The Price Of Progress: The Lost Opportunity To Preserve An Entire Commercial Airport

Commercial airliners, on their final maneuvers before landing in Austin, Texas, more often than not fly over or near a large airport control tower in the city. But these day, the airliners pass right by the old tower, just like time itself did many years ago.

The Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, named after an Austin city councilman, helped usher Austin into the commercial aviation age when it was first opened in 1930’s. Despite several attempts to modernize the airport through the years, one thing which could not be changed was its location. As time went on, the airport soon found itself surrounded by a growing and vibrant city. The airport, with its congestion, noise, and lack of room to expand eventually meant its days were numbered.

As ideas and proposals were put forth to build a new airport, the U.S. Government decided to close Bergstrom Air Force Base, which was conveniently located on the southeast edge of the city. The base was originally built as an army air field during World War II, and later became Bergstrom Air Force Base in the late 1940’s. Over the years, Bergstrom accommodated both strategic long-range bombers and tactical fighters for the U.S. Air Force, and the long runways and somewhat rural location were perfect for adapting itself into a commercial repurposing. With the closure of the military air base in 1993, the City of Austin, which actually owned the land on which Bergstrom Air Force Base sat and had reversion rights if the military ever left, was suddenly given an unexpected “gift” to solve its Mueller Airport problem.

It was 1999, before Bergstrom Air Force Base was finally converted into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. As the new commercial airport opened, Robert Mueller Municipal Airport was closed forever. And, with the closure, nearly 70 years of commercial aviation history in Austin disappeared.

For many years after Mueller Municipal Airport was closed, it sat silent and empty like some old Texas “ghost town.” Its buildings, signs, and runways sat intact, seemingly suspended in time. Eventually, a Planned Unit Development, under the name of Mueller, was approved, with construction beginning in earnest in 2007. It is a well thought out project, which will no doubt be very successful when completed, comprising of homes, shopping, parks, and a medical center.

Today, the new homes abutting the main body of the old airport are very nice, but at least at this stage, in my opinion, seem to replicate a suburbia found in a thousand other cities across the country. To the north of the new homes, looms the main body of the old Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Along with the old airport control tower, no longer in control of commercial airline traffic flying into Austin, are a few remaining artifacts of the past.

Americans always tend to look forward, not back. This is a good thing generally, and has propelled our country’s success over the last couple of hundred years. But, I wonder what the future importance and historical significance might have been to future generations if Austin had preserved the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, intact, as a museum along with music venues and shops. While Austin, as a city, prides itself as being different, I think it missed a great opportunity with respect to Mueller. While Austin citizens often decry and protest the destruction of a single pecan tree in the city, or the potential loss of a small music cafe on the University of Texas campus, it missed a chance to save something which was much more difficult to preserve, an entire commercial airport, representing nearly a three-quarters of a century of American history.

Money and development, it seems, nearly always trumps historical preservation. Sadly, this is the price of "progress."

Being In The Wrong Place Can Sometimes Last Beyond Life Itself

The story of the outlaw Sam Bass is still very well known around Round Rock, Texas. After Sam and his famous gang rode into the city in July 1878, intending to rob a bank, his name and legend have grown in notoriety and have been synonymous with Round Rock itself. Books and songs have been written about Bass, and, while he did not leave Round Rock alive, his memory has remained alive, given all the things in town still named after him.

The same, however, cannot be said for the deputy sheriff Bass killed in Round Rock, who also died very young, and in contrast to Sam Bass, has remained in relative obscurity ever since.

Sam Bass, was born in Indiana in 1851, and like many from the eastern part of the United States during that era, he eventually headed west. While it seems he first tried to be a law abiding citizen, things did not work out and he soon began robbing trains and banks. Although an outlaw, he was viewed by many in his time, to be a “Robin Hood” like figure, in that he had a reputation of “taking” things only from the rich. There were many people in the poor and rural areas of Texas, and around the South, who hoped he would never be caught and actually mourned his death.

