SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 203
WHEREAS, Many proud residents of Austin County are
visiting the State Capitol on February 19, 2009, in celebration
of their county's outstanding contributions to the Lone Star
State; and
WHEREAS, American settlement in the county dates to the
early 1820s, when the area became part of Stephen F. Austin's
first colony; the first town to be established was San Felipe de
Austin, which served as the administrative seat of the colony and
as a social, cultural, and commercial center; and
WHEREAS, Austin County was created by the Constitution of
1836 and was formally organized in 1837; San Felipe became the
county seat and remained so until 1848, when the county
government was moved to Bellville; and
WHEREAS, Blessed with an abundance of water, grassland,
and forests, Austin County drew a steady stream of settlers, most
of whom were engaged in agriculture; although the county remained
overwhelmingly rural, the development of a number of communities
took place during the 19th century, including Bellville, Wallis,
and the railroad towns of Sealy and Kenney; and
WHEREAS, Due to difficult social and political
circumstances at home and lured by glowing accounts of life in
Texas, many German immigrants settled in Austin County during the
1800s; for recreational and civic purposes, they organized
numerous singing, literary, dramatic, and political clubs, as
well as one of the oldest agrarian groups in the state, the Cat
Spring Agricultural Society; German communities in the county
include Industry, Cat Spring, Millheim, New Ulm, Shelby,
Welcome, Nelsonville, and Bleiblerville; and
WHEREAS, Austin County has also proved attractive to
immigrants from Czechoslovakia, who began settling in the county
in sizable numbers after the Civil War and who continued to
arrive until after the turn of the 20th century; like the
Germans, they organized much of their social life around various
societies, which still play a vital role in the county's Czech
communities; Czechs frequently settled in German towns and were
largely responsible for the establishment of Frydek; and
WHEREAS, Following the Civil War, African Americans in
Austin County set about creating their own social and religious
institutions; in addition to the fundamental role they played in
developing the county's agricultural base, they also worked by
the hundreds on building the railroad lines that entered the area
in the latter part of the 1800s; and
WHEREAS, In the 20th century, the cultural mosaic of the
county was further enriched by the arrival of immigrants from
Mexico, who in the 1900s were the largest foreign-born group to
settle in the area; by 2000, Latinos constituted 16 percent of
the county's 24,600 residents; and
WHEREAS, Prominent Texans who have resided in Austin
County include such early citizens as Gail Borden, Jr., a
surveyor and newspaper publisher who later invented a successful
process for condensing milk; another early citizen, Robert
Justus Kleberg, fought in the Battle of San Jacinto, held several
prestigious public offices, and, in 1885, saw his youngest son
become head of the King Ranch; and
WHEREAS, Today, visitors to the county can enjoy exploring
the county's rich heritage, preserved at the Stephen F. Austin
State Historic Site and in rural communities throughout the area,
while away their hours hunting and fishing, or take in the lively
scenes at the Bellville Heritage Gathering in Bellville and the
Polka Fest in Sealy; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of Austin County can indeed take
pride in what their forebears and they have accomplished over the
course of more than 180 years, and it is a pleasure to join them
in paying tribute to this exemplary Texas county; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st
Legislature, hereby welcome the Austin County residents visiting
on this day and recognize February 19, 2009, as Austin County Day
at the State Capitol.
Hegar
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 17, 2009.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate