What was the catalyst that made Austin grow to be the city it is today? (Round Rock: living, estimate)

[WhatTheFox]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Agree. The way I think about it, if you take one attribute out of the mix, say like "No UT Austin", or "Not a State Capital", or "MCC goes to Madison instead", etc, it's impossible to know what effect that would have caused in the greater mix.

If we want to go, way, way, WAY back, if not for the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, everything west of the Mississippi may well have not ended up as part of the United States and there would be no "Austin". We'd be part of a massive Mexico. And if Sam Houston had not had the guts to execute the attack on Santa Anna, ... or had he never been born...

It's layer upon layer upon layer of what-ifs. But I do still stick with MCC as a major catalyst for Austin graduating from just a small college/government town to what would become a tech hub.

Steve.

Ha! I'd love to think of it that way too but c'mon who're we kidding

What Sam Houston did was gutsy and terrific but had he screwed up there were others ready to kick Santa Anna's butt back to Mexico. Austin, Texas and USA would've still been pretty much the same. We need to keep in mind that history is written by winners and in all that victory excitement things do get a bit exaggerated.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by WhatTheFox

Ha! I'd love to think of it that way too but c'mon who're we kidding

What Sam Houston did was gutsy and terrific but had he screwed up there were others ready to kick Santa Anna's butt back to Mexico. Austin, Texas and USA would've still been pretty much the same. We need to keep in mind that history is written by winners and in all that victory excitement things do get a bit exaggerated.

Ha, maybe.

I just remember a Texas History professor who was very passionate about teaching, and in particular, a real history nerd, and he liked to point out what he felt were gamechanger forks in the road of history. San Jacinto was one of his favorites and he laid out a very credible case for it as the most underrated turning point in history, and that it changed America in unrecognized and underappreciated way. Just that one battle.

Granted, I didn't hear a counter-point, just his take, but it was plausible. I think it was more of a do or die moment than you might realize.

So, therefore, Austin would/could have turned out different.

Steve

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by JBAinTexas

All those businesses moving in, new businesses opening up, jobs increase...

I remember Austin in the 1980s. Now you see Austin today. It's not just Austin, but also the surrounding cities such as Pflugerville, Round Rock, Buda, Georgetown...

What sparked it? Was it Dell? Was it SXSW? What happened that made Austin so packed?

The hill country. It's something Dallas and Houston don't have.

[Jana K]

Because it's pretty. You have the Hill Country and the beautiful Highland Lakes.

[GrandviewGloria]

Most cities with large populations of SWEDES end up booming. The area was settled by a larger-than-average concentration of those supremely desirable people. Not only are they beautiful, they are smart, kind, restrained, prudent, and COOPERATIVE. They improved the local genome, and made a population which is the antithesis of the hot-headed, emotional, irrational Southern Celtic culture, which has, as much as anything, held the rest of the South behind.

And then, there are the Czechs, who are, apparently, the mental equals of Swedes (and hotter-looking, too...). Guess there Texas' many Czech settlements are concentrated?

My Manchurian Cousin-in-law, whose degrees are similar to mine (only, he has TWO doctorates in Economics, to my one), has a rather shameless and ruthless way of analyzing populations. We BOTH have noted the effect of Swedes on their locales, and BOTH have described them as CATALYSTS.

Minneapolis, Austin, Seattle, and Chicago come to mind. But Swedes also had major roles in making NYC THE happening place on the Eastern Seaboard.

Smart people want to move to places where people are nice. Swedes have an improving effect on those around them. They are CATALYSTS, in that regard.

Demography is destiny. And having a 'base population' who are bright and cooperative, is a good starting point for success. (essentially, it's the opposite of my native Mississippi, whose 'base population' is dumb and combative) Add to that, the fact that Austin is the CAPITAL CITY, and...

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by GrandviewGloria

Most cities with large populations of SWEDES end up booming. The area was settled by a larger-than-average concentration of those supremely desirable people. Not only are they beautiful, they are smart, kind, restrained, prudent, and COOPERATIVE. They improved the local genome, and made a population which is the antithesis of the hot-headed, emotional, irrational Southern Celtic culture, which has, as much as anything, held the rest of the South behind.

And then, there are the Czechs, who are, apparently, the mental equals of Swedes (and hotter-looking, too...). Guess there Texas' many Czech settlements are concentrated?

My Manchurian Cousin-in-law, whose degrees are similar to mine (only, he has TWO doctorates in Economics, to my one), has a rather shameless and ruthless way of analyzing populations. We BOTH have noted the effect of Swedes on their locales, and BOTH have described them as CATALYSTS.

Minneapolis, Austin, Seattle, and Chicago come to mind. But Swedes also had major roles in making NYC THE happening place on the Eastern Seaboard.

