Manchaca, which takes its name from nearby Manchaca Springs, is nestled in the beautiful rolling hills about 10 miles south of Austin. Spanish land grants issued in the 1830s opened the land for settlement, and by the 1850s, stage stop Manchac Springs was established, bringing new settlers through the area. Many liked what they saw and settled in. The population grew in great bounds when the International & Great Northern Railroad laid track through Manchaca in 1881, which led to the building of a new school and several mercantile stores. By the turn of the century, Manchaca had grown into a bustling community.