Our Westlake

Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) Original Developer of Westlake Hills tells of developing Westlake Drive from the current corner of Redbud Trail, North to Lakeshore Addition dating back to 1920. Even before Westlake Drive and Redbud Trail were thru, Emmett got a contract with a Professor McCorkell on 50 acres on the mountain top overlooking the Corner for $3k cash. When the Prof sold years later he...

Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) Original Developer of West Lake Hills tells stories from the 1930s-40s about building Westlake Drive, connecting the Bee Cave Road to Redbud Trail and the Dam Site.  The WPA had funding to improve access to the new lake.  Emmett tells of negotiating the land purchases with the original owners. He designed and built the roads with county assistance. Music: Daddys Dreams b...

Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) Original Developer of Westlake Hills, tells of this first big land deals. He acquired the center of Westlake in a few owner-financed deals back when $2 an acre was the going rate and terms were flexible. 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. tells the sad story of an Early Westlake Cedar Chopper, Tom Young. ( Bless his heart, Emmett calls him Jim by mistake. A search of local newspapers from the time, verify his name was Tom Young. )              In 1906, Emmett's father's first (and worst) criminal case was the defense of a member of the Young Family from Westlake. Tom was charged with the b...

          Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) shares a Thanksgiving Special. It was 74 years ago that Emmett's namesake, Emmett Jr. graduated Austin High when he was called to duty as a Marine in the Korean War. After brutal battles, Emmett Jr. spent his 19th birthday with severe frostbite - he was coming home.           Emmett Jr. adjusted to Westlake's peaceful way of life.  One day he was...

         Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) shares several stories about the "Texas Hot Oil" business, and its impact on struggling families and a ex-governor, roughly 100 years ago.           Our first story is about the difference an oil strike can make in a family.  Mrs. O.H. Davenport is the namesake of Westlake's Davenport Ranch. Her family struck it rich in South Texas when the ra...

      Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a personal friend of Capt. Frank Hamer, Head of the Texas Rangers in the 1930s. Emmett shares their candid conversations.       In this second episode, Capt. Hamer's lunchtime stroll down Congress Ave. results in a major confession from the boys running the Gammel Bookstore. They were skimming off Session Acts from the Legislature and selling them on the s...

             Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) tells of his first-hand experiences with the famous Capt. Frank Hamer of the Texas Rangers in the 1930s. Emmett was a close person friend of Capt. Hamer and provides a glimpse of this famous Texan who took down Bonnie and Clyde.               Capt. Hamer was called on to control racial riots in East Texas. He had a reputation as a good shot. He lived in Sout...

 Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) continues his new Chapter "Austin Hustlers" from his 50-year career as a criminal defense lawyer in Austin, roughly 100 years ago.            Emmett tells first-hand stories of the actions and defense of a high-profile bank robber, John Newton in 1934.            In Ep.9, Emmett told the story of John Newton and two other men and their wives, robbing the bank...

         Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) continues his new Chapter "Austin Hustlers" from his 50-year career as a criminal defense lawyer in Austin, roughly 100 years ago.            Emmett tells first-hand stories of the actions and defense of a high-profile bank robber, John Newton in 1934. Newton and two other men and their wives, robbed the bank in Coleman while it was open. Rangers were...

Dear Listeners - this tape is old - please take the extra care to make it out - One-of-a-kind first-hand stories of our most famous Austin Madame!        Emmett Shelton Sr (1905-2000) tells of his experiences as defense atty for the most famous Whore in Austin, Hattie Valdes. She ran a famous Austin Whorehouse known as Hattie's Place . Texas legislators were among her frequent customers. Hatt...

Dear Listeners - this tape is old - please take the extra care to make it out - One-of-a-kind first-hand stories of our most famous Austin Madame!        Emmett Shelton Sr (1905-2000) tells of his experiences with one of the most famous Whore in Austin, Hattie Valdes. She ran a famous Austin whorehouse known as Hattie's Place . Texas legislators were rumored to be among her frequent customers...

          Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) tells the story of his second experience with Texas politics - South Austin Democratic Precinct Meeting. Emmett was 13.           It was 1916 and women had gotten the vote 2 years earlier. The meeting was in a grocery on So. Congress in Austin. The question was Prohibition of Sale of Alcohol.             Emmett's father, John E, Shelton, was a local leader...