Smart people want to move to places where people are nice. Swedes have an improving effect on those around them. They are CATALYSTS, in that regard.

Demography is destiny. And having a 'base population' who are bright and cooperative, is a good starting point for success. (essentially, it's the opposite of my native Mississippi, whose 'base population' is dumb and combative) Add to that, the fact that Austin is the CAPITAL CITY, and...

I stopped reading after trying to contemplate whether Swedes or Czechs are hotter looking. Tough one. Still deciding.

Yes, many Czech's settled in an area East & SE of Austin. (don't think it had much of an influence on Austin's growth the past 30-40 years). But they DID give us Shiner Bock !! & pretty painted churches every 10-12 miles in several directions in a pretty, gently hilly, terrain.


I'd write more.....but this Celt needs to get back to deciding between the Swedes and Czechs.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Ha, maybe.

I just remember a Texas History professor who was very passionate about teaching, and in particular, a real history nerd, and he liked to point out what he felt were gamechanger forks in the road of history. San Jacinto was one of his favorites and he laid out a very credible case for it as the most underrated turning point in history, and that it changed America in unrecognized and underappreciated way. Just that one battle.

Granted, I didn't hear a counter-point, just his take, but it was plausible. I think it was more of a do or die moment than you might realize.

So, therefore, Austin would/could have turned out different.

Steve

Manifest destiny was going to ensure that Texas became part of the US no matter what.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by GrandviewGloria

Most cities with large populations of SWEDES end up booming. The area was settled by a larger-than-average concentration of those supremely desirable people. Not only are they beautiful, they are smart, kind, restrained, prudent, and COOPERATIVE. They improved the local genome, and made a population which is the antithesis of the hot-headed, emotional, irrational Southern Celtic culture, which has, as much as anything, held the rest of the South behind.

And then, there are the Czechs, who are, apparently, the mental equals of Swedes (and hotter-looking, too...). Guess there Texas' many Czech settlements are concentrated?

My Manchurian Cousin-in-law, whose degrees are similar to mine (only, he has TWO doctorates in Economics, to my one), has a rather shameless and ruthless way of analyzing populations. We BOTH have noted the effect of Swedes on their locales, and BOTH have described them as CATALYSTS.

Minneapolis, Austin, Seattle, and Chicago come to mind. But Swedes also had major roles in making NYC THE happening place on the Eastern Seaboard.

Smart people want to move to places where people are nice. Swedes have an improving effect on those around them. They are CATALYSTS, in that regard.

Demography is destiny. And having a 'base population' who are bright and cooperative, is a good starting point for success. (essentially, it's the opposite of my native Mississippi, whose 'base population' is dumb and combative) Add to that, the fact that Austin is the CAPITAL CITY, and...

I always thought it was the Dutch influence that has afforded New York being the capital of the world. The New Amsterdam world sensibilities by the original Dutch settlers ensured a trading capital and the Puritan work ethic of the areas around NYC where the farms were ensured a steady supply of produce and meat for the growing population.

Boston didn't have that Dutch influence so it had the work ethic of the Puritans which resulted in Harvard and other institutions but it was very insular.

The French cities like Montreal & New Orleans developed a reputation for world class cuisine and architectural and cultural attractions just like their counterparts in France.

The German cities provided ample places for beer manufacturing in places like St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Central Texas.

Yes the upper South was populated by Scots-Irish from the highlands of Scotland and the people are very similar in temperament if not accent.

The colonies from Virginia to South Carolina focused on English civility and gentry and so you have the regal cities of Charleston or Beaufort. Lots of class and similar to the Lords of England but similar to cities like Birmingham, the masses are generally not doing as well as the gentry.

The whole west was Spanish, including Texas (except for Southeast Texas where French settled and Central Texas where some northern Europeans settled). The whole Spanish macho thing reigned supreme which gave rise to individualism and gunfights and lots of ranches like central Spain became dominant the dominant feature. Cities were where missions originated.

[10scoachrick]

Swedes, eh? Well, we HAVE enjoyed owning nine Volvos over the years Now that they've started manufacturing in China, I just don't know WHAT to think!

They seem to do pretty well in the super model category, also...
Hottest Swedish Models: List of Sexy Models from Sweden

[cBach]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Swedes, eh? Well, we HAVE enjoyed owning nine Volvos over the years Now that they've started manufacturing in China, I just don't know WHAT to think!

They seem to do pretty well in the super model category, also...
Hottest Swedish Models: List of Sexy Models from Sweden

I'd have to say Swedes > Czechs IMHO. I think Swedes have the traditional model industry pegged but Czechs seem to be prevalent in the adult film industry...