A few Caches in Austin 5/12/2010

This morning we drove into Austin again to get a few caches before it got to hot. First cache was down on 6th Street, which we blogged about earlier in the week. The cache was in tribute to a band Tokio Hotel??????? and after we found it I took a few more pictures on 6th St.

Next cache was at the French Legation and was a virtual cache having to do with who used to own the land this building was on. Unfortunately it wasn't open when we visited so we couldn't get any pictures of it seeing as it is the oldest standing frame structure in Austin. On March 2, 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico with David G. Burnet acting as interim president of the newly established Republic of Texas. That fall, Sam Houston became the first official President of The Republic of Texas, setting up his government’s capitol in Houston. In 1839 the government of King Louis Philippe, constitutional monarch of France, sent a representative to this new nation to determine whether it should be officially recognized as a sovereign nation through treaties with France. The representative was a young man named Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, a secretary at the French Legation in Washington, D.C., the capitol of the United States.
Dubois quickly recognized that The Republic of Texas could be a source for France's sparse cotton supply and that a future relationship with the Texians would provide “a glorious opportunity” for France. A Treaty of Amity, Navigation, and Commerce was signed on September 25, 1839, officially recognizing The Republic of Texas as an independent nation and declaring the two countries to be allies. For his part in the process, Dubois was promoted to “chargé d’affaires” to Texas.
Dubois claimed to have visited both San Antonio and Nacogdoches during his first visit while finding time for a vacation in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was soon sent back into Texas to establish a Légation de la Republique Française, or French diplomatic post, in the Capital City. By the time he reached the new capitol in September, 1840, Mirabeau Lamar had become President of The Republic of Texas. President Lamar created a new city at Waterloo to serve as the seat of government. This Capital City, the settlement of Austin, was a new frontier for the Texians and for Dubois.
Austin in 1840 was a town of unpaved streets, tents, and log cabins. Dubois did strive to live in the most lavish style possible on the frontier, seeking to impress the Texians and other European diplomats with the culture of France while fundraising for both nations. Dubois successfully negotiated new terms of trade between France and Texas while in Austin. He also campaigned to push through the acceptance of the Franco-Texian Bill of 1841, which would create a corporation to explore and settle West Texas, importing more than 5,000 French colonists within eight years. Despite his efforts, the bill was never passed. Most of his diplomatic work was completed while living in a rented cabin near the intersection of Guadalupe and Pecan (6th) Streets. During this time, he purchased 22 acres just east of downtown and began construction of a fine, wood-framed, pine structure to serve as his Legation and home.
Construction was slow and the French Legation remained a work-in-progress for over a year. In the spring of 1841 the structure and outbuildings were completed, however, due to the Pig War Dubois left Austin before settling in. Within nine months, Sam Houston was re-elected President of The Republic of Texas and soon reinstated Houston as the Capital. Dubois again established his Legation in Texas, this time sharing space with the English chargé d’affaires in Houston. In December 1842, Houston’s agents attempted to retrieve all governmental records from Austin, an incident known as the Texas Archive War. Two years later Anson Jones, original owner of the French Legation property (Outlot One), became the final President of The Republic of Texas. He negotiated the annexation of The Republic of Texas by the United States of America in December 1845. In February 1846 all power was transferred to the State of Texas and the United States of America. As a state in the union, Texas was no longer the host for foreign diplomats. Dubois returned to France until his next assignment.
The French Legation structure remained standing in Austin. The home served as headquarters and residence to Father Jean-Marie Odin while he worked to regain Texian missions for the Catholic Church in the 1840s. Other private owners inhabited the home until 1940, including the Robertson family who owned the home for over one-hundred years. Miss Lillie Robertson kept the home open for curious visitors and hosted many meetings, including those for The Daughters of The Republic of Texas, within the walls of the former French Legation. In 1949, the State of Texas purchased the French Legation from the Robertson heirs and, under the custodianship of The Daughters of The Republic of Texas, the French Legation Museum opened to the public in 1956.

Then it was back to the Texas State Cemetery for another virtual cache regarding Barbara Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) who was an American politician from Texas. She served as a congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. Jordan campaigned for the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and 1964. Her persistence won her a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966, becoming the first African American state senator since 1883 and the first black woman to serve in that body. Re-elected to a full term in the Texas Senate in 1968, she served until 1972. She was the first African-American female to serve as president pro tem. of the state senate and served one day, June 10, 1972, as acting governor of Texas.
In 1972, she was elected to the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first black woman from a Southern state to serve in the House. She received extensive support from former President Lyndon Johnson, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee. In 1974, she made an influential, televised speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.
Jordan was mentioned as a possible running mate to Jimmy Carter in 1976,[1], and that year she became the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Her speech in New York that summer was ranked 5th in "Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century" list and was considered by many historians to have been the best convention keynote speech in modern history. Despite not being a candidate Jordan received one delegate vote for president at the convention.
Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became an adjunct professor teaching ethics at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She again was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1992.
In 1995, Jordan chaired a Congressional commission that advocated increased restriction of immigration, called for all U.S. residents to carry a national identity card and increased penalties on employers that violated U.S. immigration regulations. Then-President Clinton endorsed the Jordan Commission's proposals.[4] While she was Chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform she argued that "it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.” Her stance on immigration is cited by opponents of current US immigration policy who cite her willingness to penalize employers who violate US immigration regulations, to tighten border security, and to oppose amnesty or any other pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants[5] and to broaden the grounds for the deportation of legal immigrants.

