Where in the world is Convict Hill Quarry Park????

The park is located in southwest Austin, Texas, at 6511 Convict Hill Road. It is situated on Convict Hill Road between Escarpment Boulevard and Highway 290W.

Below is a link to the park on Google Maps:
http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=6511+Convict+hill+road+austin,+tx&ie=UTF8&ll=30.228259,-97.871747&spn=0.016723,0.042572&om=1

Media Coverage! Oak Hill Gazette Article

Our park is becoming quite the neighborhood gem! To increase traffic into the park, community involvement and awareness we contacted our local newspaper, the Oak Hill Gazette. Click on each part of the article to view a larger version.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have a Plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friends of Quarry Park
Fall 2006 – Spring 2007 Master Plan

Work Days 2006 (all work days are 9am - noon)
October 7-We made tremendous progress on the western trail.
November 4-We planted wildflower seeds and hauled brush out of the park.
December 2-We built a stone bridge, spread lots of mulch and extended the western trail.
Work Days 2007 (all work days are 9am - noon)
January 13-Our work day was canceled due to ice; check out the blog for great pictures of the park as a winter wonderland!
February 10-We cleared at ton of fallen limbs from the ice storm, spread mulch and extended the southern and western trails.
March 10-We worked on trails and cleared brush.
April 14 (It’s My Park Day)-9:00am - 1:00pm
Park Dedication-April 21, 2007

Phase I
Brush Removal
Tools Needed
· Gloves, wheelbarrows

Personnel
· Volunteers

Process
1. Place limbs, branches, brush, stumps and logs near the road, east of the entrance, just above the cedar mulch piles. Parks and Recreation Department will mulch or remove this for us.

Entrance Enhancement
Tools Needed
· Pickaxe, hoes, gloves, weed eater, wheelbarrow, shovel, rake

Personnel
· Volunteers, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts

Process
1. Pull rocks out of the entrance area trail bed, and all along the curb to make mowing easier. These rocks can be placed in one pile inside the park entrance, or used in trail building.
2. Pull, weed eat or hoe weeds growing at edge of park, where mowing isn’t possible.
3. Pick up litter and small rocks all along the front of the park, to make mowing easier and safer. Smooth rough areas, or even out the soil with a rake or shovel.
4. Pile rocks in front of natural wall that runs parallel to Convict Hill Road.
5. Spread mulch on a make shift sidewalk, to make walking easier, and to lead people to the park when walking by to the entrance.

Trail Maintenance
Tools Needed
· Gloves, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, tree trimmers, hoes, weed eater

Personnel
· Volunteers, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts

Process
1. Hoe or weed eat weeds that have grown inside the trail bed.
2. Add mulch to thin areas, or where mulch has washed away.
3. Replace rocks in trail edge where missing, or where needed.
4. Trim tree branches that have grown into the walk area.

Stacked Rock Walls below Entrance
Tools Needed
· Gloves, shovels, pickaxe, rock hammer

Personnel
· Volunteers, Trail Tamers

Process
1. Gather limestone found throughout the park, and dug from the general area where wall is to be built.
2. Stones are to be set in horizontal lines, with the lowest course utilizing the largest stones, and the highest stones using the smaller flat stones.
3. Use interesting stones, especially those that show drilling from original Quarry.
4. Slant each course to the rear of the wall to keep the wall from falling.
5. Fill back side of each course with gravel, smaller rocks and soil.

Western Trail
Tools Needed
· Gloves, Wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, hoes, tree branch trimmers, possibly saw or chainsaw

Personnel
· Volunteers, especially Bill Scheick

Process
1. Mark trees or limbs to be removed.
2. Trim branches and small trees from the trail bed and walk area.
3. Use limestone found throughout the park for the edging of the trails. The edging should be 6-8 inches high and 6-8 inches wide. The trail itself should be 3-4 feet wide. Trails have been marked with small orange flags. Trails on solid rock or in heavily wooded areas do not need the rock edging.
4. Use pointed and larger rocks to build the edging, rather than flat stones. It is better to use the limestone spread out on the ground, rather than stones from the quarry piles.
5. Dig up rocks within the trail boundaries, to make a level trail and prevent tripping.
6. Remove stumps from the trail bed.
7. Smooth the bed of the trail with a rake or a hoe.
8. Spread cedar mulch onto the trail, about 1-2 inches thick.
9. Keep trails at least 50 feet from the nearest park boundary, except below the water retention areas.

