The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia Encyclopedia World Factbook Columbia Gazetteer American Heritage Coll. The commercial and industrial center of a rich farm region, it is noted as home to the Hormel meatpacking company, whose Spam Town museum draws tourists. Austin is the rapidly growing commercial heart of a large cattle, poultry, dairy, cotton, and grain-producing area. The presence of the Univ.
Defense industries are also important.
The site was selected in 1839 for the capital of the new Texas republic and named in honor of Stephen F. Austin. In 1870 Austin was made the permanent state capital. In recent decades Austin has become a country and popular music mecca and a film industry center. In the hills outside the city are Barton Springs and other scenic and recreational areas. The National Wildflower Research Center is nearby, and adjoining Bergstrom Air Force Base, closed in 1990, opened in 1999 as Bergstrom International Airport.