With all the recent campaigning makes you wonder how politicians deal with the outrage and anger. Of course, Emmett has a story about that.         Emmett Shelton tells some advise Gov. Ferguson gave Emmett in 1911.  For those not familiar, past Texas Governor Ferguson was governor of Texas from 1915-17 when he was impeached. Gov. Jim thought the state should fund public education and not so much...

          Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was my grandad) tells the story of his first experience with Texas politics - South Austin Democratic Precinct Meeting. Emmett was 10.           It was 1915 and the question was whether Women could Vote. Emmett's father John E, Shelton, was a local leader, superintendent of schools and then District Atty. He loved to debate and was a conservative democrat....

         Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a life-long Democrat BUT in 1952 Emmett was an ' Eisenhower Democrat '.           In the 1950s, Central Texas had become liberal. Emmett was active in the Texas Democratic Party and Gov. Alan Shivers asked for Emmett's help. Emmett became Chair of the Texas State Democratic Convention. He finalized the list of delegates to the National Dem. Co...

           Emmett Shelton Sr. spent many years as a criminal defense atty in the Texas hillcounty, getting (and keeping) bootleggers out of jail! In this episode, Emmett tells 7 of his favorite first-hand experiences. Prohibition was ratified nationally in 1919 and it was repealed in most Texas counties in 1935.            Emmett's first story takes us to a South Austin Democratic Precinct De...

Ch4 Austin Gamblers - Ep. 3 Horses, Table Games and Payoffs       Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a defense atty in the 1930s.  He shares first-hand stories of rigged horse races, slots and payoffs to local officials. Alamo Downs was popular, but the jockeys rigged many races.        In the 1930s, big stakes often meant big losses. Ring-leaders occasionally paid off the losses not wanting to bring...

         Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a defense attorney for some of Austin's most notorious hustlers and shares first-hand tales from roughly 100 years ago,          The Depression years brought out the hustlers who were looking for a quick buck. Money-making machines, kidnapping, pigeon drop, hot diamonds, loaded dice and the sign game were popular hustles.           Local leaders were of...

        Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) shares stories about gambling halls around Westlake, roughly 100 years ago.          Mervin Ash was a big-time gambler and had number of partners around Austin. He sold liquor and ran gambling houses - one at the site of St. Stevens School. He got the rich and powerful from Austin in - and got them to bet big money.          One of Austin's notorious gambler...

       Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) tells of his experience in the Texas Democratic Party in Texas after WWII.        Liberal forces, led by Emma Long in Travis County, had control of Texas politics. Gov. Alan Shivers wanted a change to more conservative values and recruited Emmett to take over the local Democratic organization, and he went to work.        Emmett was elected chair of the County Conv...

            Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) tells of his first-hand experiences with the 1948 Coke Stevens v LBJ Texas Senate race.  In Path to Power, Robert Caro includes accounts of the race but omits details Emmett had shared with Caro.            Emmett, and the Shelton law firm, represented the "South Texas Machine" which played a Big Role in the election which LBJ won by 87 votes in Box...

       Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) tells of LBJ's first political race against his brother, Polk Shelton, for Congress.         Emmett starts out with insights of LBJs college years at Southwest Texas State. LBJ was a few years behind Emmett.         When Tx Congressman Buchanan died in 1937, the Dems, with Roosevelt as president, were running with a proposal to "pack" the Supreme Co...

        Emmett Shelton Sr.(1905-2000) tells first-hand stories of his experiences with Texas Gov. Dan Moody in the 1920s.  He was a close personal friend of the Shelton Family. So honest - never took a drink - he smoked - he knew right from wrong and he stuck to it. He was the mortal enemy of graft and could not relax.           In 1917, Gov Ferguson was indicted in Travis Co. Emmett's father...

Impeaching a sitting official is a popular topic these days - Let's look back in Austin 100 years ago.         Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a close friend of the two Governors Ferguson.  He tells a number of stories about Gov. Jim and his wife "Ma" Ferguson.        Jim Ferguson was a farmer from Temple. He was first elected governor in 1914 as an anti-prohibitionist. He was popula...