Written by Leonardt Ferdinand Kreisle 1807 N River Hills Rd. Austin TX on Monday afternoon, September 6th, 1999. This was given to me by Leonardt to share with the world because he was very proud of his family and his history.
After eating a very. Early Easter Sunday breakfast at their home at 103 E, 16th St, Austin, Texas, Leonard Kreisel and his parents, Mr and Mrs Edwin Kreisel and his pet fox terrier Puppy Spot, climbed into their new 1926 WILLYS-KNIGHT a 4 Door sedan and started on their trip to Uncle Arthur’s place in the hills West of Austin. This was 27 acres in the country known today as Wood Island.
Travel by automobile was somewhat rustic in 1926, particularly on the unpaved single lane dirt road known as the Mountain Road, which is today 2244 Bee Caves Road. Daddy saw that four tires of the car had the proper air pressure in them, that the radiator was filled with water, and that the 22 gallon gasoline tank was filled completely.
At eight fifteen AM that morning we adventure three started our trip. We passed the capital on Congress Avenue, crossed the Congress Avenue Bridge, and turned right onto the Barton Springs Road. We crossed over Barton Springs Bridge and continued West through what is today known as Zilker Park. We then entered the mountain road. We stopped at Delaney’s rock store and bar to drink several bottles of ice cold soda water since the day was hot.
After satisfying our thirst, we continued westward along the very dusty road, passing only a few walkers or horseback riders, and fording Barton Creek and another unnamed Creek by using their low water crossing. We passed the famed Eames schoolhouse on the left and continued westward. By the time we approached the two story stone Rob Rory Ranch House, Rob Roy held us and invited us to share an excellent Chicken with Dumplings, dinner with his 2 Sisters who spent summers with him and at other times. But they mostly taught at the Houston Independent School District during the year. We graciously accepted his offer for Sunday dinner, enjoyed the food followed by a hand turned fresh Peach ice cream, after which we rested an hour or so on the upstairs 2nd floor screened porch of the ranch house because it was so hot.
Finally, Daddy announced that it was time for us to continue our trip westward. At that time we saw only two automobiles on the road, open air Model T Ford sedans. We continued W over the Narrows and turned right towards the Colorado River and onto what was then a primitive dirt road known today as Weston Lane. We went through Uncle Arthur’s gate and soon the great Uncle Arthur and his wife Miss May met us. We climbed out of our car, unloaded our suitcase into the wooden hunting shack, drank some cool water from the shallow hand drawn well and recited the rigors of our trip to Uncle Arthur and Miss May. Miss. May served coffee from her always full coffee coffee pot over the wood burning stove after adding a crushed egg and its shell to clarify the coffee. I had a soda water and the fox terrier spot drank some well water from a bowl. Miss May had prepared several various sandwiches which we devoured rapidly.
Note: Clarifying coffee with an egg is a traditional Scandinavian brewing method. An egg is mixed with coffee grounds before brewing, and as it cooks, the proteins in the egg bind to the bitter compounds and coffee grounds, causing them to clump and sink. This process results in a remarkably smooth, less bitter and clearer cup of coffee.
We were so tired. That we finally went to bed, accompanied by the hooting of an owl. Miss May superstitiously turned over her shoes to cause the owl to stop its hooting.
Note: Some believe that hearing an owl hoot is an omen of death. To interrupt the bad luck, a person could turn a shoe over to make the owl stop.
That night, the fox terrier spot had a run in with a skunk. In the morning, the fox terrier spot was washed thoroughly before we even considered eating any breakfast. Miss May had prepared coffee, toast, fried eggs and bacon for our breakfast. After breakfast. Jack Ostrich. A cedar chopping neighbor who lived approximately one mile West rode up on his horse carrying two gallons of home brew liquor for Uncle Arthur. Soon Uncle Arthur was drunk on the moonshine liquor provided by Jack Ostrich and promptly began sleeping it off.
Note: Prohibition was in full swing in 1926. It lasted from 1920 to 1933. Bootlegging was a known means of making money for the poor cedar choppers in Westlake Hills. And law enforcement was always on the track of them.
We decided to go swimming in the Colorado River, which at that time was only waste deep and. Covered two feet of Uzi mud with muscles and clams. After an hour or so of swimming and gathering mussels, we walked back to the well and removed the mud from our bodies as best we could with its cold water. Miss May had prepared a meal for us from warmed canned goods. By that time, Uncle Arthur displayed signs of coming out of his drunken stupor. We decided it was best for us to start the trip homeward into Austin, which we did, arriving home approximately noon. With fond memories of an overnight visit to Uncle Arthur’s 27 acre place of isolation in the hills West of Austin.