Southwestern Trail
Tools Needed
· Gloves, Wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, hoes, tree branch trimmers, possibly saw or chainsaw

Personnel
· Volunteers, especially Bill Scheick

Process
1. Use limestone found throughout the park for the edging of the trails. The edging should be 6-8 inches high and 6-8 inches wide. The trail itself should be 3-4 feet wide. Trails have been marked with small orange flags. Trails on solid rock or in heavily wooded areas do not need the rock edging.
2. Use pointed and larger rocks to build the edging, rather than flat stones. It is better to use the limestone spread out on the ground, rather than stones from the quarry piles.
3. Dig up rocks within the trail boundaries, to make a level trail and prevent tripping.
4. Remove stumps, if possible from the trail bed.
5. Smooth the bed of the trail with a rake or a hoe.
6. Spread cedar mulch onto the trail, about 1-2 inches thick.
7. Trim branches from around and immediately over the trails.
8. Keep trails at least 50 feet from the nearest neighbor's fence.

Phase II
Sidewalk
Tools Needed
· None

Personnel
· Heidi, Gary, Jim

Process
1. Continue communication with the city to ascertain when sidewalk will be built, trying to have sidewalk built before Park Dedication.
2. Suggest to city planner and the construction crew to build sidewalk right along the curb.
3. We will plant wildflowers between sidewalk and the park to minimize mowing once sidewalk has been completed.

Wildflower Seed Dispersal
Tools Needed
· Gloves, broadcast spreader

Personnel
· Volunteers

Process
1. Broadcast flower seed along front of park, and in open places within the park.

Stone Benches
Tools Needed
· None

Personnel
· E-Corps

Process
1. Determine locations for the benches.
2. Communicate with Parc to determine when benches can be built.

Stone Steps onto Ridge
Tools Needed
· Rock hammer, cement, mortar, level

Personnel
· E-Corps or Volunteers

Process
1. Determine locations for the step onto the ridge.
2. Communicate with Parc to determine when step can be built, hopefully along with benches.

Tree and Stump Removal
Tools Needed
· Saws, shovels, stump puller, chainsaw

Personnel
· PARD Personnel, Volunteers

Process
1. Mark trees or large limbs to be removed, especially dead cedar trees.
2. Obtain approval from PARD.
3. Remove trees or limbs to curbside for mulching or removal.

Phase III
Fence Building
Tools Needed
· Post hole digger (manual or motorized), saw or chainsaw, drill, level, ratchet socket set, bolts, cement, mastic, truck and trailer (to pick up the posts)

Personnel
· Volunteers, PARD

Process
1. Transport posts from dog behavioral property.
2. Cut posts into 6 foot lengths, using thicker posts.
3. Cut rails into 6 foot lengths, using thinner posts.
4. Mark where fence and posts will be located, starting at entrance and working along front of the park, parallel to Convict Hill Road.
5. Dig post holes 2 feet deep, and 6 feet apart.
6. Apply mastic to bottom of posts.
7. Insert posts into post holes, leveling posts.
8. Pack posts with cement or gravel.
9. Drill holes for bolts into posts and end of each rail.
10. Attach rails to posts with bolts, making two courses of rails at top, and 2 feet from the top of the posts.

Phase IV
Historical Markers and Signage
Tools Needed
· Funding

Personnel
· Heidi, Jim, Gary

Process
1. Write history and fill out the application.
2. Submit application and documentation to county historical commission (CHC) for review and approval.
3. CHC forwards signed and approved application to Texas Historical Commission (THC).
4. THC reviews application; additional information and/or clarification may be requested.
5. Once the THC approves application, request will be made for payment of foundry costs.
6. Choose marker type.
7. Forward payment to THC.
8. THC prepares draft inscription and submits it to applicant and CHC for review.
9. THC sends final approved inscription to foundry for casting.
10. Foundry ships completed marker.
11. Applicant and CHC plan marker dedication ceremony.
12. THC staff enters marker into the Texas Historic Sites Atlas, an online inventory of marker information and inscriptions.

