Most of us get up and go to work on most days. We work to make money, to make a difference, to fulfill our dreams, and sometimes even to enjoy ourselves. It hasn't been that different in Austin since Waller and his 200 workers toiled on a short deadline in 1839 to build the city in the wilderness that became our capital.

But over the decades, the nature of the work has changed. It's becoming faster-paced and more mechanized. We're working less by hand and more by machine. Getting to and from work has changed. We've moved off the Travis County farms and into an economy fueled by research and electronics.

A look through the photo files of the Austin History Center helps illustrate some of these changes. Looking at these photos from our collection is a reminder that while many things have changed, others definitely haven't.

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