On September 13, 1954, the citizens in the area now known as Sunset Valley voted to incorporate as a town. They elected Clinton Vilven to serve as the first mayor of the area which now measures a little over 681 acres. Today, we remain a relatively small town, but there certainly have been a lot of changes and growth.

Origin of the Land

Abstracts indicate the first recorded land transaction involving our area occurred when the State of Cochuila, Mexico and Texas granted 25 labors of land to Theodore Bissell in 1835. Bissell's' name appears in many of our legal descriptions here in Sunset Valley. According to a map in one of the old abstracts, a part of the Valley was also granted to Thomas Anderson in 1835.

Over many succeeding years pieces of these properties were sold to others, some of whom settled in the area we now know as Sunset Valley. Eventually, two brothers, M.H. and Clarence Flournoy purchased a large tract of the pasture type land in the early 50's to develop as a subdivision. M.H. Flournoy's son, Malcolm, who lives on Reese Drive said that his father and uncle were called crazy by their friends because the area was so far out from Austin!

Development of City Services

The beginning of the first water system to serve the area occurred when the Flournoys drilled a well in the early 50's. The system was purchased later by the city and served until a new system was installed in 1977. Natural gas lines were installed in 1965 and Cable TV was installed in 1975. In the mid- 70's we also saw the addition of the elementary school and athletic stadium. Additionally, during the late 60's and 70's, the paving of streets took place throughout the city. Sunset Valley's waste water system was constructed in 1990 with a grant from the Texas Water Development Board.

The first City Hall was built in 1977. Meetings and other activities no longer required the use of the elementary school and other locations. City Hall sits on a three acre tract which was named the "Fred W. Adams Park". A fire hall/maintenance building was later built in 1989. This building is used for community events such as National Night Out and Meet The Candidates each year.

Police Protection was implemented in 1954 by appointing Gordon Fowler as City Marshal. Deputies were added later and a police reserve force was created in 1978. The Sunset Valley Police Department was formally created in 1979.

Fire Protection got a boost with the acquisition of a fire truck in 1964. Beginning in 1973, however, Sunset Valley came under the protection of the Manchaca Volunteer Fire Department. As the City grew and the number of volunteers diminished, the city entered into an inter local agreement with the City of Austin Fire Department to provide fire fighting services in 1998.

Valley Creek Park (1.43 acres) was donated in 1973 by Clyde Copus, of Nash-Phillips-Copus. This land is used to be the picnic grove for the Flournoy family years ago. Now it is equipped with picnic tables and play structures for the children.

Resources

• An Informal History of Sunset Valley Texas 1954-2004
• List of Mayor and Council (1954-2019)

Source

Historical information provided by Carol F. Knight author of Sunset Valley: An Informal History and Other Tales

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