Then it was off to a Auditorium Shores Park that ran along the Colorado River for another virtual cache having to do with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie Ray Vaughan (born Stephen Ray Vaughan; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Eighteen albums of Vaughan's work have been released.
Vaughan was inspired to play guitar by his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan, and was influenced by such players as Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. After a few years as a sideman in and around Austin, Vaughan formed the band Double Trouble, with whom he made four successful studio albums and established a reputation as one of the foremost blues guitarists in the world. He was noted for using the Fender Stratocaster, with several guitars being made in tribute to Vaughan, including a Signature Stratocaster and a replica of his famous Strat named "Lenny". In 1986, after years of substance abuse from alcohol and cocaine, he spent a month in drug rehabilitation, and remained clean and sober for the final four years of his life, until his death in 1990 from a helicopter accident.
On February 22, 2000, Vaughan was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C., being only one of only 79 performers to be inducted. He also won several W. C. Handy Awards, during his lifetime and posthumously, including Entertainer of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year in 1984. In 2003, he was ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Classic Rock Magazine ranked him #3 in their list of the 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes in 2007.
Vaughan was born on October 3, 1954, in Dallas, Texas, the son of 26-year-old Martha Jean Vaughan (15 June 1928 - 13 June 2009), and Jimmie Lee Vaughan (6 September 1921 - 27 August 1986), a soldier from Rockwall, Texas.
For Christmas 1963, Stevie received a western toy guitar made by Sears and learned to play songs like "Wine, Wine, Wine" and "Thunderbird" by Texan garage rock band The Nightcaps. His brother, Jimmie Vaughan, was three years older and was his first big influence. According to the Vaughan biography Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire, Stevie developed his own style in direct competition with Jimmie.
After falling into a barrel of grease while working for a fast food restaurant, Vaughan vowed to be only a musician. He dropped out of Kimball High School in 1971 and moved to Austin with his first band, an R&B band called Blackbird. He stayed with this band until late 1972.
In 1973, Vaughan joined the rock band Krackerjack for a few months, quitting when the group decided to wear makeup on stage. Marc Benno added him to his band The Nightcrawlers in late 1973, which included Doyle Bramhall with whom Vaughan began a longtime friendship. The band flew to Los Angeles to record a new album for A&M Records. A&M refused to release the album, leaving Stevie to travel back to Texas. In late 1974, he joined the popular Austin band Paul Ray & The Cobras, averaging five gigs a week for the next two-and-a-half years. They released a 45rpm record, his second appearance on vinyl, and won "Band of the Year" in an Austin music poll. The record, however, didn't attract major record labels.
In 1977, Vaughan left The Cobras and formed Triple Threat Revue with Lou Ann Barton on vocals, W.C. Clark on bass, Mike Kindred on keyboards, and Fredde Pharaoh on drums. Saxophone player Johnny Reno and bassist Jackie Newhouse joined Vaughan and Pharaoh to form Double Trouble, taking their name from an Otis Rush song. Chris "Whipper" Layton later replaced Pharaoh on drums. In early 1980, Double Trouble was booked at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City. According to Cleve Hattersly of the Austin band Greezy Wheels, Barton became drunk, "threw beer glasses and screamed at the waitresses". Barton announced that she was leaving Double Trouble to sing for Roomful of Blues.
Vaughan started using his full name to become known as Stevie Ray Vaughan. Double Trouble recorded a performance at The Steamboat 1874 in Austin, later released as In The Beginning in 1992. Tommy Shannon, who played Woodstock in 1969 with Johnny Winter, replaced Jackie Newhouse in January 1981. In July, the band played a festival in Manor, Texas. A film from the performance was given to The Rolling Stones by Double Trouble's manager Chesley Millikin. The Stones invited Double Trouble to play a private party at the New York City club Danceteria.
In early 1982, Double Trouble played a show at the Continental Club in Austin. Impressed by the band's performance, legendary music producer Jerry Wexler recommended the band to play the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Booked on an acoustic night, members of the audience booed.[23] Musician Jackson Browne gave the band three days of use at his own studio in Los Angeles, and the band recorded an album's worth of material in the fall of 1982. David Bowie also offered Stevie to play on his album Let's Dance, as well as his Serious Moonlight Tour.
In the spring of 1983, Vaughan opted out of Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour during the rehearsals to focus on Double Trouble. Producer John Hammond, who is credited with discovering Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen, got the band a record deal with Epic Records. The sessions from Jackson Browne's studio resulted in the band's debut album, Texas Flood, which was released on June 13, 1983. By the end of the year, Guitar Player Magazine voted Vaughan as Best New Talent and Best Electric Blues Guitar Player, and Texas Flood as Best Guitar Album.
The band's second album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, was released on May 15, 1984. On October 4, the day after Vaughan's thirtieth birthday, the band performed at New York City's Carnegie Hall with guests Jimmie Vaughan on guitar, Angela Strehli on vocals, Roomful of Blues horns, Dr. John on keyboards, and George Rains on drums. Vaughan also won two W.C. Handy National Blues Awards for Entertainer of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year.
Soul to Soul, their third studio album, was released on September 30, 1985, featuring new band member Reese Wynans on keyboards. By this time, Vaughan's problems with alcohol and cocaine escalated. In July 1986, the band recorded shows in Austin and Dallas for their first live album, Live Alive, released on November 15, 1986. While on tour in Europe and after years of substance abuse, Vaughan entered a clinic in London. He went under care of Dr. Victor Bloom, who had helped Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend with their problems of heroin addiction.[14] Vaughan was advised to enter a rehab clinic in Atlanta. The last thirteen dates of the tour were canceled, and Vaughan became clean and sober on October 13, 1986.
In the spring of 1987, MTV broadcast the band's show in Daytona Beach, Florida, as part of its spring break coverage. Vaughan appeared in the movie Back to the Beach, performing "Pipeline" with Dick Dale. He also appeared on B.B. King's Cinemax TV special with Eric Clapton, Albert King, and others.
In January 1989, the band performed at President George Bush's Inaugural party in Washington, D.C. Their fourth album, In Step, was released on June 6 and won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Record. On January 30, 1990, Vaughan performed "Pride and Joy," "Testify," and "Rude Mood" for MTV Unplugged on an acoustic twelve-string guitar. In the spring, Stevie and brother Jimmie recorded Family Style, which was released on September 25, 1990. By August 13, all five of Vaughan's and Double Trouble's albums were certified gold, each selling over 500,000 units.
On August 26, 1990, a sold out concert of 30,000 in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin featured an encore jam with Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan and Robert Cray. On August 27, shortly before 1:00 a.m., a helicopter carrying Vaughan en route to Chicago crashed within seconds after takeoff.
Four days later, funeral services were held at Laurel Land Memorial Park in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas, with over 1,500 people attending and 3,000 more outside the chapel. Brother Jimmie, mother Martha, and girlfriend Janna were in attendance. Among the mourners were Stevie Wonder, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Nile Rodgers.

