History of Our Land

Our land and its environs have been considered a place of healing for hundreds of years.

There was a large Indian village centered around Santa Monica Sulfur Springs, just 1600 feet from our church, near today’s Commons Ford Park.

The sulfur waters were known to be healing to the tribes (Tonkawa and Comanche), then later to early settlers in the 1850s. In the 1890s, the springs became a tourist attraction with steamer ships from Austin bringing hundreds of tourists a day. The water was also bottled and sold as medicinal by several companies, including the Santa Monica Springs Company.

Arrowheads and traces of habitation have been found on the church’s property.

Once the first Austin dam was built in 1893, the springs were submerged, now lying under lake Austin and lost to history. It is believed that Spanish explorer Coronado visited the Indian village located at Santa Monica Springs during his expedition (1540-1542), chiseling a basin out of solid limestone in his search for gold. Gold is often found with sulfur. The basin was in the shape of a figure eight—17 feet long, 7 feet wide and 5 feet deep. It was discovered in the 1830s by surveyors for the new Texas capital who were convinced of its Spanish origin.

Philip H. Commons owned the land at the low water crossing (around 1860) where people regularly forded the Colorado River, hence the name “Commons Ford Road.”

Photos (all from 1890) courtesy of Austin History Museum.