Austin in 1955 - 15 minute film tour

Armybrat · #1 Posted **Dec 20, 2011, 3:11 AM**

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f86kD...layer_embedded" target="_blank">Video Link

cvalkan · #2 Posted **Dec 20, 2011, 3:42 AM**

That is so awesome that words are inadequate.

MichaelB · #3 Posted **Dec 20, 2011, 3:46 AM**

Where did you ever find that. Really cool and sweet. The tone of the narration is incredible. Makes me wanna visit!

Armybrat · #4 Posted **Dec 20, 2011, 8:11 PM**

The longer version is here:
http://www.texasarchive.org/library/...ur_Town_Austin

It's like an infomercial. lol

llamaorama · #5 Posted **Dec 20, 2011, 8:52 PM**

Austin in 1955 was so small, I think only like 150,000 in the entire "metro" making it as big as Waco or Bryan-College Station are now. Think about that for a moment.

Waco in particular I think was about the same size as Austin for a while, and its downtown on the brazos river kind of looks like what Austin's must have a long time ago(sans capitol and UT, of course). It kind of has the same geography even.

verybadgnome · #6 Posted **Dec 24, 2011, 1:31 AM**

Just finished the 55 minute version. It is amazing how much has changes in a couple generations, not just in Austin but the US overall.

And just as I thought there was a huge Mexican influence that was too big to put under wraps. Check out all the last names in the laundromat section and AusTex's emphasis on Mexican foods.

Amazing that the shopping center at Congress and Oltorf was deemed an ideal consumer destination, but then again it looked better then than it does now.

No mention of the airport, hyde park, and did they even talk about UT or state gov't?