Staff Recommend
Your local librarians share their interests, what they’re reading and create recommendation lists. Or let our expert Librarians find your next great read with our Book Recommendation Form.
Recent Staff Booklists | Awards | Indie Bestsellers (USA) | New York Times Bestsellers | New Titles | Book Clubs
Austin History Quiz Answer 1
City of Austin, the New Capital of Texas in January 1, 1840, PICA 01081 detail
Austin History Quiz Answer 1
When was Austin founded?
The site of Waterloo was purchased for the capital of the Republic of Texas in March 1839 and renamed in honor of Stephen F. Austin. On August 1, 1839, the first city lots were sold at auction. The city was officially incorporated on December 27, 1839.
The capital of Texas was named in honor of Stephen F. Austin at the site of the small community that was formerly known as Waterloo. By 1840 the city's population grew to 856, but in 1842 the President of Texas, Sam Houston, moved the seat of government to Houston and then to Washington-on-the-Brazos, which was the capital of Texas until 1845. During this time Austin's population had dropped below 200. In 1845 Texas was annexed into the United States and on February 19, 1846, Austin formally became the state's capital.
Question Two
Where did the name "Waterloo" come from? Why was Austin called Waterloo?
Return to the Austin History Quiz.
Austin History Quiz Answer 2
[Waterloo Park Sign], circa 1970s, PICA 10690 detail
Austin History Quiz Answer 2
Where did the name "Waterloo" come from? Why was Austin called Waterloo?
Waterloo was the name of the very small community that existed near the confluence of the Colorado River and today's Shoal Creek before Austin was founded. It has been suggested that the name derives from the battle where Napoleon was defeated by the English, but there is no evidence to substantiate this.
Question 3
What's the origin of the term "City of the Violet Crown" referring to Austin? Did it really originate with O. Henry?
Return to the Austin History Quiz.
Austin History Quiz Answer 3
Austin History Quiz Answer 3
What's the origin of the term "City of the Violet Crown" referring to Austin? Did it really originate with O. Henry?
The earliest mention of the term "The City of the Violet Crown" that the Austin History Center has found is from an article published in the Austin Daily Statesman on Friday July 3, 1891. An article titled "The City of the Violet Crown" describes growth in the city including a new dam under construction and the addition of new railway lines among other changes to the city.
Another article,"The Best of News," from the Austin Daily Statesman on Wednesday, August 8, 1894 begins: "May 5,1890, was a memorable day in Austin. It was memorable for the reason that on that day the citizens of the City of the Violet Crown voted to build a granite dam across the Colorado River ..."
For a long time, it was believed that the first published use of the phrase is found in O. Henry's short story "Tictocq" in the Rolling Stones collection of O. Henry short stories. It was originally published in his local newspaper The Rolling Stone on October 27, 1894. The phrase is used in Chapter Two: "The drawing-rooms of one of the most magnificent private residences in Austin are a blaze of lights. Carriages line the streets in front, and from gate to doorway is spread a velvet carpet, on which the delicate feet of the guests may tread. The occasion is the entre into society of one of the fairest buds in the City of the Violet Crown."
Question 4
What are the Moonlight Towers?
Return to the Austin History Quiz.
Austin History Quiz Answer 4
[Men Working on Moontower], circa 1930s, C02045 detail, Chalberg Collection of Prints and Negatives
Austin History Quiz Answer 4
What are the moonlight towers?
They are the 165-foot-tall towers that support outdoor lighting for parts of Austin. Thirty-one of these metal giants were erected in 1895 using electricity from Austin's first power plant on the Colorado River. The towers first used carbon arc lamps that were lit nightly by a worker who got to the top in an elevator that runs up the center of the framework. These were replaced in the 1920s by incandescent lamps and then by mercury vapor lamps in 1936. There are 17 towers in use today. A replica of a moonlight tower serves as the center post for the Zilker Park "Christmas Tree" of lights each year. There have been many myths about these towers, but:
- they were never placed in the shape of a star
- they did not cause farmers' crops to grow 24 hours a day
- they did not confuse chickens and cause them to lay eggs 24 hours a day
Photo: C02049, Chalberg Collection of Prints and Negatives
View a map of Moonlight Tower Locations.
Question 5
What Native American tribe was most common in the area?
Return to the Austin History Quiz.
Austin History Quiz Answer 5
Austin History Quiz Answer 5
What Native American tribe was most common in the area?
The Tonkawa Indians were the most common in this area around the time of Austin's founding. The Comanches and Lipan Apaches also frequently ranged into the vicinity. All the tribes were nomadic, moving their camps frequently to follow the available food supply.
Photo: C10826, Ida and Tonkawa Indian Named Johnson, undated
Question 6
When were the names of the east-west streets downtown changed from the names of trees to numbers?
Return to the Austin History Quiz.