From the Statesman archives: Walsh family keeps popping up in compelling Austin history
Some family names pop up with regularity in the American-Statesman archives.
Walsh is one of them.
In this column on April 20, members of the Walsh family were recorded as selling their land in what became Davenport Ranch in the Westlake area to Osceola Heard Davenport, a wealthy Rio Grande Valley widow of an oilman. That 1947 sale was part of the background for a story about the devastating 1961 Davenport Ranch brush fire, which still haunts some residents of that rugged country.
More on Austin history: From the Statesman archives: April 1961 wildfire devastated Davenport Ranch
Before that, on Feb. 24, this column covered the disastrous collapse of the Austin Dam during a Colorado River flood in 1900. Much of the land on either side of the dam, in what is now Tarrytown, Westlake and Davenport Ranch, belonged to the Walsh family, who manufactured lime from the limestone over fires fueled by the abundant mountain junipers in the area.
And on March 23, the city of Austin honored the family patriarch, William Walsh (1837-1908) with an interpretive marker at Walsh Boat Landing. This scenic spot on Lake Austin that is known for its fishing, boating and picnicking was originally dedicated in William's honor in 1957.
"William Walsh grew up in Limerick and County Kerry, Ireland, but left his home country during the Great Famine," the new historical marker reads. "Following several years of service in the British Navy, young William came to the U.S. just before the Civil War and joined the Union Navy. Afterward, he assisted in building federal forts in Texas, including Fort McKavett and Fort Clark, among others."
Walsh and his descendants produced lime for structures throughout Texas at lime kilns located in Austin, Round Rock and McNeil. Many readers will remember signs for the Round Rock White Lime Company. It was one of the largest lime manufacturers in Texas during its peak operations.
In addition, Walsh lent his name to a settlement near McNeil which has not appeared on regular highway maps more than 80 years, according to the Handbook of Texas Online.
"In the late 1800s, his company supplied stone and lime to buildings, including the Texas State Capitol, St. Edward's University and St. Mary's Cathedral in Austin," the marker reads. "Known for its purity, Walsh's lime won the Gold Medal at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair."
Were those news narratives — fire, flood and a new historical marker — not enough, several members of the Walsh family contacted me with some more amazing stories, some of them quite sad.
"William Walsh had lived and processed lime at his place above the dam since 1874, before that at Mt. Bonnell," writes Chris Walsh. "Family stories say he testified in front of the City Council about the unsound nature of the dam. He suggested relieving pressure by irrigating downstream."
While no family members were among the reported dead or missing, the conditions after the flood prompted the Walshes to move.
"Sure enough the dam broke and the family stories abound about the unhealthy conditions along the river after the break," Chris Walsh continues. "One child died of typhoid, another died of tuberculosis, and with the death of the third child, they moved up to their quarries to around Round Rock. Much of the family remained in Austin."
Walsh Boat Landing was the site of the family's homestead both before and after the dam collapse in 1900.
"William Walsh continued conducting business and attending church in Austin until his death in 1908," writes Chuck Munson, another history-minded family member. "Much of the Tarrytown property stayed in the family but the Depression and subdivisions eroded most of the holdings until my grandfather, Edward Walsh, worked with then Mayor Tom Miller to deed about four and one half acres to the city in 1957.
"The city determined the property would be ideal for boat operations on the lake."
Send your tips or questions about Austin history to mbarnes@statesman.com.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Walsh family of Austin and Round Rock left deep imprint on the area
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