Austin Dam 1893-1900

Typed on reverse: "The old Dam and Lake McDonald in all their glory, from 1890-1900." View looking north across dam, with Ben Hur steamboat, wharves, and Power House all visible

Workers installing granite blocks for construction of Austin Dam circa 1892. This image was created by J. Serdinka

Pump in river bed by old granite dam with work men, circa 1890s

Water flowing over the Lake Austin Dam, 1890s. Two people standing at the top, center of the dam.

View of water rushing over the Austin Dam, 1893-1900.

View of the broken Austin Dam with debris in the foreground, circa 1900.

View of the broken Austin Dam and the damaged building, circa 1900. Water is in the foreground.

View of the broken Austin Dam with people standing in the foreground looking at it, circa 1900.

View of railroad bridge alongside Austin Dam during construction, 1890s. Workers and a horse-drawn carriage are visible in the foreground.

Construction of Austin dam, with two rows of granite blocks installed in 1890s. Workers and equipment visible at both edges of the photograph

Construction of Austin Dam, with workers present in 1890s. The Dam Hotel is visible in center background. Pencil notation on reverse: "Old Dam and River around Mt. Bonnell."

Construction of Austin Dam, 1890s. Workers hauling supplies and equipment to site with horse-drawn carriages along dirt road.

View of Austin dam under construction, circa 1894. Two men are visible in the foreground

Early stages of the construction of the Austin Dam, with workers and a mule-drawn cart visible in the foreground, 1890s.

Water flowing over dam, with workers installing pipes at bottom of image, 1890s. A mule-drawn cart is visible.

Verso of postcard of the Austin dam dated 1899 addressed to Julia M. Pease

Black and white postcard view documenting the search for people who died during the Austin dam failure of 1900. The written caption reads "I helped to take out the first victim. Twas on a Sunday afternoon. I lost my fountain pen in there in this building somewhere."

Black and white postcard with a view of the Austin Dam before it failed in 1900. The Austin Dam failure, also referred to as "The Great Granite Dam" failure, was a catastrophic dam failure near Austin, Texas that killed several dozen people in 1900. The destruction of the dam drained the Lake McDonald reservoir and left the city of Austin without electrical power for a number of months. The city managed to complete the great granite dam in 1893 at a site just northwest of town. Standing sixty feet high and stretching nearly 1200 feet across the river, it was then one of the largest dams in the world. A. P. Wooldridge and other boosters of the project had originally envisioned harnessing the river to drive mill machinery directly, but the engineers they called in soon steered them toward the new technology of the day, and the powerhouse erected on the east bank of the river was filled with electrical dynamos that supplied current to Austin’s new network of electric streetcars, as well as to the “moonlight towers” the city acquired in 1895. The shores of the lake that formed behind the dam—named “Lake McDonald” for John McDonald, the mayor who had whipped up support for the project—attracted new residents and developers, while the waters of the lake itself drew those seeking respite from the Texas heat.

Water flowing over the Austin Dam; looking south over dam, 1890s. This image was created by S.B. Hill

Northern edge of the dam with water flowing over, 1890s. A crowd of onlookers is standing next to the power house. This image was created by H.R. Marks and George R. Berner

Workers constructing the Austin dam, January 1893. Stamped on reverse: "Made by Geo. H. Berner With H. R. Marks, Photographer, Austin, Texas."