Mystery near Hamilton's Pool (Austin, Alamo: houses, movies, construction)

[CptnRn]

I was exploring with Google Maps around Austin and decided to looked at the Hamilton's Pool area. hamilton pool preserve - Google Maps (http://tinyurl.com/dltq2m - broken link) Looking at the area around the pool to the East and North I noticed a lot of dirt parking lots with truck trailers and portable buildings. At first I thought it was some kind of industry, then I noticed a few tents. ? Looking closer I found what appear to be small western towns or villages, perhaps even a reconstruction of the Alamo, the largest village looks like adobe houses surrounding a town square which has an adobe church in the middle of it. There are also some other strange white marks dotted along the contours of the hills around the area.

There are several access roads down to the Pedernales River just to the west.

This could be where a lot of those western movies have been shot, such as Lonesome Dove and The Alamo.

Yep, what I can see in the google maps matchs the configuration of the alamo floor plans very closely.

Untitled Document (http://www.thealamo.org/building3.html - broken link)

I read recently that development upstream from Hamiltons Pool was responsible for the pollution it has received, and the County is suing over it. I wonder if the movie area is now being developed into housing? The aerial photos are probably a couple of years old and don't reflect recent development.

[GreenPlastic]

That's the Alamo set on Reimer's Ranch. Pretty sure that is not being developed into housing.

[Mdlx]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I was exploring with Google Maps around Austin and decided to looked at the Hamilton's Pool area. hamilton pool preserve - Google Maps (http://tinyurl.com/dltq2m - broken link) Looking at the area around the pool to the East and North I noticed a lot of dirt parking lots with truck trailers and portable buildings. At first I thought it was some kind of industry, then I noticed a few tents. ? Looking closer I found what appear to be small western towns or villages, perhaps even a reconstruction of the Alamo, the largest village looks like adobe houses surrounding a town square which has an adobe church in the middle of it. There are also some other strange white marks dotted along the contours of the hills around the area.

There are several access roads down to the Pedernales River just to the west.

This could be where a lot of those western movies have been shot, such as Lonesome Dove and The Alamo.

Yep, what I can see in the google maps matchs the configuration of the alamo floor plans very closely.

Untitled Document (http://www.thealamo.org/building3.html - broken link)

I read recently that development upstream from Hamiltons Pool was responsible for the pollution it has received, and the County is suing over it. I wonder if the movie area is now being developed into housing? The aerial photos are probably a couple of years old and don't reflect recent development.

They filmed the Alamo on the property immediately next door to hamilton pool. If you go to Reimer's Ranch county park you can see the set off in the distance still up. At one time they were doing tours. Not sure if they are any more.

Those white dots I think youre referring to are rock outcroppings. Almost all limestone filled with fossils from the cretaceous period. They are very abundant in the area.

The area being developed which has caused a lot of uproar is south-east of hamilton pool.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Mdlx

Those white dots I think youre referring to are rock outcroppings. Almost all limestone filled with fossils from the cretaceous period. They are very abundant in the area.

No the white dots I'm referring to are rectangular in shape, all almost identical in size and evenly spaced. There are lines of them East of the large adobe village and the alamo sets.

My best guess is perhaps they were some kind of gravel pads put in to create a level support for a camera rail car, so they could shoot sweeping moving camera shots.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Mdlx

The area being developed which has caused a lot of uproar is south-east of hamilton pool.

OK I see now, looking at the Terrain google map of the area Hamilton Creek enters Hamilton Pool from the South and crosses Hamilton Road where it drains a large area Southeast of the pool.

[doss1]

I was an extra that participated in the Alamo shoot and had a blast. We drove from downtown Austin to Reimer's Ranch nearly every day except Sunday. One day it snowed out there. I'll have to dig up my pics.

I once stopped at the little gas station/convenience store...I think it was called Ernie's ? Anyways, as I was paying for a drink there I noticed billy bob thornton step out from a backroom there with a beer bottle. I think they had a pool table there in which he would sometimes play billards.