RUNNING WATER

We tend to take for granted the luxury of running water whenever we turn the tap on. It isn't always so.

Her dad put in the water line, and she said that the problem with it is that it’s old and doesn’t work anymore. She said that it was just a trickle, and now they couldn’t even get that.

Mr. Benoit of Westlake Hills Pump and Supply was kind enough to solve the mystery of how water was supplied to the cabin in the past. Certain properties fronting the lake are grandfathered to draw water from Lake Austin. River Hills Road is not served by City of Austin water, so unless the property is immediately adjacent to the lake, owners usually choose to drill a well. We are planning for our well location now.

EMMA LONG

Who is Emma Long? I had to know.

"To my knowledge she has always been completely honest, and honesty means frankness which can sometimes be painful, depending on where you are standing. But you always knew exactly where Councilwoman Long stood…and sometimes it was on your neck." Cactus Pryor, Austin American-Statesman, April 13, 1969.

It was 1948. A woman in Austin could vote, but she could not serve on a jury; she could not enter into a contract; she could not bring a suit in her own name. Despite this situation, in 1948 Emma Long became the first woman city council member throughout the state. She served on the council for over 16 years; during her 1967-1969 term she was Austin's first woman Mayor Pro Tem. Personal adversities did not thwart her desire to serve in public office: the first time she ran for council, her youngest son was 6 weeks old; when she filed for her race in 1963, she was confined to a wheelchair with a broken hip.

"I came storming in" said Emma Long on her birth during a Texas Panhandle snowstorm in 1912. "The doctor had to come out in a sled to deliver me." Storming she stayed as she set firsts for women in politics, introduced civil rights ordinances in Austin, and served as an advisor for the United Nations.

VIEW FROM THE DOCK

From what's left of the old dock, one can see the west facing cliffs of Emma Long Metropolitan Park. The park fronts the lake for one mile and is purported to have a beautiful sandy beach.

In 1933, the National Park Service prepared the initial plan for the City of Austin. The park was established in 1939 with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). On August 11, 1939, 50 CCC enlistees moved to Lake Austin area and began clearing a site to house 200 enlistees. The necessary wooden barracks were constructed and a well dug. Following the settlement of the permanent camp, the 200 CCC enlistees developed permanent improvements to the site such as a bathhouse and concession stand. These wooden structures later burned and were replaced by the stone buildings which stand today.

THE LAKE

Lake Austin was created in 1939 when the Tom Miller Dam was constructed on the Colorado River by the Lower Colorado River Authority. It winds its ways through the limestone hills west of Austin proper for 20.6 miles to the Mansfield Dam which formed Lake Travis. At its deepest point it is 75 feet. It is home to largemouth bass and, as legend goes, catfish as big as a man. Click map to enlarge. Map courtesy of USGS.

DOWN TO THE LAKE

She said that her sister worked very hard a few years ago to get the easement for the 2-3 families for lakefront access, so she was sure there wouldn’t be any problems with that. She rarely sees anyone over there anymore. All of the other families have grown kids.

VIEW OF THE LIMESTONE BLUFFS

The new house will sit at the top of the hill and overlook the historic cabin as well as the limestone bluffs of Emma Long Park across the river. The land rises approximately 35 feet in elevation from River Hills Road.

THE CABIN

She lived in the cabin when she was young, and said that her father built a lot of it. She said that it is much older than 1945. That’s the year they put in the bathroom. Before that, she said there was a privy up the hill. She thinks that the old house probably burned down at some point (prior to her lifetime) because she feels like the new house was built around the existing fireplace. She mentioned that there used to be stone masons up there, and she thinks they probably built it. She also said that the indoor and outdoor fireplaces share a common flue, so be sure to put a grate up to prevent critters from entering the house.