Our Westlake

Polk Shelton is Emmett's third son and a musician at heart. Polk followed in Emmett's footsteps and became a criminal defense atty in Austin. However, his passion was writing and performing music in Austin nightclubs.  

Polk recorded this song from Emmett's hilltop homestead where Polk was raised, in Westlake. It aired on Austin's KUT-TV.

He wrote about Emmett's West Lake Hills endeavor and his sons. - all the Dreams a man could want. Daddy's Dreams are in the Hills.

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

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

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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

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

         Emmett Shelton Sr. (1905-2000) Original developer of Westlake Hills, tells of a tip Emmett got from LBJ in1938 regarding the upcoming rehabilitation of the dams on the Colorado River. The Austin Dam had been broken for almost 30 years.

        LBJ advised Emmett of the WPA and plans to renovate the damns all up and down the Colorado River for flood control. Obviously, it would also make the currently flood-proned land, usable and valuable.  

Emmett tells of his purchase of almost 3,000 acres of the Roy Ranch property.         

The future of Westlake Hills was set.

Note: Emmett had a long-standing relationship with LBJ. He was a few years ahead of LBJ at Southwest Texas State in the '20s. And in 1935, Emmett's older brother, Polk, had challenged LBJ in the primary for US Congress. Emmett was Polk's campaign manager.
    

Music: Daddys Dream by Polk Shelton, Emmett's son

#austinhistory

#westlakehills

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. (1905-2999) tells first-hand stories of two high-profile Murder trials in Austin, roughly 100 years age.
             Emmett's father, John E. Shelton, had a prominent criminal law firm in Austin with his four sons.
            In the 1920s, John E,'s Uncle H.C. Greer caught an ex-employee stealing from his feed store on So. Congress. The thief shot Uncle Greer and was charged with attempted murder. Uncle Greer lingered and then died without filing a statement, Dan Moody was a hot-headed prosecutor, and the case resulted in a mistrial.
           The second case shook Austin in 1933 - the tragic death of the young daughter of Belton mechanic Cal Yarborough. She was burned to death with gasoline and an insurance claim resulted an Cal's indictment. Mr. Bomer defend Cal and, Emmett assisted 
          Cal had spent 6 months in jail before the trial and had a strong defense however, Emmett and Bomer tried to prepare Cal for prison time.  Cal told Emmett "This jury cannot punish me at all." The jury returned a guilty verdict, and Cal was sentenced to 30 years.  We appealed but Cal spent time at Huntsville prison. We won on appeal, but Cal had lost everything - his life was forever changed.

Music: Theme song from Matlock

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

 'Mob Law' was common 'justice' in Central Texas, roughly 150 years ago.
          Emmett's Great Great Uncle Sam Shelton was a wild cowboy in Belton in 1880s. He was arrested one night for attempted murder of a deputy and his teen son was jailed with him. 
         A Mob took Uncle Sam from the Belton Jail with a Black Man, Mr. Keys. They were hung on an oak on the Hilltop. Sam's teen brother, Terrell, was spared and witnessed the hanging.
          Sam's brother and Civil War hero (James K. Polk Shelton), revenged the killers. He was tried and acquitted. However, he soon disappeared. His wife, Grandma was left to raise 4 kids alone in the 1880s. She supported the family as a schoolteacher in a number of one-room schools in central Texas.
           With this family history, Emmett's father raised his sons to fight the hard battle all his life - to fight for the common man against injustice, including Lynch Mobs and the KKK.

Music: The Hills that I call Home by Southern Rail

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

         Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a life-long Austin Democrat BUT like many Texans in 1952, Emmett became a 'Democrat for Eisenhower'.
          Emmett tells of hosting Ntl. War Hero, Gen. Clements, with over 100 dignitaries, at a BBQ to celebrate at Emmett's Westlake Hilltop home.  Gen. Clements, and the others, were all big supporters of Gen. Eisenhower for President.
          Instead of switching to the Republican Party, Emmett leads the campaign by Central Tx Democrats for Ike. Ms. Davenport represented Republicans for Ike. Emmett tells the behind-he-scenes story of their successful bipartisan flatbed campaign in Central Texas for Gen. Eisenhower, a National Hero, roughly 100 years ago.

#austinhistory
#eisenhower
#texashistory
#shelton
#texasdemocrats

#davenport


Music: Vote'em Out by Willie Nelson

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

Emmett Shelton (1905-2000) was a life-long Democrat BUT like many Texans in 1952, Emmett became 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 to swing the leadership to the right for the Ntl. Democratic Convention but Emmett had pledged to Eisenhower. Instead, Emmett's friend Herman Heath went to the Republican Convention to push for Taft.
          Emmett tells back-room tales of the Texas State Democratic Convention in preparation for the National Dem. Convention in Chicago, including the list of local delegates. Governor's Convention in Amarillo later in the year did not support the Democratic nominee Adelaide Stevenson and instead did not endorse any candidate!
         As an alternative to Stevenson for Texas Democrats, Emmett organized Central Texas Dems for Eisenhower.
         Next Episode - In Ep3, instead of voting Republican, Emmett leads Central Texas Dems for Eisenhower with the help of Republican Eisenhower supporter, Ms. Davenport. Emmett tells the behind-the-scenes story of flatbed campaigning.
        

#texashistory
#austinhistory
#texasdemocrats
#eisenhower
#alanshivers

Music: "Vote'm Out" by Willie Nelson

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 (1905-2000) was a life-long Austin Democrat BUT in 1952 Emmett became an 'Eisenhower Democrat'.
          In the 1952, Central Texas had become so liberal that Dems would not allow the conservative Gov. Shivers to be the Travis County delegate in the State Democratic Convention.
          Emmett was active in the Texas Democratic Party and Gov. Alan Shivers asked for Emmett's help. Emmett became Chair of the County Democratic Convention, and the Dems walked out. Emmett finalized the list of delegates to the upcoming National Dem. Convention in Chicago. Gov. Shivers offered Emmett a delegate spot but Emmett declined telling Gov. Shivers he planned to support Eisenhower.
         Next Episode - In Ep2, Emmett takes us to the backrooms in the Texas Democratic Convention and Governors Conference. It was the Texas Swing to the Right for Gen. Eisenhower.
        

#texashistory
#austinhistory
#texasdemocrats
#eisenhower
#alanshivers

Music: "Vote'm Out" by Willie Nelson

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

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

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

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