Austin

Austin, the capital of Texas, U.S., stands on the left bank of the Colorado River, and at the junction of several railroads, 166 miles W. by N. of Houston. The river here breaks through a range of hills upon which the city is built. Austin is the seat of a new State Capitol (1881-88), for the expenses of which three million acres of land were appropriated; it was built of red granite at a cost of 3½ million dollars, is the largest Capitol next after that of Washington, and is reputed the seventh largest building in the world. It also contains the State University (1883), banks, state asylums, &c., and has a miscellaneous trade. The city was named after Stephen F. Austin (q.v.). Pop. (1870) 4428; (1880) 11,013; (1890) 14,476.