A young girl kidnapped by Indians and spirited away; a man shot, scalped, and left for dead but rescued when a friend dreams that he yet lives; a group of young boys frolicking in a creek who witness a brutal murder; all within the city of Austin!  
Not the modern city, but the frontier version, in which Anglo settlers and black slaves walked dusty streets sparsely lined by log cabins and Indian encampments popped up occasionally on the edge of town.  The stories in Jeffrey Kerr's The Republic of Austin not only bring to life those long-gone days but, through maps, photographs, and the paintings of artist Ray Spivey, tie them to the modern cityscape.  Read this book to discover the vibrant past that pulsates yet among us.