East Metro Park is a Travis County Park located at 8706 Blake Manor Road, just south of Manor. The 273-acre East Metropolitan Park is a multiple-use recreational area with recreational facilities.
When the Travis County Historical Commission visited the park in 2018 they made a surprising discovery: the park was once the home to the Hayden Springs School, AKA Sandy Hayden School. Hayden Springs School was a late 19th / early 20th century African American school that has largely been lost to Travis County's history. The school was in operation from about 1884 to 1928. Also in the park is a two-room "tenant shack". Aerial photos of the area show the two-room structure has been at its current location since at least 1937. It is still unclear as to whether the tenant-shack was built in-place or moved to its current location.
If you have information on Hayden Springs School, we'd love to hear from you! Please leave a detailed voice mail message at (512) 854-9575 or send an email to traviscountyhistorical@gmail.com
As of December 2022 a CLG grant to research Hayden Springs community at large is being wrapped up with a report pending.
Photos
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| Location of school in today's park |
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| 1898-1902 County Road Map that led to discovery of school |
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| Two-room tenant shack in park. Could this be the old Hayden Springs School? |
