 |
| Intersection of Robert E. Lee & Barton Springs Road |
After Texas was annexed as the 28th state in the Union, federal military used Austin's roads to reach the forts of Texas. One of these was Robert E. Lee Rd, which today intersects Barton Springs Rd., near the entrance to Zilker Park. From downtown Austin (which at that time was largely north of the river) troops would have "crossed at the foot of Shoal Creek, at the shoals in the river, the old crossing, followed the river road to Barton Creek, and went west along the south bank of Barton [Creek], out to Fort Mason and points west" (Barkley, 1963).
Before Robert E. Lee road was a road, it was likely an old Indian trail. Of Barton Springs, Brune (1975) says "this was a gathering place for the Caddo, Tonkawa, Apache, and Comanche Indians. An old Comanche Indian trail from Bandera County to Nacogdoches passed here".
In 2018 it was one of several roads with Confederate ties that were renamed. Robert E. Lee Road was renamed to Azie Morton Road. Quoting an a KXAN article, "The new street name honors former U.S. Treasurer Azie Taylor Morton. She was the first and only African-American to serve as the nation’s treasurer. Morton was also known for swimming in protest at a once-segregated Barton Springs."
Part of the process of considering the name change was to look at Robert E. Lee's historical connection to the road (if any), and to Austin in general. The general conclusion: Robert E. Lee was probably never actually in Austin (despite stories to the contrary). Nor was he ever at Fort Croghan in Burnet, TX (a confusion with another Lee). For more on this see links to several articles, a collaboration with various historians and Michael Barnes.
Did Robert E. Lee ever take Robert E. Lee road?
Was Robert E. Lee ever in Austin?
No comments:
Post a Comment