Ahijah W. (A.W.) Grimes was born in 1850, in Bastrop County Texas, to a well-known Texas family. His ancestors and relatives were early Texas pioneers, politicians, defenders of the Alamo, and were present at the Battle of San Jacinto. A.W. Grimes, upon reaching adulthood, first became the Bastrop City Marshal, later a member of the Texas Rangers, and finally, a Williamson County Deputy Sheriff. In was in his position of deputy sheriff that he met up with Sam Bass in Round Rock on that fateful day of July 19, 1878.

Bass and his gang were betrayed by a fellow gang member, and, therefore, law enforcement officials knew the gang was headed to Round Rock to rob a bank. While Bass and his cohorts were casing the town, they went into Koppel’s General Store to purchase tobacco. Unfortunately for them, they had been spotted, not for who they were, but for carrying firearms in Round Rock. This was in violation of a local ordinance, and most likely a misdemeanor at the time.

Once alerted, Deputy Grimes walked into Koppel’s and asked Bass and his companions from behind if they were carrying firearms. Bass, in the process of turning around said something like, “yes, of course,” or just “yes.” But while Bass turned around to face Grimes, he was not only talking, but shooting his pistol. Grimes died instantly in the discharge of gunfire from Bass and his accomplices. Grimes never had a chance. He didn’t even have time to pull his gun.

While Grimes died on the spot, Bass quickly made his way out of the store, but was mortally wounded as he tried to leave town. One of his companions, Seaborn Barnes, was shot in the head and killed while attempting to flee. Bass, was quickly found on the outskirts of town, captured, and died a few days later while in the custody of the law.

Both Bass and Grimes were nearly the same age. Bass turned 27 the day of his death, and Grimes had just turned 28, a few weeks earlier. Other than age, they shared few similarities in life. Bass was a bachelor, who came from the Midwest and who had traveled the country living a life of crime. Grimes, on the other hand, was a native Texan, and a local peace officer who had a wife and several children. Despite the differences, they shared one thing in common; they were both in the wrong place when they encountered each other in the store that day long ago. The story, however, does not end there.

Soon after the shootings, Sam Bass and his “right bower,” Seaborn Barnes, were both laid to rest next to each other in Round Rock Cemetery. A.W. Grimes, in one more similarity with Bass, was also buried in the same cemetery. But, as in life, the similarities in death were few and far between.

Bass, as noted earlier, became even more famous after the Round Rock incident. He became a legend, and part of the ongoing folklore of the Old West. After his death, he was featured in books, songs, and films. For many years after the shootout, Round Rock residents took pride in the events which took place in Koppel’s General Store, and their pride focused almost exclusively in Sam Bass. Over the years, souvenir hunters chipped away at Sam’s gravestone to such an extent to where there was almost nothing left. In time, a new and impressive gravestone was erected for Sam Bass, and, over the years, roads, markets, music stores, and theatres were all named in his honor.

The memory of A.W. Grimes has not fared as well as the memory of Sam Bass. While it is true that Grimes only has a place in history, perhaps, because he was killed by the Bass Gang, it is also true that he was a very important element in ending the criminal activities of the gang. Until quite recently, he was relatively unknown, even in Round Rock. In a long overdue and belated gesture, a road in Round Rock was finally named in his honor a few years ago, and, even more recently, a medical center was named after him. But, even in death, it seems, it is still important to not be caught in the wrong place.

While Sam Bass was buried in the so-called “bad part” of Round Rock Cemetery and A.W. Grimes in the so-called “good part,” whatever that means, time should be a great equalizer. But, such is not the case. Today, the polished grave stones of the outlaws of Sam Bass and Seaborn Graves stand tall, and are frequently visited by people who leave everything from flowers to bottles and cans of beer.

