By Ki Gray
Marble Falls is a small city on the shores of the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country. The city was founded in 1887 by General Adam R. Johnson, and incorporated in May of 1907. Marble Falls is located 47 miles northwest of Austin and 85 miles north of San Antonio, so it is centrally located and accessible from two large metropolitan areas.
Marble Falls is in the middle of the Highland Lakes chain, and after the construction of the dam which created Lake Marble Falls, the marble falls themselves were no longer visible, unless the lake levels were lowered by the Lower Colorado River Authority, which caused them to be visible in certain locations.
Marble Falls, frequently referred to as the Gateway to the Hill Country, was originally founded when Adam Rankin Johnson traveled down the Colorado from Fort Mason to see the “great falls”, as they were called at the time, and obtained land grants with the intention of settling near the falls, until he discovered the certificates were worthless and settled instead in Burnet with his wife Josephine, in 1861.
Johnson had intended to help build a great manufacturing community, powered by energy from the falls, but after settling with his wife in Burnet, joined the Confederate army, and was later blinded by a rifle ball in combat.
Johnson later was employed by the land office in Burnet for years, where his reputed excellent memory and his son’s help allowed him to overcome the limitations caused by his blindness and succeed in making land deals. In 1887, he finally purchased land in the Marble Falls area, and built a home for his family there. The home faced south, directly toward the majestic falls, and his family members gave him daily reports of their beauty so he could visualize them as he remembered them.
The community later thrived and became a cotton center, known as “The Blindman’s Town”, and Johnson’s home, named Liberty Hall, was later purchased by Orphelia “Birdie” Harwood and her husband George, in the early 1900s, and was later named Harwood house, but is still referred to as Liberty Hall or Liberty House by some.
The house was bought in 1946 by Bill and Eunice Hall, and their son, and is now a commercial building, but prior to their purchase of the home, “Birdie”, as Mrs. Harwood was called, was elected mayor of the community, and while teaching at the local school, loaned supplies to one of her students, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who later went on the fame as a political force in Texas and later the president of the United States. Johnson along with his family, is one of the most notable early residents of Marble Falls.
In 1970, home mail service began in Marble Falls, and Horseshoe Bay, a beautiful lakeside resort replete with a golf course and various water sports such as boating and canoeing, restaurants, and other facilities and activities, was built on the shores of the lake. Lake Marble Falls itself was created in the forties by the construction of Buchanan Dam, along with Starke and Wirtz Dams, and the other Highland Lakes were created around the same time, by damming the waters of the Colorado River.
Lake LBJ is also very close to the city of Marble Falls, and two of the dams used to partially create Lake Marble Falls were rebuilt in the year 2000. Earlier, in 1980, a new high school was built to improve the academic performance of the area students, and ten years later, the internet was introduced in Marble Falls, allowing even more access to reference materials for the residents of the growing community.
Today, Marble Falls is an established community. The yearly Lakefest in August draws throngs of visitors, as do various attractions including numerous restaurants, a movie theater, many R.V. parks, a public golf course called Meadowlakes, and a plethora of gift shops, antique stores, bed and breakfast inns, and a variety of unique local attractions.
Marble Falls has a large community of retirees, as well as residents who spend their winters in the town, due to its mild climate. Some of the popular local restaurants include the Blue Bonnet Cafe and Russo’s Texitally Cafe, and Rockhopper’s Family Fun Center offers miniature golf and other games and sports.
If peaceful, rural living, as well as scenic beauty and numerous amenities are your cup of tea, come to Marble Falls and experience the best Texas has to offer!
Ki is a real estate agent working in the Austin Texas real estate market. He provides information on his site about Marble Falls real estate along with a search of the Austin MLS.
5 Reasons To Consider Real Estate Training
By James Steele
Lately all the economic news has been going from bad to worse around the world and people a scared about another depression heading our way. Why would anyone want to consider training to become a real estate agent at this time? Well, the truth is that while there is nothing we can do to change the immediate turmoil, we can implement actions that will improve our future.
Real estate is not going away. Yes, the markets are a little more than down and out, but overall the housing industry is like Rocky and now matter how big of a beating it takes, it will stagger back onto its feet and end up victorious. This article is going to take a look at why real estate training is still a good idea to consider.
First, your competition is disappearing. Over the boom of the last decade, everyone and their grandmother decided that they could get rich buying and selling real estate too. Now we are seeing all the part timers and pseudo professionals disappear, and the real estate world is primed to prune itself down to the true professional brokers and companies. This means there will be much more business to go around for well trained agents that add value to the real estate transaction.
