georgetown Road were named, the following seven families lived between the northwest edge of the city (about 38th Street) and Walnut Creek (close to where Loop 1 merges with Burnet Road today): Lacy McKenzie, David McKenzie, William Allison, Martin Moore, William Robertson, William Saunders, and Enoch Johnson.
Two years later there were additional residents: George W. Davis, James Doxey, Mr. Renick, John Hancock, H. Upchurch, and George M. White. By 1860, the following twenty families (some landowners and some renters) were listed as living along the road: B.F. Gant, Ed Rogers, James Rogers, Asa McKenzie, Mrs. Anne McKenzie, Isaac Holman, J.M. and J.J.Pitts, Sloan, Mrs. Elizabeth Moore (Martin died in 1859), John Hancock, George Hancock, George Davis, James P. Neal, Bryce Dillingham, Edward Seiders, C. Krahn, Rudolph Bertram, William Hardeman, and James Doxey.
There were other people living along the road who were nameless in the documents. In the 1860 census are listed numbers of slaves and slave houses under the name of their owners. Of those families living along the road in the 1860 County Commissioners Court list, the following also had slaves and/or slave houses: Mrs. Elizabeth Moore had two slaves and no slave house noted; George Hancock had 6 slaves and 1 slave house; John Hancock had 21 slaves and 5 slave houses; James Rogers had 9 slaves and 3 slave houses; Mrs. Anne McKenzie had 5 slaves and 2 slave houses; George Davis had 1 slave and 1 slave house; James P. Neal had 12 slaves but no slave houses noted; Edward Seiders had 2 slaves and 1 slave house; William Hardeman had 4 slaves and 1 slave house; James Doxey had 3 slaves but no slave house listed; and the Holman had several slaves. In addition to the 20 white families along the road in 1860, there were at least 69 black people from infants to elderly.
The Civil War took many men from home; some families moved into town or in with relatives. The population along the road probably decreased during the 1860s but the Moores, Hancocks, Davises, and McKenzies continued to dominate the road. This is the road up which Moore’s son-in-law Ben Thompson raced in 1868 eluding his pursuers because of the timely aid of one of the Davis boys.
During the 1870s, Austin was booming and numerous houses were being built. By that time, however, the Moore tract had been incorporated into the vast Hancock farm. The extensive holdings of John Hancock (probably over 2000 acres in the area now known as Rosedale, Allandale, and neighborhoods west of Shoal Creek bordering them) housed several families, some of them freed slaves turned farm employees. Most of the tenant houses were around and north of Hancock’s original log house and mansion. After housing some of John Hancock’s emancipated slaves for a few years, the old Moore Farmstead became the headquarters for the Hancock Dairy.
Even though the bathhouse at Seiders Springs, the campgrounds at present Camp Mabry, the institution for colored deaf and dumb, and the Lunatic Asylum were well-known landmarks at the northwest edge of the city, the large actively-farmed Hancock holdings dominated the area just beyond the city limits from about 1870 to about 1900. By 1900, however, the Hancock Farm had been broken into numerous parcels and sold. It would be another 30 years before former farm and dairy land would be subdivided for residential development but many families already lived along the road by the early 1900s.
The word map of houses and people along the Upper Georgetown/Burnet Road from about 1900 to about 1930 has been drawn primarily from the memories of several remarkable people interviewed by Karen Sikes Collins in 1989-1991. Forrest Preece, born in 1910 in a house which used to stand at 4212 Alice Avenue, lived with wife Florence on Sinclair Avenue in a house he built in 1939 for the rest of his life. Forrest’s memory was phenomenal and he helped more than any other to reconstruct the history of the area near the Moore-Hancock Farmstead. Preece older brother, Rudolph, and wife Ruby Scott, also remembered people and places in wonderful detail. Ed Brown, whose family lived first in the Ramsey field house and later in the Enoch Johnson rock house, was born in 1909 and as a boy roamed the area hunting and fishing. He recalled families along Burnet Road especially those with children. Richard Peterson, grandson of Carl A. Peterson who purchased land here in 1902, was born in 1916. He worked in the Peterson store as a boy for his two uncles and remembered customers and suppliers (like McGuire Dairy milk, Wallis family eggs, and Hubbard firewood), many of whom were neighbors. Mrs. Myrtle Seiders Cuthbertson, born in 1894, provided information on the Seiders and Fiset properties, the Lunatic Asylum, and many neighboring families in the area of 38th and 39th streets. Neighbor Merle George Gleckler, born in 1897, also contributed to the map. For the area of Burnet Road from 49th north, Helen Bratton added information about the Stulkens and neighbors. Benjamin Sweet, born in 1894, lived in several log houses on the old Hancock farm headquarters. For the area between 49th Street and Highway 183, Roy Davis provided hand-drawn maps. Born in 1899 on the G.W. Davis headright land which included the old quarry which supplied limestone for the 1853 Capitol building, his memory was awesome for houses, people, and dates.
From present-day 34th Street to Anderson Lane (Spicewood Springs Road) is about 3 1/2 miles. Numerous families called that stretch of road “home” in the early 1900s. On 34th Street and Shoal Creek, southeast corner, was the Warren Freund home probably built before 1900. East along the north side of 34th was the Potter grocery store. The Potter home was on the bluff about 38th and Tonkawa. Two elderly Potter spinsters lived in the old home place alone except for caring for a nephew, Vance. Along the bluff between 34th and 38th on the east side of Shoal Creek was the frame house belonging to the Seiders family. Edward Seiders built the house about 1870 along the bluff but later moved it north of 38th Street. Near the springs under the bluff was a grove of large old oak trees where the Gideon White log house had been located. Up until 1870, Edward and his family lived in that log house which stood on the west side of the creek just across from the spring.
Wabash Street ran up the hill from 34th to 38th where it jogged west. The Korn family (with sons August, Bill, and George) lived on Wabash about 37th Street with a daughter and her husband, Will Bartlett, next door. Mrs. Hill lived nearby and old man Tom Crawford kept a stud bull on his place near 37th and Wabash.
At the southwest corner of 38th Street and Alice Avenue (where Wabash jogged to connect with Alice Avenue) was a house belonging to a mulatto woman, Bella Green, and her husband, Felix, and his daughter, Ora. Bella Green, earlier living on the Hancock Farm, was given this land by a former employer with the stipulation that it could never be sold out of her family. Felix was a hardworking farmer using a mule team to plow. Bella took in washing. Also at this intersection was Payne’s blacksmith shop, grocery store, and home. Mr. Mayton and his two nephews, Monroe and George, later also operated a grocery store there.
Next to the Edward Seiders house in its location north of 38th was the smaller frame house built by Arthur Seiders in 1891. Between these frame houses and the creek and a little to the north was the Seiders strawberry patch. The Seiders land was bounded on the north by Preston’s pasture full of mustang grape vines and trees with moss which was used for Christmas wreaths.
On 39th Street was the Bob Lawson house which became the home of their cousins, the Leonard George family, about 1895. Leonard Fred and Cassie Wood George had two sets of twin boys and one daughter. Fred George worked with streetcars keeping the tracks greased. After work, he road the street car to the end of the track at 29th Street, bought a nickel block of ice from an ice-making company, and carried the ice ten blocks home on his shoulders. Mrs. George, who was widowed early, was from an educated family and could do many remarkable things even though she had an arm seriously weakened by infantile paralysis. She, herself, built two rooms on to the north side of her house. That house, with an old well on the front porch, sat at the corner of 39th and Bailey Lane.
To the east a few hundred yards away were the Lunatic Asylum grounds (now Austin State Hospital). The first building was started in 1857, but by 1900 there were numerous buildings. In addition to the main building and barn, there were superintendent’s residence, laundry, library, sewing room and tailor shop, ice factory and cold storage plant, dairy room, dining hall, kitchen, chapel, infirmary, bowling alley, carpenter’s shop, and several dormitories. There was also an artesian well and several lovely “lakes” landscaped by Arthur Seiders in the 1890s making use of a swampy unusable area in the southeast corner of the grounds. Many men and women who lived along Alice Avenue and in the area worked at the hospital.
On the corner of 39th and Alice Avenue (now Medical Parkway) was the home of the Kohn family, well-known for their bakery goods. A German immigrant, Kohn arrived in Austin believing he had a job in a large hotel. In fact, he had agreed to become the baker for the Lunatic Asylum. Later he worked for the Driskill Hotel and had his own bakery. Somewhere near the intersection of 39th and Alice it was rumored there was a mother with two grown daughters who were prostitutes.
Between 38th and 39th streets along the west side of Alice Avenue were the three houses belonging to the Seiders family. And next to them was the Marion “Peck” Pearson home. Pat Davis lived in one house and Widow Jones in the other. Mrs. Jones refused to touch money with her bare hands, using folded newspaper when paying or receiving money. Also in this block was the Roy Love home on the corner of 39 1/2 Street. Between that street and 40th street was a home built by James Shannon Preece for the Costley family after the Costleys sold their store and house to the Petersons. Across the street was the A.L. Nelson home. At 40th Street, on the southwest corner was the grocery store operated by Harrison and later by Solon Costley though the name on the store building remained “Harrison.” Just behind the store was a house built by Costley which later was bought by Arley Peterson and turned ninety degrees to face 40th Street. This house still existed in 2025. Across 40th Street to the north was the Peterson store and beside it the Carl Peterson family home place built by sons Will and Arley. Behind their store were the brick homes of grandchildren Mildred and Richard. Almost behind the Peterson store lived the North family, and nearby the Yett family.
