Waller Creek
Waller Creek at Symphony Square
Location
CountryUnited States
Physical characteristics
MouthLady Bird Lake
 • location
Austin, Texas
 • coordinates
30°15′34″N 97°44′30″W / 30.25936°N 97.74172°W / 30.25936; -97.74172
Length6.73 mi (10.83 km)

Waller Creek is a stream and an urban watershed in Austin, Texas, United States. Named after Edwin Waller, the first mayor of Austin, it has its headwaters near Highland Mall and runs in a southerly direction, through the University of Texas at Austin and the eastern part of downtown Austin, including the Red River Cultural District, to its end at Lady Bird Lake.

Hemphill Creek merges with Waller Creek just south of Dean Keeton St.

Historical Route

Street map of the 1839 Austin City Plan, showing the historical route of Waller Creek through downtown Austin

Prior to 1929, the route of Waller Creek had a bulge in it, between second and third streets, that extended to present day IH35. This bulge can be seen going around Block 12 in the 1839 Waller Plan.[1]

In 1929 the creek was rerouted to its present route to allow for the creation of what is now known as Palm Park, one block east of the present day Austin Convention Center.[2][3] Palm Park, in turn, was named after the nearby Palm School, which was a city run elementary school that operated from 1887 to 1976 and, in fact, was the largest elementary school in Austin in 1928.[4]

Notable Events

On the evening April 22, 1915, 10.29 inches of rain fell in downtown Austin causing Waller Creek and nearby Shoal Creek to flood, causing 40 deaths and an estimated US$2 million in damages ($60 million 2023 USD).[5][6][7][8] Numerous bridges were washed out as were all of Austin's gravel highways.[9] Some of the washed out bridges wouldn't be replaced for another 15 years[10]

In 1969, to make way for the expansion of the Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, a portion of San Jacinto Boulevard needed to be moved 65 feet to the west, which necessitated the destruction of 39 live oak trees. Upon learning of these plans 50 sign-carrying students from the University of Texas at Austin led a protest, blocking crews from commencing work through the use of tree sitting, among other things. On October 22, 1969, an editorial published in The Daily Texan included a petition slip that could be cut out and signed, which resulted in many more University of Texas students voicing their objections. Campus police were then mobilized, the protestors were forcibly removed, 27 were arrested, and the destruction of the trees commenced.[11][12]

In 1974 the Austin Symphony Orchestra entered into a 50 year lease for a block of land between 11th and 12th streets, through which Waller Creek flows, that would later become known as Symphony Square. Although this block of land already contained at least one historic house, namely that of Jeremiah J. Hamilton, a slave turned Texas legislator,[13] several other historic buildings were relocated to Symphony Square.[14][15] In 2021, a portion of Symphony Square saw the commencement of a construction project for a 33-story residential tower called The Waller.[16][17][18]

In 1998 the City of Austin voters approved of a $25 million bond package to build a mile long stormwater drainage tunnel from Waterloo Park, which is bordered by 12th street on the south, to Lady Bird Lake along the route of Waller Creek. Construction lasted from 2011[19] to 2018[20] and ballooned in cost to $161 million.[21] Alleging missing rebar and the use of poor quality concrete that wouldn't stand up to unusually large floods the City of Austin then sought $22.3 million from the tunnels developer.[19] The tunnel, itself, has a diameter that varies between 22.5 and 26.5 ft[22]

In 2022, construction began on a 74-story, 1,022 ft tall mixed use tower called Waterline, which, upon completion, will be the tallest building in Texas. This building is being built on the banks of Waller Creek, south of Cesar Chavez St[23]

References

  1. ↑ File:Austin Street Map, 1839.jpg
  2. ↑ "Rector's Park Plan". Austin American-Statesman. June 16, 1929. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "East Austin". Austin American-Statesman. March 25, 1928. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "History of Palm School". waterloo greenway. March 26, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Flood damage $2,000,000 at Austin; believed more than 40 persons drown". Austin American-Statesman. April 24, 1915. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Flood damage $2,000,000 at Austin; believed more than 40 persons drown". Austin American-Statesman. April 24, 1915. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Child Finds Body of Boy Downed in Waller Creek Flood". Austin American-Statesman. May 9, 1915. p. 11 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Austin Woman Remembers 1915 Waller Creek Flood". Austin American-Statesman. February 5, 1972. p. 5 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Damages to Bridges and Streets $300,000 estimate by experts". Austin American-Statesman. April 24, 1915. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Red River Street Bridge Due to Open This Week". Austin American-Statesman. September 21, 1930. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Nicar, Jim (November 12, 2013). "The Battle of Waller Creek".
  12. ↑ "Trees Fall at UT Despite Protestors". Austin American-Statesman. October 23, 1969. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Hamilton House in Symphony Square tells story of former slave turned legislator". The Daily Texan. October 9, 2017.
  14. ↑ "History of Symphony Square". waterloo greenway. August 14, 2019.
  15. ↑ "A Home for Culture: The Symphony Square". Austin American-Statesman. March 12, 1972. pp. F1 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Rambin, James (August 26, 2021). "It's Cranes Up for the Waller at Symphony Square in Downtown Austin". Austin TOWERS.
  17. ↑ Rambin, James (May 2, 2019). "East of the Capitol, Symphony Square's Getting Taller Very Carefully". Austin TOWERS.
  18. ↑ "Symphony Square". Greystar Real Estate Partners.
  19. 1 2 Findell, Elizabeth. "City: Waller Creek Tunnel works, despite fight over construction flaws". Austin American-Statesman.
  20. ↑ Hammons, Adam (August 9, 2018). "Final phase of Waller Creek tunnel to be done by end of August". KEYE.
  21. ↑ "Waller Creek Tunnel is a 'boondoggle' says area businesses". March 9, 2018.
  22. ↑ Swaminathan, Ramesh (October 15, 2015). "Waller Creek Tunnel Operations" (PDF). City of Austin Watershed Protection.
  23. ↑ Rambin, James (March 29, 2022). "Downtown Austin's Record-Breaking 'Supertall' Tower Gets the Green Light". Austin TOWERS.
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