Hyde Park in Austin in the old days was virtually a town in itself. It had its own schools, churches, grocery stores, funeral homes and a strong sense of self-sufficiency. Some people had livestock, everybody grew fruit and vegetables and still there were outhouses.
In order to have room for livestock and gardens, people building their homes in Hyde Park generally purchased four to six Lots or even more at a time. These large Parcels of land were not perceived to be inexpensive. They were in fact very expensive and this was Austin’s first affluent suburb.
In the 1890s and well into the 20th century it was necessary to keep a cow, chickens and other livestock if you wanted eggs or fried chicken or fresh milk especially if you were a self-contained tight-knit community. These perishable items could not be purchased in grocery stores which had no way of keeping them fresh. For this reason virtually every family kept chickens and a cow; most families also had a horse or two and some even a hog.
In Hyde Park well space around the houses was rarely adequate for grazing animals, Hyde Park had plenty of vacant lots where cows could be found. Even manure was useful as it was provided as fertilizer for the gardens.
The history of Hyde Park in Austin