The area west of Alice Avenue behind the houses all the way to Shoal Creek was mostly field or pasture. An exception was a home built by Eugene McGuire before 1925 on west 40th Street. His parents’ dairy, with house and barn, started about 1910, was a little north of 40th Street along the future Sinclair Avenue.
Next to the Carl Peterson home on Alice Avenue were the Harmon, Dickson, and Eddington families. Across Alice Avenue was a small triangle of land purchased by the Petersons to prevent competitors from using it. Mr. Elam, the vegetable peddler, lived nearby, and to the north was the Raven family. A little farther north was the rock house built by Cornelia (Elizabeth Moore’s sister) and Enoch Johnson about 1848 and later bought by George Hancock and used as a smokehouse. After 1900, this rock house would be home to widow Doris Scott and three children, the Bill Walker family, and then to the Ed Brown family after 1915. In 2025 it still stands at 4115 Medical Parkway.
On the west side of Alice Avenue just past the Eddington home were the Durbin home and several rent houses belonging to Viney Hayes. Next was the J.S. Preece house with neighbors Stanford and Corbin. The area later to be Ramsey Park was sold to Frank T. Ramsey about 1905 by the Peterson family. The Ramsey Nursery was located on the north side of 45th just past the Blind School, but its large orchard ran from about 40th to 45th streets nearly to Shoal Creek. In the future Ramsey Park area was a nursery field house which became home to the Brown family who took care of the orchard. After 1915, the Thorp family lived here. The field house was later moved to the northwest corner of 40th and Rosedale and enclosed in another house. The orchard grew fruit and walnut trees and berry vines. Chinaberry trees grew in two long rows from 42nd to 40th streets along what became Burnet Road, and birds frequently got drunk on the fermented berries. On the east side of Alice Avenue between 43rd and 44th were almond trees. About 1900, Ramsey Nursery was asked by the U.S. Government to try to grow and find uses for the Chinese jujube tree. The fruit tasted like apples and dates.
Just before Alice Avenue merged with the Upper Georgetown Road at 45th Street was the home of Josephine and Nathan Hansborough, a black family with an afflicted son, Sonny. Later the Havens family lived there. On the west side was the Seth grocery. Mr. Krebs lived on the southeast corner of 45th and Alice Avenue and taught broom-making at the Blind School after 1917. Behind his house was a small building used for a broom factory. The Krebs house was later moved to the southeast corner of Shoal Creek Boulevard and 41st. On the northwest corner of 45th and Burnet Road was a scooped-out earthen water tank built by Ramsey Nursery.
The city limits was 45th Street for many years. On the east side of Burnet Road north side of 45th Street the Blind School was built in 1915-1917. Behind the school about 47th-49th streets were three or four small tenant houses owned and lived in by black families, one named Levi Jones, married to a descendant of John Hancock’s slave Rubin. Across Burnet Road on the west side was land purchased by Franz Fiset from the John Hancock estate and in 1902 bought by the Wallises who operated a dairy on their 67 acres and who lived in the old Moore log house.
From the hilltop intersection of Burnet Road and 49th Street, the future Koenig Lane (2222) a mile north could be seen. To the west down 49th Street on Shoal Creek was a concrete dam built about 1899 by Arthur Seiders for Franz Fiset. At Burnet and 49th, on the northeast side in the triangle formed by Woodrow Avenue, stood a large two-story house built by the Stulken family about 1917. On the west side of Burnet Road, only a few hundred yards from the old Moore log house and outbuildings stood a one-room log house facing east, with a leanto room on the north and a rock chimney on the south end (about where the fire station now stands on Hancock Drive). Farther north ran Hancock Branch, which drained into Shoal Creek at about 49th (much of the branch today is under the pavement of the North Loop Shopping Center).
On the north side of North Loop stood John Hancock’s large home built in 1870-71. Purchased and used as a residence by Franz Fiset, it later was converted to the Cloud Sanitarium, and then still later it housed the Brown School until the 1960s when it was torn down. A two-room log house sat just northeast of the John Hancock residence, about Burnet Road and Lawnmont Avenue, probably one of five former slave quarters. This log house was rented about 1926 by Mrs. Doris Scott, who cooked for the Cloud Sanitarium, and at another time by Ellen and John Robinson.
