15 Historical Postcards from the 1900s of Austin with water! [PICTURES]
According to the LCRA (AKA Lower Colorado River Authority AKA the folks that control our water), we have had the driest ten months in recorded history. To top it off, we’ve also had a record-breaking 25-day stretch of consecutive triple-digit days. And if you’ve left your air conditioned haven at all, you can see the impact: brown lawns, brush fires on MOPAC, record attendance at Barton Springs, and a lake that looks more like a desert than a boater’s paradise. Man, it’s gotten so bad that I’ve been dreaming of rainstorms.
We will not let the drought win. To help beat the heat, let’s go back to times in history when our fair city had water. Check out these historical postcards of Austin with water and imagine swimming, boating or any other preferred activity involving the refreshing clear stuff.
15 Historical Postcards of Austin with Water
[To view the back of the card, including message if there is one, click on the image]
Check these hepcats going on a hike!
On a Sunday outing by a stream near Austin (Postcard from Austinpostcard.com)
This one is crazy! Loving the Victorian Clothes. Wonder if the Zilker Neighborhood Association would protest if they started playing lutes. :-/
Barton Springs, near Austin, TX (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
A cow in Shoal Creek!! Now it’s just hobos and used syringes.
Shoal Creek near Austin Texas - ca. 1900s (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Future home of Shoal Creek Saloon.
Shoal Creek near Austin, Texas - postmarked
Deep Eddy when it was the actual bend in the river
Colorado River, Austin, Texas (Deep Eddy) - postmarked 1912 (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Bathing Beach at Deep Eddy, postmarked 1917 (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
And apparently, Deep Eddy once had a kick-a slide!
Deep Eddy Swimming Pool and Bathing Beach, Austin, Texas - circa 1915-1925 (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Barton Springs Bathing Resort, Austin, TX - postmarked 1930 (postcard from Austinpostcard.com)
Barton, Springs, Austin, Texas - 1939 (Postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Is this where Hula Hut is now? Or is it the other end?
Colorado River above Lake Austin Dam, Austin, Texas - postmarked 1920 (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Was Hamilton Pool once called Dead Man Hole?
Dead Man Hole, Austin, Texas (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Beautiful Lake Travis at Mansfield Damn - postmarked 1969 (postcard from AustinPostCard.com)
This makes me so sad. Look at all that water!!
Beautiful Lake Travis (marina) - ca 1960-1970 (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Dang, it actually looks like a River! What time period was this?
The Colorado River flows through Austin, Texas (postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Town Lake - Fisherman's Paradise (Postcard from AustinPostcard.com)
Explore a huge set of historial postcards and more at AustinPostcard.com!
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According to Wikipedia Town Lake wasn’t a lake until 1960. So that picture’s probably the late 1950s?
Thank you for sharing these, dear. Having been born and raised in Austin,
it’s hard for me to watch these changes (both natural and man-made) occurring in the town I love so much. I’m wishing hard that we’ll get some rain, and be returned to the green and lush place we call home!
One day we will use these as proof to our children that this “water” we tell stories of was actually real!
Hahaha. Adrienne, that’s exactly what I was thinking when I was looking at the postcards. Almost like “Whoa! There used to be a creek that big?”
The Dead Man’s Hole from that postcard is in the Dripping Springs area, apparently Lance Armstrong owned some of the land around it at one point–I guess that’s the property where he the aquifer run-off issues?
Interestingly, there’s also a Dead Man’s Hole at Inks Lake, but that is not a swimming hole, rather a sinkhole where a lot of bodies were buried in the 1800s. The swimming hole at Inks Lake is Devil’s Hole which is not much more friendly sounding.
Dead Man’s Hole in DS is only available to something like 17 families owning adjacent properties off MacGregor Rd., hence Armstrong’s access and influence as his property was there. It’s what’s called a “blue hole.” Very deep. Not all that many blue holes on the planet, actually.