Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) tells us of the changes that came to Westlake Hills in the 1930s. Prohibition ended. Bee Cave Road was paved. Electricity came to the Bee Cave Road area.

Mervin Ash was the King Pin of gamblers in Austin. He partnered with Emmett and brother Polk, to rehabilitate the old Moose Head Lodge (at the future site of County Line on the Hill). He invested in gambling equipment and fine food and the Nightclub was packed. Westlake's Las Vegas.

#Countylineonthehill

Music "Daddy's Dreams by Emmett's Son Polk Shelton III

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Stories told by Emmett Shelton / compiled and submitted by Cynthia Shelton.

Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) tells one of his favorite tales - His first Westlake business and a birthday surprise.

Emmett was 24, a recently married college graduate in 1929. He and several partners built the Moosehead Lodge - where County Line on the Hill is now located. It was in the hills - 8 miles from Austin, down the dirt road to Bee Caves and had no utilities. It was one of the first rock and mortar businesses in Westlake.
In this story, Emmett Sr. tells how his birthday dinner with his partners on February 12, 1931 gave him a namesake and a life-long partner with his first son, Emmett, Jr.

#emmettshelton

#Austinhistory
#Countylinerestaurantaustin

For maps and other info check out our Facebook page: Our Westlake

Stories told by Emmett Shelton / compiled and submitted by Cynthia Shelton.

Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) tells us the story of securing the land for the Dam site in 1938.

Emmett and brother Polk ran a tough primary against Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJs first Congressional race. After LBJ was elected in 1938, he made a visit to Emmett and Polk's office.

LBJ told Emmett that the new Works Progress Administration (WPA) was planning to rehabilitate all the dams on the Colorado River, including the Austin Dam which had been broken for 28 years. If someone would want to get rich.

Emmett talked to a local banker and showed him the 200 acre tract.of land on the western shore where the dam would be built. He offered him part of the acreage for the $3000 price. He didn't want the inaccessible land -- But brother Polk had a collection of diamonds, and he would take them in trade for the financing.

Emmett re-sold the property to the City within 6 months of LBJ's election. The WPA and the new Lower Colorado River Authority and the WPA built a series of dams on the river. Finally, in 1940, after 30 years without a dam or a lake, the Tom Miller Dam was operating. Austin was protected from floods and the constant level lake was filling and low cost electricity lit Austin streets.,

Emmett tells of another deal he worked out for the James tract. That tract would be the future site of the bridge in 1948 -- it opened up West Lake Hills to the City of Austin.

#Austinhistory

#Emmettshelton

#westlakehills

For maps and other info check out our Facebook page: Our Westlake

Stories told by Emmett Shelton / compiled and submitted by Cynthia Shelton.