Hancock, Austin, Texas facts for kids
Hancock is a cool neighborhood in Austin, Texas. It's in the north-central part of Austin. You can find it using ZIP codes 78751 and 78705.
Hancock is north of downtown Austin and the famous University of Texas. It has clear borders:
- To the south: 32nd Street
- To the west: Duval Street, next to Hyde Park and North University neighborhoods
- To the north: 45th Street, near the North Loop neighborhood
- To the east: Interstate 35, close to the Cherrywood and Wilshire Wood neighborhoods
Hancock is part of District 9 for the city council.
Contents
History of Hancock
Hancock has a long and interesting history. One of the first people to live here was Susanna Dickinson. She was a brave survivor of the famous Battle of the Alamo. Susanna lived near 32nd Street and Duval Street.
Another early resident was Lewis Hancock. The neighborhood is named after him! Lewis Hancock was the mayor of Austin from 1895 to 1897. He also started the Austin Country Club and Golf Course in this area in 1899.
Early Development
After 1900, new neighborhoods were planned. These were in the North University area, as it was called then. In 1910, Dr. J.R. Bailey created a new area called Beau Site. This was south of the country club.
In 1912, the Austin Country Club grew bigger. It added more golf holes, making it an 18-hole course. By 1928, the neighborhood was divided into the streets we see today. Austin's population was only about 35,000 people back then. So, Hancock was still considered to be on the edge of town.
Growing Community
Many important buildings came to Hancock. St. David's Hospital opened its doors in 1924. Concordia Lutheran College was built in 1926. It was on land from the Hancock family.
Soon, many shops and businesses appeared. Famous people moved to Hancock. These included J. Frank Dobie, a well-known writer. Edgar Perry Jr., a cotton broker, also lived here. Even Tom Miller, an early mayor of Austin, made Hancock his home.
Hancock Center's Journey
In 1946, the Austin Country Club moved. It went outside the city limits. The city then sold part of the golf course. This part was called the "back nine holes." It was sold to the Sears Corporation. This helped fund other fun projects in the city.
The Sears store became a main store in the Hancock Center Shopping Plaza. This plaza was built in 1963. It was on the old golf course land. Hancock Center was Austin's first shopping mall! Another big store there is a huge H-E-B grocery store. There are also many smaller shops and restaurants.
In the 1960s, Hancock Center was very popular. It had the first Dillard's store in Texas. The Sears store was twice as big as the one downtown. Other early shops included Merritt, Schaeffer, Brown, and Leon's.
Later, other malls opened, like Highland Mall in 1970. Hancock Center changed over time. But in the 1990s, new plans were made. Over $11 million was invested to remodel it. In 1996, Pacific Retail Trust bought the mall. H-E-B built a new, much larger grocery store. Today, Hancock Center is home to places like Jason's Deli, PetCo, and Freebirds.
Hancock Community Life
Let's look at who lives in Hancock. In 2009, about 5,028 people lived here. The area is about 0.974 square miles. This means there are about 5,164 people per square mile. That's almost twice as many people as the average for Austin!
The community is diverse. About 72% of residents are white. Around 14% are Asian/Pacific Islander. About 10% are Hispanic/Latino. And 1% are Black, with 3% from other backgrounds.
Education in Hancock
Students in Hancock go to schools in the Austin Independent School District.
- Lee Elementary School
- Kealing Middle School
- McCallum High School