Our Austin Parks Foundation Website

http://www.austinparks.org/Partners/Quarry.html

The Austin Parks Foundation has been instrumental in our park's evolution.

The Convict Hill Quarry Park has an email address!

To contact us regarding future work dates, service projects for your scouts or other volunteer organizations, and any other questions, please email convicthillquarrypark@gmail.com.

An almost finished rock wall—10 June 2006

Building a rock wall inside the entrance—June 10, 2006

It’s My Park Day 22 April 2006

An impressive amount of brush removed on February 4, 2006

Our first work day on 16 April 2005, involved clearing enough brush to fill 2 giant dumpsters and then some...

History of Convict Hill Quarry Park

The Story of Convict Hill Quarry Park
By Heidi Armstrong Smith

The Texas State capital building, crowned with the Goddess of Liberty, reaches taller than the US Capital building in Washington, DC. The original design called for a limestone structure, but everyone knows the building appears to be made of sunset red granite (from Granite Mountain in Burnet County). Herein lies a fascinating story.

In 1881 the original capital building burned to the ground; only a pile of ashes remained. Officials decided the building must be reconstructed, of limestone, in a grand fashion. A spot south of town, Oatmanville (to be renamed Oak Hill) was negotiated as a quarry site, to which a railroad spur was built. The labor was supplied by the State of Texas. Convict Hill got its name because 8 convicts died while quarrying limestone between 1882 and 1885.

Texas’s first labor strike occurred in 1885. Stonecutters quarrying stone for our present State Capitol Building went on strike when a transient, who refused to join their union, hired on at a dollar a day less than the union men and then did more work. "Brock" was the offender's name. Union cutters threatened to walk out of the Oak Hill Quarry (now Convict Hill) if Brock was allowed to stay. Brock stood his ground, and the strike was on.

After the builders discovered that the limestone was too soft to support the grand design and contained flecks of iron that rusted and stained freshly dressed stones, granite from Marble Falls became the next material of choice. Although the limestone was unsuitable for the exterior of the building, stone from the quarry was used for the foundation and basement walls, cross walls, and backing for the exterior walls as well as elsewhere in the structure. Before the end of 1884 nearly 280,000 cubic feet of limestone had been delivered from the Oatmanville quarry. The rail line was abandoned and the rails removed in 1888.

Forward to early 2005 when Dr. Jim Turney created the Friends of the Convict Hill Quarry Park. Seeing the official Parks Sign erected in front of the property, Dr. Turney posted a flyer asking neighbors to help in the clean up of the park. Our first work day was scheduled April 16th, 2005, and 16 neighbors answered the call to help.

The entire front of the property was blocked by a wall of brush about 30 feet long, 10 feet high and 15 feet wide. One could not even access the property. On that day we filled two large dumpsters and lined the curb with a huge pile of brush. Subsequent work days have brought together the community to clean and enhance the park. Volunteers now include neighbors, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, interested families and individuals from all over Austin.

We are also working with: Joan Singh, Park Grounds Supervisor with Austin Parks & Recreation Department; Butch Smith, Senior Planner with Austin Parks & Recreation Department; Parc Smith, Superintendent with Environmental Corps; Lynda DeGroot with Central Texas Trail Tamers and a master naturalist. We brought together a team of diverse individuals, each focusing in their area of expertise, contributing immensely to the restoration of the park land. We have grown from a handful of neighborhood volunteers to a city-wide team. Jim, Gary and I are elated that others have the same vision we have...turning our little park into a neighborhood gem.

Several months ago we took the "shotgun" approach when seeking assistance. We contacted all of the people mentioned above, thinking one or two would choose to assist. They all noticed our commitment to the park after visiting and witnessing the improvements we had made. They fed off of our energy, and literally overnight we now have an entire team of experts willing to assist.

Now not only do we have a beautiful park, but we also have a brilliant piece of Texas history.

Resources
1) Richard Zelade’s website, http://www.io.com/~xeke/index.htm
2) http://www.awpi.com/
3) www.ohan.org
4) www.tsha.utexas.edu
5) http://www.preservationtexas.org/