About Our Name
Somewhere along the way, Austin became known as "The City of the Violet Crown". We chose the name Violet Crown because of this. That's all fine and good, you say, but I can hear you asking, "Why is Austin called that?" During the 30-odd years I’ve lived here, I’ve heard several explanations.
The story I'm most familiar with also happens to be my personal favorite: With near-by hills that keep air-born things from drifting on to other places, Austin has a fair amount of haze. Before the current problem of auto exhaust, it was attributable to smoke, dust and such. At sunset, and into dusk, the haze takes on a purple cast, covering all with a violet crown. This phenomenon has a name: The Belt of Venus. The belt of Venus (named after the Roman goddess Venus) is a pinkish glow separating the dark shadow band of the earth from the sky above it. It is best visible when the atmosphere is cloudless, yet very dusty, just after sunset. The twilight wedge is then rising over the eastern sky and the backscattered red sunlight at the border of the wedge can then be identified as the belt of Venus. (Belt of Venus.Weatherscapes.com. ) You don't need clouds to have beautiful sunsets - I've experienced this, and it is truly lovely.
Another popular explanation likewise involves the setting sun. Looking west from town, the Balcones Escarpment marks the beginning of the Hill Country. When they turn purple at sunset, the hills form a violet crown around the city.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Violet Crown is also considered a reference to the purple-ish glow from the Moon Towers. For some interesting reading on Austin's Moon Towers, see BBC-h2-g2 – The Moonlight Towers of Austin, Texas
We also liked the fact that the nickname has a literary connection. One of the first published uses of the phrase was in O. Henry's short story Tictocq: The Great French Detective, in Austin. The story was originally published in his locally published newspaper The Rolling Stone on October 27, 1894.
The phrase is used in Chapter Two: "The drawing-rooms of one of the most magnificent private residences in Austin are a blaze of lights. Carriages line the streets in front, and from gate to doorway is spread a velvet carpet, on which the delicate feet of the guests may tread. The occasion is the entrée into society of one of the fairest buds in the City of the Violet Crown."
I've recently learned that the first published reference to Austin as City of the Violet Crown happened a few months earlier in article published in the Austin Daily Statesman on Wednesday, August 8, 1894. The article, "The Rest of the News," begins: "May 5,1890, was a memorable day in Austin. It was memorable for the reason that on that day the citizens of the City of the Violet Crown voted to build a granite dam across the Colorado River ..."(from City of the Violet CrownAustin City Connection. City of Austin.)
Aside from the purple haze mentioned above, why would a city adopt the nickname "City of the Violet Crown"? Certainly, Austin isn't the first to use the name. That distinction goes to Athens (Greece, not Texas). During the 19th century, in a time when Athens was considered the cradle of western civilization, Austin called itself the "Athens of the South". And here the literary connection turns tongue-in-cheek. Consider that Titocq was a politcal humor story, as well as a spoof of the popular literary figure French detective Leroq. Knowing that, you might come to the conclusion that O'Henry was poking a little fun at Austin's high-faluting cultural claim.
Or maybe he just liked the sunsets.
We're not the only business or organization to honor Austin's natural beauty, cultural heritage, and sense of humor by using Violet Crown as part of our name. Here are some others:
Violet Crown Community Works Sponsor of the always fabulous Spring and Fall Violet Crown Festivals!
Violet Crown Computing
Violet Crown Cycles
Violet Crown Garden Club One of the oldest garden clubs in the state.
Violet Crown Radio Players
Violet Crown Realty
Violet Crown Sports Association
Thanks to Blakeway Worldwide Panoramas for permission to use the beautiful photograph.
Hey, it's copyrighted material! Don't use it without permission!
copyright Violet Crown Soap Co 2004-2010