Second, you can diversify your income and career opportunities. With the collapse of the financial markets spilling over into main street business, many companies are cutting back on hiring and shedding jobs. Real estate training will allow you exposure into new fields such as commercial property, rental property management, and home appraisal, which can be done as part time work for extra income. And in the scenario to your current job is terminated, you will have much wider options and a deeper resume to show.
Third, the bottom is coming and so is the time to buy. No one can time the market and no one is saying that real estate has turned the corner yet, but analyst estimate that housing will stabilize and begin to pick up sometime in the next year.
By planning for your future and beginning training for real estate now, you will be ready to take advantage of the market turnaround when it happens. You do not want to wait and begin your training when everyone else is already diving back in because you will miss out on the early part of the resurgence.
Fourth, real estate is still the greatest creator of wealth out there. The home is still the biggest investment most people make in their life. If you are at the heart of understanding how that investment works, then any real estate classes and seminars you attend now can pay off for years and years to come.
Remember that planning for the future means seeing beyond the present and taking action. Real estate training now, can have a big impact on the future of your career and investing experience.
James provides information about the real estate training through his real estate training guide.
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Gardening in Central Texas
By Jill Black
Gardening can be a tricky proposition for new comers to central Texas. At first glance, it seems that the long summer would be ideal for growing all kinds of fantastic items, but in fact no. The heat is too intense, the rain too infrequent, to support most of what northerners consider viable summer crops.
If you insist upon gardening in the summer, you must plant early. Long-maturing crops, that is crops that need 90-120 days, are best for summer gardens. The average last freeze date in Austin is March 18. With that in mind, plant the following from mid-February to mid-March:
* Beets
* Your cole crops, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi
* Carrots
* Chard
* Garlic
* Okra
* Onion
* Parsley
* Radishes
* Spinach
* Turnips
* Asparagus
April to May is good for corn, cucumbers (if you are brave enough to even try), beans, peas, tomato and pepper transplants, and watermelon. You’ll find that more traditional southern crops, like okra, greens, and black-eyed peas, are generally more resistant to hot temperatures and low moisture.
Simply adhering to the schedule will not necessarily ensure your success. Before planting, preparing your beds by tilling or working them by hand is critical to aerating the soil. Try planting the same day or the day after you have prepared your beds, to prevent tiny weeds that have been brought to the surface by your ministrations from germinating and becoming a nuisance.
You’ll also need to add nutrients to the soil. Compost is one of your best fertilizers and can be made at home or purchased from garden supply stores. One garden shopping gem in Austin is the Natural Gardener on Old Bee Caves road. There, you can buy a wide variety of organic composts in a more economical bag-it-yourself format.
Once you have planted your seeds or transplants, you really must well mulch them to protect them from the harsh Texas sun. After planting, cover with at least 3 inches of mulch, though the amount you use varies according to the type of mulch being employed. The best mulches include shredded cedar, hardwood bark, or native tree trimmings, as well as leaves or compost. Even hay can be an effective mulch if used in sufficient quantities. Mulch protects the soil from the extreme temperatures, shades out weeds, conserves moisture, and helps supply nutrients to the soil.
Winter gardening may be an easier pursuit, because of the more gentile climate. The average first freeze date in Austin is November 22, so vegetables that mature in 30-70 days are ideal for fall planting. September is a good time to plant from seeds the following: beans, the cole crops, carrots, cucumbers, summer squash and potatoes. If you hanker after corn, pumpkins, or winter squash, plant those seeds in early August. You can put mustard greens, onions, radishes, spinach, and turnips in through early to late November.
Before planting your winter garden, you should amend the soil with a good few inches of compost, again working by hand or tilling so that the soil is well aerated. If you are planting seedlings, you need to shade your soil so that they won’t be instantly fried. Cool off the soil like this for a few days before planting. When you are ready to plant, do not set your transplants out in full sun in dry soil. Without recent rain, you need to well water your soil for a least a day or two before planting.
And again, don’t forget to heavily mulch. Leaves, grass, or any of the mulches mentioned above will help keep your newly planted beds at a reasonable temperature until your seedlings can really take root.
Jill works with Inside Houston Real Estate. Their site provides information on Houston area neighborhoods and the general information about Houston real estate and Clear Lake Real Estate.