In contrast, the original and weathered gravestone of A.W. Grimes, with the engraved words “Gone But Not Forgotten,” has been hard to find and is seldom visited. Despite the words on the stone, Grimes is both long gone and has been largely forgotten since his death. And, to add insult to injury, a recent storm blew down limbs off a large tree which sheltered his grave. In the process, his old gravestone was snapped at the base, and the metal marker indicating his service with the Texas Rangers was bent.

Being in the wrong place, it seems, can sometimes even last beyond life itself.

Roller Derby In Austin

I can’t really say that it was something important enough to be enumerated on my “bucket list,” a bunch of things I want to do before I die, but ever since the 1960’s and 1970’s, when roller derby was at the height of its popularity, I’ve always wanted to see a roller derby bout live. Last night, I got my chance, and I was not disappointed.

It seems that Austin, Texas, is a roller derby town. The city hosts the TXRD Lonestar Roller Girls, a league of female skaters who demonstrate their athletic skills on a traditional banked roller derby track. I mention the banked track only because there is also a flat track league in Austin as well, organized as the Texas Rollergirls. Flat track roller derby actually got its start in Austin, and has now spread around the world, as the sport of roller derby enjoys a resurgence in popularity. Additionally, the city of Austin played a central role in Drew Barrymore’s 2009 film, “Whip It,” which portrays a fictional Austin, Texas, female roller derby team. Like I said, Austin is a roller derby town.

The TXRD league’s teams include Cherry Bombs, Hell Cats, Holy Rollers, Putas del Fuego, and the Rhinestone Cowgirls. Last night, at the Austin Convention Center, the Rhinestone Cowgirls squared off against Putas del Fuego, and I was there to watch it.

Driving to the convention center, I really had no idea what to expect. Upon arriving, I found the parking garage nearly filled to capacity, and I was there an hour early. Surely, I thought, all these parked cars were not here because of roller derby. But I was wrong. Roller derby, it seems, is more popular than I had imagined.

Having purchased my ticket ahead of time, I bypassed a long line of people obtaining tickets at the door, and entered the arena. Once inside, I pushed my way through another line of people waiting to buy drinks at a full service bar, and found a good seat in the stands. Before the bout started, the uniquely dressed roller girls from both teams were walking around, talking with fans, and having their photographs taken. A local band warmed up the near capacity crowd, and shortly after 7:00 p.m., the bout began.

Roller derby is all about entertainment. During each of the four, 8 minute periods, which are further broken up into individual “jams,” there are fights, penalties, and falling and crashing bodies. And, the announcers, seemingly direct descendants of “carnival barkers” of a bygone era, were present to energize and excite a somewhat inebriated but friendly crowd. Unlike many sporting events where tensions can run high among some of the spectators, everyone at the convention center was laughing, applauding, and having fun. The fun apparently continues after the bout, during the traditional roller derby “after party,” where both teams mingle with fans at a local bar.

Wanting to avoid driving home along side of many of the “drinking” spectators sitting around me, I left a few minutes early. At that time, Putas Del Fuego, was comfortably ahead in points. I don’t know which team eventually skated away with the win, but I do know that I enjoyed the evening very much.

And, while I won’t be getting online and ordering roller derby season tickets in the morning, I had a great time last night, and will no doubt be attending several more games before the season ends. It’s a unique, different, and enjoyable way to spend a free evening, filled with a lot of laughs.

There Are No Forks at Smitty’s Market, But You Have Fingers Don’t You?

The first time I visited Lockhart, Texas, I asked several people in the small town which one of the barbecue places was the best. As if every single person I asked had been prompted what to say by the local chamber of commerce, not a single one of them would recommend just one place. “They are all great,” and “try them all,” is what I heard most often. And, what I soon discovered is that this was not just town pride, it was good advice.

Lockhart, Texas, the county seat of Caldwell County, has been designated “The Barbecue Capital of Texas,” by both houses of the Texas legislature. It is little wonder why. Despite the fact that the town is really rather small, it has four outstanding barbecue restaurants, each with its own unique history and fan following. Black’s Barbecue, Chisholm Trail Barbeque, Kreuz Market, and Smitty’s Market, are all very special, each in their own way, but I can’t write about all of them at one time. Therefore, I’ll focus on Smitty’s Market now, and get back to the others in due time.

