Jeffersonville Railroad construction began in 1848 and was completed through 1852. The first station was built on this site about 1853, with two wood yards nearby for fuel, and the official plat of Austin was recorded in 1853. Tradition holds that the town was named by Mexican-American War veterans who used land vouchers given for service, several of whom had served in Austin, Texas. Early industries were timber-related, with several saw and stave mills producing materials for shipbuilding and making millions of barrel staves before the large trees were depleted. Food canning then became the major industry, and in 1899 J.S. Morgan and others opened the first cannery, which developed into a national supplier of canned foods.