Our last cache was at Zilker Park and a part of the park called Barton Springs. Barton Springs is a set of four natural water springs located on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas resulting from water flowing through the Edwards Aquifer. The largest spring, Main Barton Spring (also known as Parthenia, "the mother spring") supplies water to Barton Springs Pool, a popular recreational destination in Austin. The smaller springs are located nearby, two with man-made structures built to contain and direct their flow. The springs are the only known habitat of the Barton Springs Salamander, an endangered species. The Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum) is an endangered salamander that only lives in the environs of Barton Springs in Austin, Texas (USA). Barton Springs Salamanders are average sized (adults grow to approximately 2.5 inches in length) and have mottled coloration varying from darkish purple to light yellow.
Barton Springs is the main discharge point for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer of Texas, a well known karst aquifer. Geologically, the aquifer is composed of limestone from the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years old. Fractures, fissures, conduits, and caves have developed in this limestone. Both physical forces, such as faulting, and chemical forces, such as dissolution of limestone by infiltrating water, have enlarged these voids. This results in a karst aquifer made up of limestone with large void spaces. Water then enters the aquifer and fills the voids.
All water discharging from Barton Springs originates as rainfall. Some of this rain falls directly onto the area of land where the aquifer limestone rock is exposed, which is known as the recharge zone. Other rainfall enters into creeks that cross the recharge zone, and infiltrates the limestone bedrock. After water enters the aquifer, it flows along the gradients created by differences in hydraulic pressure into the area of lowest hydraulic pressure. This lowest point of hydraulic pressure is Barton Springs.
Main Barton Spring/Parthenia is the most famous, yet least visible of the four springs as it is completely submerged by pool water. Located near the diving board in Barton Springs Pool, the spring's flow is not always visible at the surface.
The main spring discharges an average flow of about 31 million US gallons per day. The lowest discharge ever recorded was 9 million gallons per day during the drought of the 1950s, and the highest discharge ever recorded was 85 million gallons per day during the December 1991 floods. By comparison, a typical domestic swimming pool holds about 50,000 US gallons, and the City of Austin, a city of about 775,000 residents, uses about 220 million US gallons per day for its public water supply system.
The cache had to do with the statue you see in the picture of 3 men sitting on a rock reading. J. Frank Dobie, Roy Bedichek and Prescott Webb were the 3 men and they all used to come to the park for years and sit on a rock and read. The rock was washed away by a huge flood in the 1960's and was replaced by the statue of the men on a rock.

That was it for the day and we were off back to the coach for the day to keep cool. Well until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Hugs and Kisses!!!! Mom & Dad Dori & Dick