The location of Smitty’s Market, used to be the location of Kreuz Market. All families have disagreements from time to time, and this disagreement, apparently, resulted in one part of the family moving Kreuz Market to a new Lockhart location, and the other part of the family staying behind at the original location. The part of the family now running the barbecue pits at the original location, now call it Smitty’s, in honor of the patriarch of the family, Edgar “Smitty” Schmidt, who first bought it from the Kreuz family in the 1940's.

The barbecue experience at Smitty’s, is, well, an experience. Walking in from the dusty unpaved parking lot out back, you immediately get into an ordering line which is uncomfortably close to an oak fire burning within just inches of your feet. The fire is one of a couple of them which fuel the barbecue pits. Whether you eat in, or are there for a take-out order, the ordering experience, right next to the open flames and smoke, will guarantee that your clothes will carry the scent of burning oak home with you.

Smitty’s, like most of the traditional barbecue places in Texas, focuses on meat. And, while a few items like cheese and pickles are available, barbecued meat is the reason people keep coming back, time and time again.

After ordering the beef brisket and sausage, or “hots,” as the sausage is called at Smitty’s, the meat is slapped onto pieces of butcher paper, and served with white bread, saltine crackers, and plastic knives to cut the meat. There is nothing fancy about Smitty’s, but the meat is very delicious. And, please don’t ask for any barbecue sauce or forks, Smitty’s has none to give you. Good meat does not need any sauce, and the meat is eaten with your fingers.

Eighty-Three Years Later, The Immortal Ten Are Still Remembered

It was 83 years ago this very week, on January 22, 1927, that a horrific accident took place in Round Rock, Texas. The event would end the lives of some, dramatically change the lives of many others, permanently impact a major Texas university, and would eventually lead to a new law, which in turn, has saved countless lives over the ensuing years.

In the early morning hours of January 22, 1927, a school bus left the Baylor University campus carrying its basketball team, the coach, and a few others, with the destination being the University of Texas, in Austin. Getting an early start for the basketball matchup with Texas, scheduled for later that evening, the bus was driven by a young freshman. It was a rainy cold morning, and driving the bus on the muddy roads in the wet weather was no easy chore, and it was very slow going. Despite the early start, it was around noon before the bus even reached Round Rock.

On the southern edge of town, railroad tracks crossed the road on which the bus was traveling. Unfortunately, an approaching train and the bus were on a collision course. While the train blew its whistle as it approached the crossing, it was not heard by anyone on the bus. By the time the driver and others on the bus saw the train, it was too late. Despite the young driver’s valiant last second attempt to avoid a collision, he was unsuccessful. The result was a catastrophe. The train hit the bus at a high speed, and ten people, almost half of the passengers on the bus perished.

The grief around Baylor in the initial days following the accident was overwhelming. The dead, quickly referred to as the “Immortal Ten,” were soon buried at various places around Texas, and the survivors went on with their lives. They became successful educators, coaches, and businessmen. One of the survivors was awarded the Medal of Honor, for heroic military actions during World War II. The survivors of the crash are all gone now, but like those who were taken from the earth on that late January day so many years ago, they are not forgotten.

Each year, during the Freshman Mass Meeting held during Baylor’s homecoming week, the story of the Round Rock crash is told, along with a reading of names of the victims. This tradition not only ensures that everyone attending Baylor is well familiar with the story of the Immortal Ten, it also serves to bring the students, faculty, and local community closer together. Additionally, within the last few years, an impressive memorial to the Immortal Ten, consisting of statutes and representations of those who were lost, has been erected on the Baylor campus.

