The History of Kyle Texas - A Small Austin Suburb

Kyle, Texas, a small suburb of Austin, has a surprisingThe small town is home to many other local celebrities,
amount of notable historical figures claiming it as theirsome of which even branch outside of the sphere of
home. Despite being a town with only 5,314 residentsits influence. Terrell Sledge, the US ambassador called
as of the last census count, Kyle can boast a RhodesKyle his home, and the composer Fitzhugh Andrews
scholar, a professional baseball player, an internationalwas also a resident.
ambassador, and a Pulitzer prize-winning author.The town is proud of its heritage of notable figures,
The small town of Kyle was formed originally as aespecially of Porter. Her former home has been
stopping point for the International-Great Northernconverted to a "writer's retreat", and can be visited at
Railroad line. Its proximity to the line made it an idealany time and used by writers with appointment.
spot to start a small general store in town. In 1881 Capt.Another notable fact about the history of Kyle, Texas
Fergus Kyle founded the small community. The townis one of their progressive nature. In the early 1940s,
was named after him, and he later became a statewhen the rest of the nation was strictly adhering to the
legislator.divide between men and women, Kyle not only had an
In the early 1900s, a local author, Katherine Anneall woman government but was the only city in the
Porter, began her writing career. She jumped from fieldstate to have one.
to field throughout her career, acting as a journalist,Like most of Austin's surrounding suburbs, Kyle has
short story writer, and eventually an activist, but is bestbeen largely unaffected by the economic decline in the
known for her collection of short stories, The Collectedhousing crisis. Unlike the majority of the country, Kyle
Stories, which he wrote in 1966, and which would laterhas actually seen an increase in housing values during
go on to win the Pulitzer Prize.the recession. For the majority of the years 2007 and
C. C. "Tex" Hughson, another area resident, started his2008, the average home price in Kyle solidly hovered
baseball career in the small town of Kyle playing foraround the $135,000 mark. However, the last quarter
the high school team. He showed a great talent forof 2009, the average home price actually increased to
baseball, specifically pitching. Hughson would later go onthe $165,000 mark.
to pitch in the major leagues for the Boston Red Sox.