Once a bustling farming community, Fiskville now exists more as a memory. I will tell you the story of the Fiskville Plaque. This marker commemorates what was once a thriving, independent settlement.
The Fiskville Plaque serves as a reminder of the area’s rich history. Two pioneers, Josiah Fisk and Edward Zimmerman, settled here in the mid-1800s. They brought their families to farm the lands outside Austin. Zimmerman became the first Postmaster in 1873.
At that time, Fiskville was a dispersed agricultural community along Little Walnut Creek. More than 150 people called it home. Most residents were farmers. The community also supported several businesses. These included cotton gins owned by G.W. Corzine, a former slave, and Andrew Payton.
The Fiskville community eventually became part of Austin. However, the Fiskville Cemetery and Zimmerman’s 1854 home remain. Also, area street names serve as links to the early farming settlement.
The North Austin Civic Association sought this historical marker. They wanted to commemorate the community of Fiskville. The area is now characterized by high population density and diversity. Little remains of what was once Fiskville. The Fiskville Plaque helps educate people. It promotes neighborhood pride. It also motivates people to explore the history of Fiskville.
Josiah Fisk bought many acres of land. He sold the land to settlers. The community of Fiskville was about six miles north of Austin. It was located on Little Walnut Creek. In the 1800s, what is now North Lamar Boulevard was part of the Chisholm Trail. The center of Fiskville was near the intersection of Upper Georgetown Road and Burditt Mill Fiskville Road.
In 1873, when the post office was established, about 150 to 200 people lived in Fiskville. By 1895, the Travis County Directory listed 123 households in Fiskville. Twenty percent of these were “Colored”.
Fiskville was primarily a farming community. Its white soil grew pigmy cotton. E.W. Holler owned a peach orchard with thousands of trees. However, a freeze killed the trees around 1890.
Several businesses operated in Fiskville in the mid to late 1800s. Josiah Fisk built a log and stone structure. It served as a stagecoach inn and general store. In the mid-1880s, Fiskville had a general store, a steam flour mill, and a cotton gin. Zimmerman’s store was the town’s focal point. It housed the post office and a saloon. The upper floor accommodated social affairs.
According to the Travis County Directory of 1895, most people farmed. One African American was a teacher. Another was a preacher. Among White heads of households, there were farmers, teachers, sheep raisers, a blacksmith, and a merchant. George Washington Corzine, a former slave, had two gins.
In the early 1900s, Fiskville consisted of a general store, a blacksmith shop, and a schoolhouse. Most citizens were farmers and dairymen. The Harvey family operated the Meadowbrook Dairy Farm. The Andrew Payton Gin operated until the 1930s.
Streets in the area bear the names of some of the families who owned farms in Fiskville. The post office continued to operate. An area telephone exchange opened in a home adjacent to Josiah Fisk’s building.
This plaque stands as a testament to the generations who lived and worked here. It reminds us that even as cities grow and change, the stories of the past remain. These stories shape the present. The Fiskville Plaque ensures that this community is not forgotten.