One of the most important things which came from the tragedy in Round Rock was the passage of legislation which mandated overpasses or underpasses at railroad crossings on certain roadways in Texas. The very first overpass constructed as a result of the new law was at the site of the Baylor bus crash in Round Rock. Along with the overpass, a simple marker was erected listing the names of those whose lives were taken. The overpasses and underpasses mandated by the law have undoubtedly saved countless lives over the years across the state. And, this, perhaps, is the most important legacy of the tragedy.

On any given day, the trains still roar through that same railroad crossing in Round Rock. Fortunately, however, as the trains pass through town these days, motorists and pedestrians alike are protected from danger because of the sacrifice made 83 years ago, this very week, by the Baylor University basketball team, and it’s “Immortal Ten.”

The Very Slow Death Of A Hill Country "Mountain"

Granite Mountain, located on the western edge of the Texas Hill Country town of Marble Falls, is a large monolith of red and pink granite which has been gracing the skyline for many millions of years. With each passing day and week, however, it disappears a little bit more, as the demand for granite worldwide ensures it’s extremely slow, but inevitable destruction.

Since the late 1800’s, the mountain has been quarried for its high quality granite. And, this has both supplied jobs and helped create impressive Texas structures like the State Capitol Building and the seawall in Galveston. But, someday, well into the future, long after my lifetime and yours, the quarrying of the mountain, if it continues at its present pace, will eventually cause its demise.

After a fire destroyed the previous capitol building in Austin, plans for a new building were drawn up, and construction began in the 1880’s. Originally, the capitol building was supposed to be built using limestone local to the area. That plan was scrapped when it was determined that the limestone would discolor over time. As a result, a series of events took place which would hasten the end of Granite Mountain, at least as it had remained for those many millions of years.

A bargain of sorts was struck between the owners of the quarry at Granite Mountain and the state. In exchange for the state constructing a short rail line from the quarry to an existing rail line leading to Austin, the owners of the quarry provided the granite which was used in building the capitol building. In a controversial decision, the state agreed to provide prisoners to help with the project, at far less than what it would have cost to pay skilled union labor.

While state prisoners were used to build the short rail line and to provide the painstaking work necessary to quarry the granite from the mountain, they did not have the talents to perform the more delicate cutting and finishing work necessary to complete the project. The use of prison labor horrified most regular workers and labor organizations in and around Austin, so they essentially boycotted the project, and refused to take part in any work connected with the construction of the capitol building. As a result, skilled stone craftsmen were brought from Scotland to help complete the project.

The new Texas State Capitol was completed in 1888, and opened that very same year. The result of using granite from Granite Mountain was fortuitous, in that it produced a magnificent building in which all Texans still take pride. But, there is another legacy of the project. While it is true that the quarrying of Granite Mountain was taking place prior to the capitol construction project, the lack of rail transportation to the quarry limited the amount of granite which could, as a practical matter, be utilized. This, of course, changed with the construction of the rail line, which had been facilitated by the project. Additionally, the notoriety of the project, along with its spectacular end result, brought even more interest in the granite found in Marble Falls. This led to greater demand for the granite, and consequently, more quarrying.

The quarrying still continues today. And with every kitchen countertop produced, a little bit more of Granite Mountain disappears, as the granite is chipped away. There is still a lot of the mountain left, of course, and barring some extraordinary event, it will still be something striking to view for a very long time to come. But, it is also remarkable how much 130 years of quarrying can change the face of something that has been around for millions of years before recorded time.

Johnny T’s Round Rock B-B-Q

With the plethora of internet rating and review sites these days, anyone can be a food critic, me included. This democratization of the ability to publicly rate and review restaurants has both its good and bad points. On the positive side, there are a lot more opinions, from a lot more people. No longer do we have to rely solely on the comments of those stuffy food editors, who it always seems to me, have some kind of mysterious rating formula that they rigidly follow instead of just using their common sense and letting us know whether the place was worth visiting or not. I always laugh when some of the professional critics come out with something cute like, and I’m only slightly exaggerating here, “I found the beans rather tepid for my palate.” How is a comment like that at all helpful to me when deciding whether to eat somewhere?

