The names of the streets at Mueller “honor a diverse cross-section of Austin leaders and legends symbolizing the city’s great history and distinct culture.” (From Mueller Street Legends, pdf file.) Our house will be at the corner of McCloskey and Scales streets:
McCloskey Street: John McCloskey
John McCloskey, a professional baseball player, brought professional baseball to Texas by request of Austin businessmen and baseball fans after his Joplin, Missouri team challenged and beat the New York Giants in two games. Mr. McCloskey founded the Texas League in 1888 and managed the Austin team The Austin Baseball Club, later renamed the Austin Senators, which consisted of professional players he brought to Texas as the Joplin Independents.
Scales Street: Normal Scales
Norman Scales grew up in South and East Austin and was the first African-American pilot from Austin. In 1940, Mr. Scales enlisted in the United States Army and in a few years was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in class of the U.S. Military Single Engine Fighter Pilots of Tuskegee, Alabama. He flew more than 70 missions engaging in enemy fighting and was in charge of installation and maintenance of wire and radio signal communications. Mr. Scales was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross presented at Bergstrom Air Force Base.
Architects and designers are well represented, accounting for two of the 53 new street names. Timothy and I were excited to find Page and Taniguchi streets.
Charles Henry Page established the firm of Page Brothers Architects in 1898, which would ultimately grow into the internationally acclaimed practice Page Southerland Page. Among C.H. Page’s most prominent works are the Littlefield Building and Travis County Courthouse in downtown Austin.
Isamu Taniguchi created the beautiful Japanese Garden at Zilker Botanical Gardens from 1967 to 1969. His son Alan served as dean of both the University of Texas’ and Rice University’s School of Architecture. He established Alan Y. Taniguchi Architects, continued by his son Evan.
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