The late 1880s also served as another boom period in Austin. The area’s settler population, originally comprised of immigrants from Germany, Sweden and Mexico, quickly grew. Austin became a college town, with the founding of the University of Texas at Austin.
Austin’s population historically doubles every 20 years. Much of the city's most recent growth is a result of a technology boom. For the past two decades, Austin has made history as a leader in both technology and creativity. From the launch of Dell, a Fortune 500 company, to the growth of Austin as a music and film center, Austin is on the move. We are gaining attention worldwide as a hub for education, business, health, green living and as a welcoming community.
History
In 1823 Stephen F. Austin received a grant from the Mexican government and began colonization in the region of the Brazos River. Then in 1832, the Battle of Velasco resulted in the first casualties in Texas' relations with Mexico. American and European immigrants began arriving in the area and joined by Hispanic Tejanos they revolted against Mexico in 1836. After a decade as an independent country, Texas joined the Union (the United States) in 1845.
Our story as Texas capital began in the mid 1800s. The time brought tremendous growth to the tiny settlement formerly known as Waterloo. The 1850s saw the first building boom with the construction of the first permanent, limestone Capitol building (1853), as well as the Governor’s Mansion. A second building boom occurred in the 1870s with the arrival of the railroad in 1871.
