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Today marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Austin Fire Department, which was started on Sept. 25, 1857 by ex-New York fireman and Austin grocer John Bremond Sr.* John Bremond Sr.What began as the volunteer-based Hook and Ladder Fire Company No. 1—operating under the motto of "Always Ready!"—eventually blossomed into one of the largest departments in the country. AFD now employes over 1,000 people, with 44 fire stations throughout the city. To... more ›

Two weeks ago, Katherine Gregor's Chronicle column discussed a recent study by professors Louise Harpman and Jason Sowell from UT Architecture, sponsored by the Downtown Austin Alliance. The study concluded that Wooldridge Square Park (between Guadalupe/San Antonio and 9th/10th Street) needs more community support, event programming, and landscaping improvements. Wooldridge Square, along with Republic Square and Brush Square, was one of four public squares included in the original grid for the city of Austin... more ›

Overused and misspelling-encouraging pun aside, the newest installment of Filming Austin’s Lives is a great opportunity for you to show love for a favorite "Austin-tatious" landmark—person, place, event, or otherwise. Capture a story about a special landmark on film and it could be seen by all of Austin this fall! more ›

After vehemently encouraging Austinites to indulge in the splendor of live musical entertainment, Mayor Will Wynn's charisma is now focused on more literary pursuits. Wednesday, March 28th, at 7pm marks the official start of the annual Mayor's Book Club. For the sixth installment of the book club Mayor Wynn has chosen Stephanie Elizondo Griest's Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana. To get readers in the mood, the City of Austin is... more ›

The City of Austin is going to be rolling out their recently completed project to coincide with the start of SxSWi: an interactive DVD, titled Austin Past and Present, which tells the history of Austin. The DVD incorporates historical documents from local archives (mainly the Austin History Center) into 300 slideshows and stories about our fair city. You can learn about the geological beginnings of our area, learn more about the beginnings of neighborhoods such... more ›

TUESDAY [6] books • Utter Reading Series with Frances Schenkkan and Lori Aurelia at BookPeople (7:00pm) books • Poetry Reading with Dana Gioia, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts at Harry Ransom Center (7:00pm) books • Nate Blakeslee presents Tulia: Race, Concaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town at Austin History Center (7:00pm) film • For the Love of Dolly at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • AFS Essential screens Turtles Can... more ›

Having suckled at the teet of local residents more than adequately this year, Austin Energy's spitting out a little back next year. more ›

Pending a vote by the Austin City Council tomorrow, Congress Avenue Bridge is to be renamed in honor of Ann Richards, Texas' 45th Governor who passed away in September. [Excerpted from our previous post] From humble beginnings in Waco, Texas, Richards went on to attend Baylor University on a debate scholarship, later marrying high school sweetheart David Richards and settling in Austin. She began her political career by campaigning for such respected Texas Democrats... more ›

• Median household yearly income in Austin: $48,267 [link]
• Equivalent purchasing power, adjusted for cost of living here: $53,275 [link]
• Money Magazine's average: $43,961 [link]
• National average yearly salary of an "Associate Store Team Leader" at Austin-based Whole Foods: $73,061 [link]
• Amount Texas collected in sales tax revenue in June of 2006: $1.49 billion [link]
• Percentage increase from last year: 15.6 [link]
• Cost of new Lakeline Station project -- including up to 3,000 homes and 150,000 square feet of retail space -- in northwest Austin, near 183 and 620: $400 million [link]
• Estimated number of years to complete: 8 [link]
• Size of Austin's labor force, as of May 2006: 826,197 [link]
• Total weight of air cargo shipped through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in May, in pounds: 93 million [link]
• Rank of ABIA among 19 small airports in J.D. Power and Associates' 2006 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, form the bottom: 3 [link]
• Maximum grant to be given to a local arts organization by the City’s Cultural Arts Funding Program: $25,000 [link]
• Number of works of art in the Blanton Museum collection: 17,000 [link]
• Number of state parks that may have to say "Adios, Mofo" if recent budget cuts ordered by Governor Perry are implemented: 18 [link]
• Total distance, in miles, to be swum by Austinites David Broyles and Rush Vann across the shark-infested Straits of Gibraltar, from the coast of Spain to Morocco, to raise money for US veterans: 13 [link]
• Total distance, in miles, covered by Pure Austin fitness trainer Shawn Bostad during last week's 12-hour treadmill marathon: 70.4 [link]
• Estimated capacity of renovated Austin Music Hall, after expansion work: 7,000 [link]
• Top capacity of The Backyard, for general admission shows: 4,500 [link]
• Minimum number of Austin "bands" on Myspace: 10,000 [link]
• Number of fans claimed by Shaven Ass-Hair Mustache, a "Psychobilly/Death Metal/Afro-beat" band: 1 [link]

Austinites who frequent the Town Lake shores may be in for a nice change of scenery - half a decade from now. Pending a vote by the City Council this afternoon and public approval later this year, the John Henry Faulk Central Library at Eighth and Guadalupe is slated to be replaced by a brand new 300,000 sq ft facility where the Green Water Treatment Plant now resides, mere blocks west of City Hall... more ›

F R I D A Y [ 2 7 ] [music] Explosions in the Sky, Octopus Project and A Hawk and a Hacksaw at Emo's (Sold Out!) [music] Brandi Carlile at Cactus Cafe (9pm) [music] Zilla featuring Michael Travis (String Cheese Incident) at Stubb's [music] Shake Your Ass Record Release Party with Chili Cold Blood, This Damn Town, Possessed By Paul James, Black Joe Lewis & Cool Breeze at Beerland [music] Chant, Exit, and... more ›

This weekend, the Austin History Center hosts their annual All Austin Holiday Sale at their headquarters on 9th and Guadalupe. Housed in a stately old building built back in 1933, their mission is to serve as the central repository of manuscripts and various other materials that constitute an archive of our local history. In a city where a significant percentage of the population is transitory, organizations like the AHC are vital in fostering an... more ›

This weekend the Austinist finds itself with two opportunities to pick up some great books and historical treasures. more ›