Historical Marker
The Shipe House
Marker installed: 1982
Monroe Martin Shipe (b. 1847) had this residence built in 1892 in Austin's
Hyde Park, a suburb which he developed on the site of the old state
fairgrounds. A man of broad vision, Shipe brought innovative changes to the
city's form of government, its public transportation system and other matters
of civic concern. His home, partially constructed of wood from the fair
grandstand, stands as a monument to his achievements.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982.
The first oil well in the United States was drilled in Texas in 1859. The discovery of oil transformed the economy of the state and helped to make Texas one of the wealthiest states in the nation.