Austin, Travis County
Voted Austin's most worthy citizen twice, Indiana native Andrew Jackson Zilker (1858-1934) grew up with a strong respect for the laborers along the Ohio River. He came to Austin penniless in 1876 but quickly became a businessman and bank director. He contributed to his community at the neighborhood, city and county levels. Believing in the importance of "practical" education, he indirectly funded school industrial programs when he sold 366 acres of parkland, including Barton Springs, to the city. The payments on the land were required to go to the school district. A gift of 32 additional acres in 1934 added to the city's most cherished recreation area, Zilker Park. (2003)