I love autumn in Austin.

This week, I took a stroll around Mill Pond and was marveling at the sight of the power plant towering above the rest of the landscape. It reminded me of an article I had read back at my previous job detailing how the grounds of the downtown power plant were a park, known as Central Park.

How wise our city leaders were to highlight and beautify the land around the power plant. The site is central in Austin in so many ways — central to our history, our geographical center and one of the central visions for the future of Austin. We are working on fully leveraging that central site; to use it for the maximum community benefit. Knowing about the site’s history, and the history of community, may enhance and improve the outcome.

So, here’s a little information about Central Park from the Austin Weekly Herald, circa 1905:

 

“OUR CITY PARKS

Lots of Work Being Done to Make them Beautiful

Our Park board is doing some splendid work this year on our parks and no other city the size of Austin will be able to boast of more beautiful outing places for the people.

Central or the Water Works park as most people call it, is being greatly improved under the supervision of Anton Fredrick, the most able man we have in the art of landscape gardening. When he was on the Pacific coast he watched out for places where the art of man had improved over nature’s handwork. In California he saw a little stone bridge and when he got home he set to work to reproduce it. William Williams, our expert in cement work was given the contract and the beautiful stone arch, with its cobble stone approaches was the result. This was great addition to the park. Under the old system the walks were higher than the lawn. Mr. Fredrick has cut the roadways and walks down. The land about the station has been graded and hundreds of trees set out. As soon as the city puts the top course of stone along the north side of Water street, near the park, a flight of steps will be put in there. Some very important changes are anticipated about the power house that it is hoped will be carried out this year.

At Lafayette Park a force of men have been at work laying out athletic grounds where baseball, football and tenis [sic] may be played. A pavilion will be for the use of the people. The driveway along the river will be put in shape this season. At this park also hundreds of shade tress have been set. A pipe line will be put in to connect the Beatty spring with the park west of the street. This will be good news to the hundreds who visit the lower park each year.

The park board also hopes to be able to get around to do a little work on the so called Padden Peninsular at the head of Main street this year. A little grading there will be sufficient until the city can afford to appropriate more money for its park system.”