Jim Duncan, a retired city planner, has written more than 600 short histories of Austin businesses. We introduced him and this series, “Jim Duncan’s Austin,” on July 6. This week, we adapt three of his histories. — Michael Barnes

The Bertram Building sits on the site of a trading post that was established in 1853 by one of Austin’s earliest pioneers, German immigrant Rudolph Christian Bertram. Located near the northern edge of town, it was one of the few places where Native Americans bartered with white settlers. 

Located at West 16th Street (formerly Cherry) between Guadalupe and Lavaca streets, the current building dates from 1872, when Bertram opened a general mercantile store there. It supplied farming necessities, such as seeds, farm tools, hardware, household goods, furniture, groceries and whiskey. Bertram was also one of Austin’s largest railroad and infrastructure bondholders. The town of Bertram in eastern Burnet County, built as a cotton hub on the Austin and Northwestern line, was named after him. He died in 1892.

In 1883, German immigrant William Andrew Achilles purchased the building and doubled its size. A saloon, carriage house, feed warehouse, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop and wagon yard were part of the complex by 1889. He and his family continued to operate Achilles Grocery until 1939, when the building began to host a series of restaurants.

Among them were Old Seville Mexican (1939-1954), El Toro Mexican (1954-1974), Red Tomato Italian (1974-1989), Texas BBQ (1991-1995), Bertram’s Restaurant & Bar (1995-1998) and The Clay Pit, which has occupied the building for the past quarter century. 

Sandy’s is an old-fashioned burger and shake stand on Barton Springs Road that epitomizes all things nostalgic. Opened in 1947 by Andrew Franklin “Andy” Harris and his wife, Goldie Marie, it was named after their daughter, Sandra Maureen.

Sandy’s Frozen Custard has attracted the Barton Springs crowd for three generations. There are many Austinites who never “do Zilker” without first hitting Sandy’s drive-through. In the words of one customer: “It’s affordable, locally owned, and so much better than McDonald’s” 

It should be noted that the spot’s neighbor to the east is a Whataburger, a fast-food chain nearly synonymous with Texas. 

Along with his business partner, Glen Hiner Teter, Andy obtained a 99-year lease from Rosa McPhail, who also owned the former florist shop next door. They completed all the construction themselves. 

Teter bought out the Harrises in 1964 and continued to run it until 1969. Ralph Moreland then purchased and operated it until he sold it to rancher Jearl Ledbetter in 1979. Ledbetter owns 10 Short Stop Burger outlets in the Austin area. Teter died in 1970, Andy Harris in 1980 and Goldie Marie Harris in 2001.

After moving from Lubbock to Austin in the early 1960s, Thomas L. “Tommy” Wyatt soon realized that the town needed a Black-owned business directory and a Black-owned community newspaper.

By 1970, he had founded The Black Registry, a classified resource for those interested in contacting Black-owned businesses. In 1973, after noting that news reported by major media about the African American community was mostly negative, he founded The Villager. The weekly publication focuses on the positive side of the news.

With Thomas Wyatt Jr. as senior editor, he publishes The Villager every Friday and distributes 6,000 copies through neighborhood businesses, restaurants, beauty salons and barber shops, pharmacies, clubs, grocery stores, churches and newsstands downtown and in East Austin. Free to readers, The Villager is supported solely by advertising. 

Wyatt was the first African American to join the Austin Jaycees. He has served as a member of the city’s Private Industry Council, as president of Austin Centex Chapter of the National Business League, and as a founding member of the Capital City Chamber of Commerce.

• Uptown Sports Club, Bullock Hotel, Avenue B Grocery
• Barr Mansion, King-Tears Mortuary, ABC Pest Control
• German Free School, Garza-Mohawk Building, Stratford Arms
• Roy’s Taxi, The Cloak Room, Gold Dollar Building
• Peter Pan Mini-Golf, Hofheintz-Reissing Compound, Robinson-Rosner Building
• Estrada’s Cleaners, Boggy Creek Farm, Marshall’s Barber Shop

Please send tips and questions to mbarnes@statesman.com.