History of the Oak Hill Gin in Austin, Texas explained and explored.

Not much is known about the Oak Hill Gin in Austin, Texas. That is because not much history of this cotton gin has been documented or preserve offline and online. Oak Hill Gin is one of the many forgotten cotton gins of Austin and Travis County.


Joseph A. Patton and G. Beckett donated land for a cotton mill to serve the Oak Hill community in 1842 at the intersection of where Highway 290 & McCarty Lane is located today. Part of the land this gin was located on was owned by G. Beckett. Oak Hill Gin was established as a cotton gin and feed mill on outside of Austin on Highway 290 in 1843. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Volume 2, Page 20)

Joseph A. Patton would transfer this land to G. Beckett around 1880 as he gave parcels of land to buyers interested in purchasing his property. Oak Hill Gin was located near the intersection of where Highway 290 & McCarty Lane is located today. (Ref: 1898-1902 Travis County Clerk Records: Road Book Precinct 3)

Oak Hill was one of the many small rural communities in Travis County which consisted of a store, a church, a school and a cotton gin. Oak Hill bustled with activity as the farmers brought their cotton into town to be ginned and baled. Oak Hill Gin was one of the early gins which were powered by a horse and yielded about 2,000 pounds a day. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/358540913/)

Oak Hill Gin was still operational in 1898 as listed on an 1898 county map. Oak Hill Gin was located less than 2 blocks across the highway from Pizza Garden then. (Ref, Travis County map from 1898)

The Oak Hill Gin continued to served the Oak Hill community during the early 1900s. Oak Hill Gin served as a cotton gin for the Oak Hill community. This gin was still operational in 1902 and was powered by steam. By then the Oak Hill Gin was capable of ginning 75,000 pounds a day.

An increase in farming operations in the area during the 1920s is also what led Oak Hill Gin to become a feed gin and not just a cotton gin only. Seeds were transported to plucked and grown here. By the 1930s Oak Hill Gin began changing its focus from being a cotton gin to a feed gin in due to an increase in farming operations in the area.

What led to the decline of Oak Hill Gin was that other cotton gins were being established in the area and less cotton was being produced in the area. Now the exact date of when Oak Hill Gin shut down or dissolved is unknown.

Oak Hill Gin occupied this land for possibly more than a century. The land would be transferred to Travis County and City of Austin after Oak Hill Gin shut down.


 

L O Jackson purchased this property from Travis County and City of Austin in 1970. He purchased .3 acres of land behind Williamson Creek for easements. He would continue to purchase more parcels of this land throughout the 1970s. 2 acres of land were purchased for easement purposes to get rid of rain water from the roof to Williamson Creek. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Volume 7682, Page 432)

L O Jackson would use this property for his construction company called L O Jackson Construction Co Inc (L O Jackson Construction Company) from 1970 to 1983. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Volume 5301, Page 539)

ENCORE DRAPERIES AND INTERIORS, INC. operated a custom bridal wear shop here from 1971 to 1975. Their priorities were quality, elegance and service. Their phone number was 512-892-2178.

“A quality contract drapery at a lower cost and service you won't believe!! We are manufacturers of contract and custom draperies and specialists in our profession. Our priorities are quality, elegance and service.”

A service center for appliances appropriately titled Appliance Service Center opened at the location of 6281 West Highway 290 in 1976. Appliance Service Center repaired every thing from household appliances to farming equipment. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/378713726/)

Judy Jackson was a local Oak Hill resident who opened the Stonehouse Gallery at the former Oak Hill Gin property which operated from 1979 to 1982 before moving north into the Hyde Park neighborhood in 1983. Oil landscape and portraiture were the art subjects offered at this gallery. Phone numbers for this art gallery were 512-282-1359 and 512-892-3324. Stonehouse Gallery was also known as Stonehouse Gallery in Oak Hill, Stonehouse Art Gallery, Stone House Art Gallery and Stone House Gallery. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/356975072/)

“Judy Jackson, local Oak Hill resident, has opened the Stone House Art Gallery at 6281 Hwy. 290 West. Several Oak Hill artists, including Jean McCoy, Artha Nichols, Ruth Ann Ballard, Marjorie Johnson, Judy Buerkle, Peggy Moore and Joy McElry, have paintings on display. Classes in portrait drawing and landscaping will be offered. If you are interested call Judy at 892-3324. The Gallery opened Feb. 28 and will be open each week Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come by and visit with Judy, have a cup of coffee and see what talent our local artists have.”

“Art Classes Oil landscape and portraiture are being offered at the new Stonehouse Gallery in Oak Hill, 6281 U.S. 290 West. For more information, call 282-1359 or 892-3324.”

“Registration is under way for classes at the Stone House Gallery, 6281 Hwy. 290 West in Oak Hill. Instructor Connie Bordelon will teach oil painting with emphasis on color mixing and composition. Classes are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays. Call Connie at 444-7662 or Judy at 892-3324”

“Classes Oil painting classes offered at Stonehouse Gallery in Oak Hill every Thursday at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.; 444-7662”

L O Jackson and L O Jackson Investments sold this land to Roadside 290 Joint Venture in 1984 on a warranty deed with vendor’s lien for the payable sum of $600,000 dollars on the date of February 15, 1984 and February 22, 1984. KMS Ventures and Tao Ono were part of the partnership that involved during the transaction. A deed of trust was given to Roadside 290 Joint Venture and KMS Ventures by him as well. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Instrument #3-58-1032)

A deed of trust was given to Roadside 290 Joint Venture on the date of February 15, 1984 with 0.78 acres out of the Thomas Anderson League in Travis County, Texas. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Instrument #3-58-1049)

Roadside 290 Joint Venture purchased part of this land for a cafe called Roadside Cafe Inc in 1984. Roadside Cafe would operate at this location from 1984 to 1986. T M Wilhite was the owner and manager. (Ref: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0068994200)

According to the cafe owner Mike Wilhite, the Roadside Cafe was an '80s treatment of a '50s idea he formulated and had created himself with the help of his staff. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/358163295/)

“The Roadside Cafe, 6281 U.S. 290 W, is an '80s treatment of a '50s idea, according to the cafe owner Mike Wilhite. "Many of the things done then can't be done now, because of the expense," he said. "For example, all that stainless steel interior trim is prohibitive, so we used gray paint." The results are a bright and crisp, uncluttered look.”

 

Application For Mixed Beverage and Late Hours Permit

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code that Roadside Cafe; Inc. Is making application with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage and Lake Hours Permit, to be located at 6281 Hwy. 290 West, in the city of Oak Hill, County of Travis, Texas. T.M. Wilhite, President R.H. Wilhite, Vice-President De Hilton, Vice-President

 

On the date of 9/19/1985 is when Roadside 290 Joint Venture would sell the land to Lamar/McPhaul Joint Venture on a warranty deed since the Roadside Cafe was not getting enough business at that location. Yet the cafe remained open. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Volume 9369, Page 974)

However Roadside Cafe would not stay open for business very long due to area competition and not getting enough business from customers at that location. The reason was business isn't there anymore. Roadside Cafe would close down and dissolve in 1986. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/358323222/)

Austin American-Statesman reported that Roadside Cafe closed due to not getting enough business at that location. This caused a stir in the restaurant business, especially in the Oak Hill area where the cafe was located. Roadside Cafe closing concerned many restaurant owners. All the owners expressed regret over the Roadside Cafe closing. The slow economy was also to blame. So was area competition with other businesses. These are the factors which led Roadside Cafe to close down and dissolve in 1986. (Ref: Austin American-Statesman, Cafe closing concerns restaurant owners Slow economy, area competition cited as hurdles, Thursday, October 9, 1986)

“When the Roadside Cafe closed recently it caused a stir in the restaurant business, especially in the Oak Hill area where the cafe was located. Owners are concerned about the downturn in the business and are quick to point out the causes.”

Roadside 290 Joint Venture sold the land to the City of Austin and State of Austin on the date of 8/14/1987. This was because the City of Austin annexed the property for right-of-way purposes to expand Highway 290. (Ref: http://propaccess.traviscad.org/clientdb/Property.aspx?prop_id=311704&year=2021)

A Trudy’s restaurant occupied the space where the Oak Hill Gin was from 1987 to 1992. This Trudy’s was “a well known Trudy’s” due to its location on the highway. Being located on the highway gave Oak Hill residents easy accessibility to the restaurant. This restaurant was known as the "Trudy’s Oak Hill”. By then Tao Ono had washed their hands completely of this property after going to manage other properties.

Trudy’s Oak Hill served as an auxiliary restaurant for their 6510 West Highway 290 location. This property shared that address from 1987 to 1990. 6281 West Highway 290 was the address that was normally used though.

Renovation to the restaurant building started on January 2, 1987 and Trudy’s Oak Hill opened on March 4, 1987. “ New restaurant Remodeling has begun on the former Roadside Cafe at 6281 U.S. 290 west. Trudy's Oak Hill will open March 1 with a menu identical to that of the other two Trudys on South Lamar and 30th Street.” (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/363671245/)

 

Trudy’s was forced to close and move in 1992 because the planned expansion of Highway 290. That is what prevented them from signing a long-term lease. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/366560025/)

Trudy's management said the restaurant was forced to move from Oak Hill in September because the planned expansion of U.S. 290 prevented them from signing a long-term lease. Trudy's had been in the Oak Hill location for five years. Edgar has a three-year lease on the former Convict Hill site from owner John Byram. The restaurant, at 6510 U.S. 290 West, has been vacant for the past 10 months. The menu at the new restaurant will be the same as the current Compadre's, with the addition of steaks and hamburgers made popular by Convict Hill. Edgar said the restaurant will be redecorated to have more of a Mexican look and more lighting will be added. The new restaurant will employ about 70 people. The restaurant, which has been an Oak Hill landmark since the 1950s, is near the site where convicts worked in a limestone quarry during the construction of the state Capitol.

The restaurant had been closed by October 1992 and had been vacant for the past 10 months. Trudy's management said the restaurant was forced to move from Oak Hill in September because the planned expansion of U.S. 290 prevented them from signing a long-term lease.


However Roadside 290 Joint Venture, KMS Ventures, Tao Ono, and Lamar/McPhaul Joint Venture had not washed their hands completely of this property. In 1995, the City of Austin and State of Texas took Roadside 290 Joint Venture and Lamar/McPhaul Joint Venture to probate court over eminent domain purposes to construct a highway over the property as right-of-way for Highway 290 was needed in order for highway expansion back. (Ref: Travis County Deeds, Volume 12167, Page 1836)

Everything was removed from the intersection of Highway 290 & McCarty Lane in 2001 for lane expansion of Highway 290 along with right-of-way purposes. Concrete driveways were all that was left over after the demolition had occurred. Nothing remains of Oak Hill Gin today. The property is now a gravel pit. A pile of asphalt is located on top of this gravel pit. Today both the City of Austin and State of Texas own the property for right-of-way purposes.

Oak Hill Gin was located at 6281 West Highway 290, Austin, Texas, US 78735.