The down side to the general public's reviews and ratings is that there are a few people who don’t offer responsible and balanced comments. Many seem to take great delight in being mean. So many times I’ve read comments where, because of some slight imperfection, or inconvenience, it suddenly made the restaurant and it's dining experience no good. These thoughtless and unfair comments relate that the food was bad, the bathrooms weren’t clean, the waiter combed his hair the wrong way, the tables were arranged in the dining room oddly, and the parking lot was paved with concrete instead of asphalt. I have to laugh at these comments also, because, I can’t take them seriously. In all the years I’ve been eating at restaurants, if I’m truly honest with myself, I can’t remember a single one that did not have at least one redeeming quality.

No place or nobody is perfect, and both good and bad reviews are part of the cost of being in the restaurant business. And, there can be variances from day to day, including the mood and attitude of the person doing the eating, which may account for a disappointing result on one or more things during a visit. That’s why almost all restaurants on the new online review and rating sites usually receive a mix of both good and lesser reviews, but for the most part, they seem to be balanced. With respect to those reviews in which the reviewer can’t find a single thing likable with a restaurant, I discount it completely. I chalk it up to either a hidden agenda, or the fact that the reviewer is miserable person.

Now, why have I spent so much time writing about all this when I’m supposed to be writing about Johnny T’s Round Rock B-B-Q? The answer is simple. Unlike any other restaurant I’ve ever written about, I didn’t see a single negative comment about Johnny T’s on the review and rating sites whatsoever. And, I’m not just talking about not seeing mean or unfair comments; I’m talking about not seeing any negative comments at all. Perhaps there is one out there, but I found nothing but rave reviews about the place. Naturally, this piqued my curiosity, and so I drove over to Round Rock the other day, to check it out for myself.

Happily, Johnny T’s is no different from a lot of other barbecue places in and around the Texas Hill Country. It’s owned by real people, and not some large corporation disseminating a chain of franchised or corporate-owned restaurants all over the place. As I was not familiar at all with the menu, it took me a minute or so to get my bearing before placing my order. That was no problem to the man taking my order. He waited patiently for me to make up my mind and politely answered a couple of questions I had regarding the sides. Part of the problem I had, was that for a relatively small place, it had quite an extensive menu. I really hadn’t expected that. In the end, I opted for the large (moist) sliced brisket sandwich combo, which comes with a choice of a side and a drink. I took the beans and an unsweetened tea.

The food came quickly, and I was delighted with the overstuffed sandwich which was set in front of me. The extra large toasted bun was piled several inches high with thick slices of juicy beef brisket. Coming out with the food, was my very own “squirt bottle” filled with temperature warm barbecue sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet, a little tangy, and very good. I added to my sandwich by topping it off with sliced dill pickles and pickled okra. The end result of the combination of meat, bun, sauce, and toppings, was an excellent sandwich.

The beans were also first-rate. Flavored with what tasted like a little chili powder, there were also generous pieces of meat and onion floating among the beans. Washing it all down with the cold tea, it was a perfect lunch.

Johnny T’s has a wide variety of food offerings, which include, brisket, Elgin sausage, pulled pork, turkey, pork ribs, chopped beef, and chicken. The meats are complimented with a nice selection of sides. Those getting a side can choose from a list which includes coleslaw, potato salad, fried okra, cream corn, green beans, baked beans, pinto beans, fries, sweet potato fries, and something called tamale potato casserole. There is also a senior plate and a kid’s meal. Of course, a number of homemade desserts are also available, if you are so inclined.

The patience shown during my slow ordering at the cash register, the fact that I was asked how the food tasted, and that I was thanked for my visit and told “good-bye” when I left, demonstrated that the customer service matched the delicious food.

Like most barbecue places in Texas, Johnny T’s isn’t a fancy place, but, then again, it’s not supposed to be. This is, after all, a Texas barbecue joint. Like all the other common folk who have rated Johnny T’s highly, for both food and customer service, I absolutely concur.