Exploring The History Of Lakeway, Texas

The city of Lakeway has a long and interesting history that dates back to about 3,000 BC. Of course, at this time, the area that is now known as Lakeway was nothing like how we know it to be today. Rather, the land was occupied by Indians, including the Tonkawas, who made pottery, and the Commanches. The Apaches and Mescaleros also occupied this area and, in the end, drove the Tonkawas away. Today, remnants of the Indians who were native to the Lakeway can still be found in the form of mounds and relics.

Of course, thanks to the ample streams, abundant wildlife and temperate climate, it did not take long for white settlers to move into the area as well. In 1843, German Immigrant John Henry Lohmann brought his family to the region. They selected a tract of land named Ridgetop, which is now home to the University of Texas. Lohmann went on to establish Travis County's first dairy, which housed just 11 cows. He continued to operate the farm, which supplied the entire Austin community, until 1861. At this time, he homesteaded a site along the river, on which he constructed a large stone house as well as five tenant cabins. Lohmann went on to expand his community in a variety of ways, including developing a private road and a ford for crossing the river.

In 1854, Wiley Hudson and his family settled on 4,000 acres of land located near the Colorado River. Benjamin K. Stewart also purchased 1,500 acres or riverfront property, on which he built a homestead on the area known as Vineyard Bay. Not only did Stewart operate a ranch on this property, but he also served in the militia and assisted with fighting off the Indians.

In the 1870s, a man by the name of Carl Beck began operating a store a store on Highway 71. Over time, a swarm of bees constructed a nest beneath the eave. As the nest grew, it took on the appearance of a cave. As passersby stopped to look at the cave, the area came to be known as Bee Cave.

In 1900, the Bee Cave and Teck were the two main communities in the area. The original name for Teck, however, was Eck Community, which was named in the honor of Leonard Eck. Eck operated a general store. When he applied for a post office to be in his store, the postal authorities required a name with at least four letters. Eck decided to add a "T" to the front of his name and was known as Teck from then on.