Ed Potter (of the Potter family along the bluff about 38th Street) who managed Fiset’s property, lived with his family in one of the houses on the former John Hancock farm. The Arthur Seiders family spent one year (1899-1900) in a four-room frame house near the Hancock residence while Seiders worked for Fiset building the dam on Shoal Creek.
On the east side of Burnet Road along Hancock Branch was an old stone house believed to have been built by the Walling family. To the west on Shoal Creek was a log house and gin built before the Civil War. Past Shoal Creek ran a large north-south scar on the land which was part of the Balcones Fault. Just beyond against the foot hills was the International and Great Northern Railroad built in the 1870s and the old Hamilton Valley Road, also called Burnet Road because it ran to the town of Burnet.
In the area of Rosedale, Allandale, and the neighborhoods across Shoal Creek were several dairies about the turn of the century. West of Shoal Creek were Thiele, Jung, and Chippero. In Rosedale were McGuire and Wallis in the area once known as the Hancock Dairy. In Allandale were the Vann, Oertli, and Ladell dairies. A.H.Ladell, originally from Canada, operated the Elm Grove Dairy for several years before selling. The advertisement offering his place for sale gave a good picture of a typical dairy. Seventy acres in sorghum, hay, and corn supported 25 milking cows with 40 more yearlings and two-year-olds. The dairy had three houses: a frame house with eight rooms and a semi-detached stone dairy house plus two box houses for hands. There were also large barns, outhouses, a deep well with windmill, and a large bricked cistern at the main house. Beside cattle, the dairy had hogs, three horses and a mule to pull two wagons, a delivery hack, and a carriage. Ladell had 60 acres along the Upper Georgetown/Burnet Road, west side, and another 340 acres about 1/2 mile distant for pasturage and wood. By the 1920s, the Hejl family built their large home at what is now Shoalmont and Woodview.
On the corner of Burnet Road and Northland, Mr. Sunday had a grocery store and filling station. Just north of Koenig and Burnet Road on the east side was the Esperanza School on land donated by George Walling. The Davis and Ladell families were instrumental. In starting that school.
On the corner of Burnet Road and Northland, Mr. Sunday had a grocery store and filling station. Just north of Koenig and Burnet Road on the east side was the Esperanza School on land donated by George Walling. The Davis and Ladell families were instrumental. In starting that school.
Farther north on the west side was George W. Davis land. The Davis family built several houses on their land beginning in the late 1840s. There was a log house and corn crib to serve a frame house built by one of the Davis descendants just south of the Davis cemetery (near Vine and Twin Oaks). A little further north and west (on Pegram) was the grand frame house believed to have been built in 1848 by G.W. Davis. Serving this house was a two-story log barn and another log barn with log corral. On Davis land was a quarry which supplied the limestone for the 1853 Capitol building.
Beyond the Davis land was a 300-acre tract known as the Travis County Poor Farm. A tree-lined lane led to a compound of a superintendent’s house with attached storeroom, washroom, and dining room; twelve cottages; a guarded house for prisoners; and a large barn.
On the east side of Burnet Road was land owned by the Johnson family but there was also a house built by Charlie Taylor and farther north an old house belonging to the H.M. Metz family. The Lacy McKenzie family owned the Spicewood Springs and had a house somewhere along the east-west road to the springs as early as 1848. From this intersection of Spicewood Springs (Anderson Road) and Burnet Road, the road rose slightly passing the Charles Anderson land and dairy, the Sam Robinson place with log house, and the Andrew Payton gin on the northwest corner of Payton Gin Road and Burnet Road ( now Highway 183).
Beginning as early as 1890, attempts had been made to subdivide and develop residential areas on former farm or dairy or nursery land bordering the Upper Georgetown Road. The only one of any size (200 lots) was Alta Vista in 1918 on land formerly owned by Ramsey Nursery. But after second generation owner of Ramsey Nursery, Frank T. Ramsey, died, his three daughters inherited nursery land in Rosedale and began platting subdivisions. Their subdivisions eventually ran from 40th Street to 49th, Burnet Road west almost to Shoal Creek. Following World War II, in 1946, Allandale was developed followed immediately by Crestview on the east side of Burnet Road. Because of a court ruling in 1926, subdivision developers were allowed to ban certain groups of people from owning land in their subdivisions. The once racially varied residential area along Upper Georgetown/Burnet Road changed to white only areas until the Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlawed discrimination in housing.
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