"Mount Bonnell, associated with the legend of the Indian princess who jumped into the river in remorse over the death of her white lover -- killed by her tribe to prevent their marriage -- was a favorite place for picnickers from U.T. and still is a favorite symbol of environmentalists.

When, in 1915, a property owner fenced the road to Mt. Bonnell, an ex-student wrote:

I favor conservation of all our influences for joy and affection and pleasure in life. At whatever cost, the Mount Bonnell road must be re-opened and at once. West Point has its 'Flirtation Walk'; Harvard has its own peculiar institutions and customs; Wisconsin has its lake; and Texas must have its Mount Bonnell. Without Mount Bonnell, it were as well for the University to close its doors. Presidents may change; governors may veto appropriations; Legislatures may be short-sighted and voters may be prejudiced; but never, never can we allow private greed to take away from the University of Texas its Mount Bonnell."

Margaret Catherine Berry, U.T. Austin Traditions and Nostalgia, 1975, p. 125