HIDDEN AUSTIN. NOT PUBLISHED but written late 2003.
Throughout the metro area, there are landmarks most everyone can identify, from malls to parks, from hills to lakes from skyscrapers to houses. But underneath it all, both figuratively and literally, there is Hidden Austin. The hills under St. Edward’s University and Travis High School hide extinct volcanoes. A creek in South Austin and an established neighborhood in North Austin hid the remains of mosasaur and a plesiosaur, both swiming dinasours from the Cretaceaus period. The remains of “Leann”, an Ice Age woman who died some 9,500 years ago, were hidden in next to FM 1431 in Williamson County. But newer spots and people exist in the community below most people’s line of sight. But the stories can be just as interesting.
Central Texas Wing of the Commemorative Airforce
The Commemorative (formerly Confederate) Airforce, based in Midland, Texas was founded to keep the warbirds of World Wars I and II still flying, or at least still in existence. Since 1974, the Central Texas wing of the Airforce is located at San Marcos Municipal Airport and is part of that mission. In a World War II hangar at the airport the Airforce includes the world’s only flying Bell P39Q “Aircobra.” Also included are the P 30 “Warhawk” and the largest, the B 25 bomber dubbed “The Yellow Rose” with the nose art of a scantily clad blond in a hat and cowboy boots on the nose. (She was wearing less until a wife complained. ) Other vintage warbirds include a jet from the Korean War and three A6 “Texans” on display. Two of the A6’s have been modified into Japanese “Zeros” and used in the movies “Tora Tora Tora” and “Pearl Harbor.” A museum is also dedicated to the era and especially James Doolittle’s Raiders, who flew the first bombing raids over Japan. Hank Potter, Dolittle’s navigator, was a resident of San Marcos and the Dolittle room is named in his honor. A library and gift shop is also included for aviation enthusiasts.
The airport itself is part of World War II History. Shortly after the US was thrown into the conflict, the airport was built to train pilots who in an instant went from farms and factories to the skies of Europe and the Pacific. An old abandoned control tower still looks over the airport. The hanger where the planes are located is vintage W.W.II as well.
The weekend before Veteran’s Day, “The Gathering of Memories Air show and Swing Dance” is held in the hangar as big band music provides a soundtrack for an era when the US and its allies joined forces to fight two military powers. On the other days the sounds of planes taking off and landing are just as fitting a soundtrack. (Location at San Marcos Airport, the last hangar on the service road)
Bright Leaf State Natural Area
There are one hundred twenty State Parks and State Historic Sites in Texas. Only eight of these have been designated “State Natural Areas” by the Texas Parks and Wildlife department. To visit one, drive out to the outskirts of Fredricksburg, Spring Branch, Vanderpool or just stay in Austin. It’s about a mile from the city bus line.
The two hundred sixteen acres of nature lie in the Texas Hill Country just north of Mount Bonnell. Georgia Lucas started purchased plots of land in the area of her home from 1946 to 1966. She saw development near her “country” home was on the horizon, so she wanted to keep her Hill Country solitude. Lucas had no children but did have forty cats. When Lucas died in 1994, she deeded the land to the state for use as a state natural area. The deed stated, according to park docent Ann Syptak, there were to be no dogs allowed, nor bikes or picnicking and all hikes were to be guided hikes with a trained guide leading the walk. If the state does not meet the terms and conditions, the land will be donated to someone who will meet them, Syptak said.
This is one of the reasons the park remains a seldom visited spot. Unlike other state natural areas like Enchanted Rock and Lost Maples, a person can not just go over there and hike at all hours. “It’s an age old conflict,” Docent Michael Mcclendon said to a Sunday morning hike, “I’m sure she wanted people to enjoy, but too many people destroy it,” he said. Since there is no visitor’s center, the docents are available by appointment and on every other Sunday at 9 am. But visitors can get an opportunity to see hills, fossils and a creek. It is a forest of ashe juniper and oaks. Wildlife includes deer and coyote. The view from some hills along with the hum of traffic from Mopac and FM 2222, reminds the visitor he or she is in the middle of a major metro area, but in other spots it feels more like the country that attracted Lucas to the area. (Location: take Bull Creek to near Mesa. Head South on Creek Mountain. there are no signs saying Bright Leaf, but a couple of small official looking signs saying it is a state park. )
New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church
It is elegant and unique and simple all at the same time. Perhaps that its appeal. Photographers love it and some of the congregation has been coming Sunday mornings for generations. It is even visible in the Nanci Griffith music video “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness.”
