It’s hard to imagine a time when it was difficult to convince folks to move to Austin — after all, the Capital City only recently let go of a 12-year streak as the fastest-growing large metro area in America.
However, in 1943, when Austin’s population was fewer than 100,000, the Austin Chamber of Commerce was eager to attract new residents. Their efforts are memorialized in a campaign called “Austin, The Friendly City,” which includes a promotional video that now serves as a local time capsule.
So, what was it like to move to Austin 81 years ago? The film opens with the Smith family crossing into city limits after a “long, hard drive.” High school student Betty is hopeful to make new friends, and young Billy is excited about future fishing trips with his dad.
The family’s first stop is a cordial reception by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which was promised to every new resident within a month of their arrival. They’re also greeted by Governor Coke R. Stevenson, who places his ten-gallon hat atop little Billy’s head. As a party favor, each newcomer takes home “a big sack full” of Austin-made products for their pantry. Talk about a warm welcome.
The Smiths then begin to survey their new city, and activities on their exploration are pretty similar to what Austinites enjoy today. The kids probe embedded fossils in the Travis County Courthouse, “feel the air of old world mystery” as they peruse the Elisabet Ney Museum, and take a photo in front of Treaty Oak.
However, some parts of the city are nearly unrecognizable. The film’s narrator asks “Would you believe that this was once a cow pasture?” as a photo of East Avenue flashes across the screen. It’s described as “a pleasure to the eye,” but today, we know it as Interstate Highway 35.
Think it’s wild that I-35 once looked like this? It gets stranger: this snowy photo from 1937 was taken in November.
Photo courtesy of Austin History Center, Austin Public Library
We also get a glimpse of West 15th Street, which was tree-lined and free of any traffic congestion, and St. Edward’s University, an all-boys school at the time.
UT Austin’s stadium also looks a bit different, with only enough room for about 45,000 fans. After years of expansions, Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is now more than twice that size. However, some things remain the same, as the Texas Cowboys “add color and fire to the game.”
Of course, the Smiths also visit beloved landmarks like Deep Eddy Pool, Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, the Lions Municipal Golf Course (one of only three “fine” courses in the city at the time), and Mount Bonnell.
It’s unclear why “The Friendly City” nickname didn’t stick, but today, Austin’s friendliness is... disputed. Bat City sits at No. 13 on Southern Living’s list of the friendliest cities in the South, but also landed the No. 16 spot in a Preply study ranking the rudest cities in the US.
Though friendliness is debatable, one thing remains true: many of your favorite pastimes were also loved by locals in 1943. So, the next time you feel the urge to complain about the city changing, let this be your reminder to stay friendly — the Austin way.
