Manor

Manor was initially considered as the site for a new international airport to replace the overcrowded Robert Mueller Municipal Airport; however, several environmental lawsuits were brought by the Sierra Club and others, slowing development until an alternative was presented by the closing of Bergstrom Air Force Base further south. This facility was rebuilt into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which opened in 1999.

Education

The Manor Independent School District serves the City of Manor.^[10]

Technology

The City of Manor was the first government agency in the United States to deploy a QR Code program to disseminate information to residents and tourists. There are currently 24 fixed mounted QR Code signs placed throughout Manor on various city landmarks and structures. Manor has agreements with more than a dozen other small companies for various high-tech services.^[11]

Parks and recreation

The Manor area offers abundant opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Jennie Lane Park in downtown Manor is the center of most community-oriented events such as the Manor Farmers Market, Summertime Movie Series, and Christmas in the Park. The park is a “Smart Park” with Wi-Fi access and coded signage accessible by smartphones for retrieving historical and other information. The park consists of a gazebo, pavilion, and outdoor exercise equipment provided by a grant from the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department’s Steps to a Healthier Austin Program.

East Metro Park is a multiple-use recreational area with ball fields, soccer fields, basketball court, playscapes, hiking trails, stock ponds, and both free and fee reserved pavilions. The park also includes a swimming pool managed by the YMCA of Austin and is five minutes southeast of Manor.

Wildhorse Creek & ShadowGlen & Stonewater subdivisions include parks, playscapes, and multi-use fields. ShadowGlen amenities include a 4-acre (16,000 m²) water park and junior Olympic-size pool. Adjacent to ShadowGlen subdivision is one of Golf Digest’s America’s Best New Courses of 2004.^[12]

History

Manor was named for James B. Manor, who settled on Gilleland Creek west of present day downtown Manor.A school for boys began operation northwest of the present Manor High School

complex in 1854 and was followed in 1858 by a school for girls near the present Manor Elementary School. A post office was reestablished in the Manor home in 1859 under the name of Grassdale with James Manor serving as Post Master. A mercantile store was built in 1868, the present cemetery, and was followed by a second store in 1869.

In late 1871 as the Houston and Texas Central Railway constructed the first railroad link to the Texas capital, James Manor made a donation of right-of-way which brought the line through what is now the town. The inaugural train arrived in Austin on Christmas Day 1871. The following year the community of Manor was laid out and named. It was incorporated as a town in March 1913 and converted to a general law city in 1921 with expectations of continued growth. Following two devastating fires that destroyed most of the business district coupled with the decline of cotton production after the arrival of the boll weevil, Manor remained a small city throughout most of the twentieth century.