The area adds to the church’s beauty. It would not be the same in Central Austin. Out on the rolling farmland of Eastern Travis County North of Manor it spires up from the country known as “the World’s Breadbasket.” A few farm houses, some occupied and maintained, some abandoned and fields of corn and wheat make this area pure Americana. And the story of the area is pure Americana too.
Swedes began moving into the area in the 1870’s. Like many immigrant communities before and since they came to the US because things were not going well at home. The first church was built in 1874 at FM 973 where the New Sweden Cemetery is located. The current church was built about a mile east in 1922. In 1930 Clarence Blomberg was born. When his ancestor’s farm in Sweden were not making ends meet “they had to bail out and paddle there boats somewhere else,” he said. This morning he was putting flowers on the grave of his Grandparents born in Sweden and who moved to the area in the early 1880’s. Blomberg is in the congregation of New Sweden and still farms in the area. He said he can still vaguely remember services at the church is Swedish. (Location: On New Sweden Road, a mile east of FM 973, five miles north of Manor)
The Rock Walls
A mysterious network of rock walls zig zags, bends, circles and occasionally even travels in a straight line. But no one is sure when they were put there. Well, maybe a few of the big live oaks nearby, but they aren’t talking.
On the Barton Creek Greenbelt west of Mopac is the first wall. It heads northwest for about 1/10th a mile down a hill towards a creek. Further down the trail at about a quarter mile down the trail, is the much larger network of walls.
Some historians believe this is the mission that moved from East Texas in 1730 then relocated to San Antonio later that year. A historic marker was erected at Barton Springs, but no permanent structures were ever found. Speculation was it was the foundation for what would be an established mission similar to what is now on the Mission trail National Park in San Antonio, or perhaps they were used for small livestock.
Other historians believe the walls were built by the Cox family who owned the land from 1873 to 1887. At the western wall pieces of scrap metal from the twentieth century were visible on the ground and artifacts from indigenous tribes have been found in the area.
(When visiting, the easternmost wall is 3/4th of a mile west from the Mopac trailhead on top of a hill. Nearby some transient camps appeared to be occupied. The larger network of walls can be seen from the trail in a forested area one mile from the trailhead. A small rock carin shows a small trail that leads about 200 feet to the walls.)
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Museum
Under much fanfare, The Story of Texas Museum opened San Jacinto Day 2001 and last year almost 713,000 people went through the doors to see history and or the Imax Theater. But during that same period another museum for Texophiles welcomed 1,400 guests- that is fewer people than in a typical day at The Story of Texas. But aside from being the area’s oldest museum, it is a must for any list of hidden Austin
Since 1891, The Daughters of the Republic of Texas has operated a museum to show off the state and its history. First the Capitol held their collection, then at the current Capitol Visitor’s Center and in 1992 the latest incarnation -in a former branch bank on Research just west of I 35- opened with paintings, artifacts, weapons give a view of Texas from before 1900. There are several exhibits such is a hands on section for children with a covered wagon, “A Day in the Life of Your Great Grandmother,” and dioramas depicting scenes from Texas history. “Those are the only surviving dioramas from the Texas Centennial in 1936,” said Linda Ho, exhibit and education coordinator of the museum. (the museum is at 510 East Anderson. Admission is $2 for adults $1.50 for seniors and $1 for students, teachers and DRT members).
Ingrid Karklins
Even those up on Austin music may not be familiar with the name, but the Chicago native is one of the very few professional kokle players in the United States.
“It is the folk instrument of Latvia,” Karklins said. Anyone in Latvia could identify kokle (pronounced kok-leh). It is a small folk harp about half the size of a dulcimer that has been a staple of Latvian music for centuries. Karklins has played music for many years. In the late 1970’s she moved to Austin and played with an Irish band. Then in 1978, much to the pleasure of her Latvian-born parents, she took up the instrument. “You should connect with your cultural roots,” Karklins said. She has since released CD’s and played with the band Poi Dog Pondering, an eclectic local band who had a following in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s (the band has since relocated to Chicago).
Lately she has been concentrating on poetry. Native plants are one of her favorite subjects for her writing and performances now involve poetry readings rather than music. Her last public musical performance was at McKinney Falls State Park in 1998. Karklins says she plans to get back into music, hopefully in 2004. Her impetus was her mother. “Its especially for my mom. She is ailing and loves music,” she said.
(Like a lot of local musicians, Karklins lives in vintage home in the 78704 area of South Austin)