Category Archives: People
Let There Be Luminarias!
Updated in December 2023 Since 1994, luminarias have been a highlight of the holidays in our neighborhood, and this year is no exception. Thanks to the generosity of many Brentwood and Crestview neighbors, Arroyo Seco once again will glow with candlelight on the evenings of December 22-25, 2023. Brentwood neighbors started the luminaria project to celebrate the 1993 planting of more than 250 trees along Arroyo Seco and Hancock Creek between Koenig and Justin. (More … Read more
A Few Stories About Street Names, Part 2
Updated September 25, 2023 Copyright 2011-2023 Susan Burneson. All rights reserved. Please talk with us before reproducing any website content. Our series on Central Austin street names—how they were named and what some of them once were called—continues. KAREN AVENUE—Named for a niece of Dr. Joseph S. Koenig. (See Koenig Lane, below.) KOENIG LANE—The first known description of the street appeared in the Austin American-Statesman on November 21, 1936: “the public lane sometimes known as … Read more
A Few Stories About Street Names, Part 1
Copyright 2011 Susan Burneson. All rights reserved. Please talk with us before reproducing any website content. Over the years, as we’ve talked with neighbors and looked into public records, we’ve learned how some of our Central Austin streets came to be named and what some of them once were called. Here’s Part 1 of what we’ve gathered so far. We invite you to share what you know about neighborhood streets by sending us an email … Read more
The Gift Must Always Move
With Thanksgiving coming up, we’d like to acknowledge just a few of all who have encouraged us in our Voices of the Violet Crown community/history project, especially since 2007: Neighbors, friends, and family, who purchased copies of our film A Community Mosaic and book From Abercrombie to the Violet Crown, and Crestview Shopping Center businesses that helped sell them—Crestview Barber Shop, Crestview Beauty Salon, and Crestview Pharmacy. Texas Oral History Association, for acknowledging our project … Read more
A Salute to Violet Crown Veterans, Part 2
Updated 2018 Our special series for Veterans Day concludes with stories about Bob Harwood, Ben Petmecky, and Emory Muehlbrad and video clips of John Carlson and Bill Williamson talking about veterans settling in Crestview as it was being developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. BOB HARWOOD Bob was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service in the Army during World War II. He enlisted in February 1942 and served in … Read more
A Salute to Violet Crown Veterans, Part 1
Updated 2022 In honor of Veterans Day, the next two blog posts feature military veterans who were among the first neighbors in Brentwood and Crestview more than 60 years ago. Most of them remained here for the rest of their lives. Here are a few stories of their service. BILL WILLIAMSON, AL KIRBY, AND JOHN CARLSON You can read more about Bill here, Al here, and John here. We interviewed Bill on October 7, 2007; … Read more