Big Austin

Administrative Division

As of 2013, the US Office of Management and Budget defines the metropolis as consisting of five counties - Bastrop , Caldwell , Hayes , Travis and Williamson .

By definition, the Capital Area Council of Governments , the Austin region, also includes Blanco , Burnet , Lee , Llano, and Fayette ^[2] .

Large Settlements

Cities with a population of 25,000 or more

In addition to Austin, the largest habitat cities with more than 25,000 inhabitants are Round Rock, Cedar Park, San Marcos, Georgetown, , and ^{[3] [4]} .

Cities with a population of 5,000 to 25,000

Prehistoric Age

The areas around Austin have been inhabited by humans since at least 9000 BC, and possibly much earlier. Available data indicate that people who lived in the region west of the current Williamson district during the late Pleistocene (Ice Age) period may be associated with Clovis people ^[5] . Archaeological excavations provide a wealth of evidence of human life during the archaic period, including the remains of garbage piles and stone awnings along the Brushy Creek Creek in Round Rock, the San Gabriel River in Georgetown and the Barton Springs spring in Austin.

The ancient history of Texas has been carefully studied for decades, both by professional archaeologists and amateurs. Basically, the study took place along rivers and streams in open areas, less often in caves and gorges ^[6] .

Indigenous people and the beginning of European colonization

The earliest known modern people who inhabited the area were the Tonkava Indians. They knew how to make weapons from flint and hunted for bison , periodically setting fire to the prairies to facilitate this task. In the 18th century, horses and, in some cases, firearms began to be used by the tonkawa. After the arrival of the European colonialists, the Tonkava were driven out of their lands, but other tribes, in particular the Comanches, continued raiding colonial settlements until the 1860s. In addition, small groups of Indians of the Kiowa, Yohuana, Tawakoni and Mayeye tribes lived in central Texas ^[7] .

When the first European colonizers appeared, the Tonkava Indians lived in the region, as well as the routes of Comanches and Lipans ^[8] . Spanish researchers traveled through the area for centuries, but the number of settlements created for a long time remained small ^[9] . In the middle of the 18th century, the Spaniards built San Javier missions on the banks of the San Gabriel River, where the western part of the Milam County is located, to facilitate the development of the territory ^[7] .

In 1804, on the site of the current Bastrop, the Spaniards built the fort of Puesta del Colorado ^[10] . In 1807, the de Neveu settlement, now called San Marcos ^[9], was built on the River. After Mexico declared independence , Stephen Austin issued grants to settlers on land in the Bastrop and Fayette counties. In the 1820s, the banks of the Colorado River were settled in the area of ​​the current city of La Grange ^[11] . In 1827, Bastrop was founded. After that, population growth in the region slowed down, mainly due to raids by the Indians ^[10] . However, an important trade route from Mexico to ( Louisiana ) El Camino Real de los Texas ( Spanish El Camino Real de los Tejas ) passed through these lands ^[12] . In the 1830s, the Mexican government issued additional grants to encourage the settlement of the region ^[9] . A number of forts were built east of the territory on which Austin is now located ^[13] .

In 1835, the Texas War of Independence began, and after the victory in it, the territory began to be populated even more actively, including Waterlu (present Austin) and Brushy Creek (present Round Rock) were created ^[7] . In 1839, a commission created by Texas President Mirabeau Lamar selected the territory of Waterloo for the construction of a new capital and its name is Austin ^[14] . A series of clashes with the Comanches in 1840, known as the fight at the Council House and the battle at the Plum Creek Creek, finally forced the Comanches to the west, practically stopping their raids on the territory of central Texas ^[15] . This fact contributed to the rapid settlement of the area. Travis County was created in 1840, and the remaining districts of the region were formed within 20 years ^[13] .

In 1861, with the outbreak of the Civil War, voters in Austin, Bastrop, and other areas of central Texas voted against the separation ^{[10] [16]} . Nevertheless, during the war, fearing attacks by the Union army, hundreds of people from central Texas joined the Confederate army . After the end of the war and the liberation of slaves in Texas, the African American population began to grow rapidly. Around Austin, African-American communities such as Whitville, Pleasant Hill, and Clarksville appeared ^[16] . The post-war period was characterized by the growth of the population and economy in the region. Bastrop has become an important center for the production of iron, coal and textiles ^[10] . One of the main roads for cattle driving, the Chisholm-Trail, passed through the region ^[17] . The opening of the railway between Houston and central Texas turned Austin into a major trade and economic center of the region, but a little later most of the trading functions were transferred to Round Rock and other suburbs ^[16] . The Coronal Institute was established in San Marcos in 1868, and the University of Texas opened in Georgetown in 1873, later renamed , which combined the five previously established colleges ^{[18] [19]} . The Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas were built in Austin in the 1880s, and a number of other educational institutions appeared in the region ^[16] . Cattle and cotton were the main sources of income in central Texas ^[20] . By the end of the 19th century, Austin had grown more than three times in comparison with the original borders, in order to provide electricity to a new tram system and municipal water supply, an Austin dam was built ^[16] .

XX century

brought significant growth opportunities to the southeastern and northern parts of the state. The growth of the economy and population in these areas lowered Austin from 4 to 10 in the list of the most populated cities in Texas ^[16] . On the other hand, Bastrop has become an important center for oil and coal production in the early to mid-20th century ^[10] . San Marcos and a number of other areas significantly increased and diversified production during the world wars ^[20] .

In the 1920s – 1930s, Austin launched a series of civil development and urban improvement projects that helped create most of the city’s modern infrastructure and parks. The Texas Government created the Lower Colorado Management Company, which, in collaboration with Austin authorities, built a system of dams on the Colorado River, thus forming a chain of lakes. In many ways, this activity was made possible due to the fact that Austin received more funding during the Great Depression than other cities in Texas ^[16] .

In the middle and end of the 20th century, Austin established itself as the main center of the metropolis, which is now called Big Austin. Suburbs such as Round Rock, Georgetown, and San Marcos have become Austin's attractive sleeping areas, while retaining their own economic core ^[20] .

• List of Texas State Cities
• List of Texas Agglomerations