What’s in a Name?
The History Behind East Austin Streets
Words by Sam Lauron
The monotonous routine of a daily commute makes it easy to overlook the simple things one may see while driving down the same roads day after day. But with East Austin’s rich history, it comes as no surprise that there’s a story lingering on every street corner.
Richard Overton Avenue
Formerly named Hamilton Avenue, Richard Overton Avenue was renamed in 2017 to honor Richard Overton, the longest living World War II veteran in the United States. After returning home from war, Mr. Overton built his house on this street and lived there for more than 70 years before his death on December 27, 2018, at age 112.
Ed Bluestein Boulevard
A lineman on the UT football team in the 1920s, Ed Bluestein spent his career as an engineer for the Texas Highway Department, now the Texas Department of Transportation. During this time, he oversaw the initial construction of Interstate 35 throughout Central Texas. After he retired in the 60s, the City of Austin named a portion of Highway 183 in East Austin after him.
Govalle Avenue
The Govalle neighborhood was originally named by the first Swedish immigrant in Texas, Swante Magnus Svenson. He developed the land in the area and named it “GaValla” which is a Swedish term that translates into “good grazing land.” Svenson eventually became the largest landowner in Texas at the time, owning more than 100,000 acres of land across the state.
Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street
Robert T. Martinez Jr. was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty on February 25, 1989. Shortly after Martinez’s death, Canadian Street was renamed on May 25, 1989. The street starts at East 7th Street and extends all the way to Riverview Street.
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
In 1975, seven years following Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic death, East 19th Street was renamed to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The name change resulted in the formation of the West 19th Street Association, a group that protested the change arguing that it would have a negative impact on their 19th Street businesses. The city ultimately won the debate, and the street that runs from I-35 to Highway 183 was renamed.
Rosewood Avenue
Rosewood Avenue houses Rosewood Park which is best known for hosting community gatherings. Buildings like Doris Miller Auditorium and Delores Duffie Recreation Center rest on its land. The namesake of Doris Miller Auditorium is a Texas native and World War II hero who, due to his heroic actions, became the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross. This recognition was the third highest honor awarded by the US Navy at the time.
Delores Duffie Recreation Center was formerly known as the Bertram-Huppertz Building, purchased by Rudolph Bertram for his family in 1875. The City of Austin later bought the land and developed it into a space for afterschool programming, recreational activities, and community events. The building is now named after longtime East Austin resident and community activist,
Delores Duffie.
Bob Harrison Street
Bob Harrison was a well-known barber in the early 1900s with clients like governors and UT presidents. He’s most notably remembered for reaching out to his clients asking for money to help pay off his mortgage before he died in lieu of flowers for his funeral one day saying, “I need the money and can’t use the flowers.” The community responded, and he was able to pay off his mortgage. Bob Harrison Street can be found near Oakwood Cemetery between East 13th and 14th Streets.
E.M. Franklin Avenue
The street that runs between East 12th and Manor Road is named after a native Austinite who spent his career as a musician in the 1950s through the 80s and later became a minister where he served at St. James Missionary Baptist Church until his death in 1996.
East 11th Street
In the 50s and 60s, East 11th Street was known as East Austin’s entertainment district. East Austin residents would flock to the area to enjoy the clubs and music that served the African-American community, and at the center of it all was the historic Victory Grill. The live music venue saw performances from music legends like B.B. King, Billie Holiday, and Etta James, to name a few, and was a major stop on the famous blues music tour the “Chitlin Circuit” that made its way through the South and Midwest. Victory Grill, on East 11th, played a pivotal role in Austin’s music scene and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
