The Guy Town Project

Between November, 1999 and January 2001 Hicks & Company investigated a four block area in downtown Austin to search for traces of a notorious late-nineteenth-century vice district. Labeled Guy Town by contemporary newspaper writers, the area at one time was studded with saloons and brothels, a nest of what one writer termed soiled doves. Archival research determined that the red light district was located just west of Congress Avenue and covered approximately eight city blocks. Research also indicated that the history of the area was much more complex and dynamic than originally suspected. Originally a small, chiefly Anglo-European residential enclave, the area underwent a variety of demographic changes after the Civil War, becoming more ethnically and economically diverse as commercialism increased.

These changes are reflected in the varied structural remains and artifacts found during year-long field investigations. Overall, more than 100,000 artifacts were processed and identified, providing a critical timeline as well as an often poignant reminder of the people that lived or visited there, the structures that once dotted the streets and alleyways, and the variety of activities and events that took place during downtown Austin's fledgling years.

Currently, analysis continues on the recovered artifacts and data. Hicks & Company is in the process of assembling the information into a multi-volume report on the history of this fascinating community.