89R25500 JRI-F
By: Kitzman H.R. No. 895
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents are joining together to celebrate
Austin County Day at the State Capitol on April 24, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Located between the Post Oak Savannah and the
Coastal Prairie regions, Austin County was one of the first
Anglo-American colonies created in the 1820s; the county gets its
name from Stephen F. Austin, who not only founded the colonies in
this area but also had unprecedented influence on Texas history;
known as the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin served as an
empresario and provided land grants to the Old Three Hundred, who
were the first families to settle in the colony that now includes
modern-day Austin County; and
WHEREAS, San Felipe de Austin was one of the first towns
founded in the colony and was named in honor of Saint Stephen and
Stephen F. Austin; in 1824, the General Land Office opened in
San Felipe de Austin, which served as the capital of the
Anglo-American settlements in Texas; furthermore, the town hosted
the Conventions of 1832 and 1833 prior to the Texas Revolution;
Austin County was officially created by the Constitution of 1836,
with San Felipe serving as the county seat until 1848, when the
county government moved to the community of Bellville; and
WHEREAS, Austin County experienced multiple waves of
settlement, with Anglo-Americans arriving first to Austin's colony
and settling on the fertile land around the Brazos River and its
tributaries; eventually, Germans and Czechs settled the land,
leading to the development of many towns including Bellville,
Wallis, Sealy, and Industry; these cultural influences are felt
throughout the communities, with enrichments from Mexican
immigrants, the largest foreign-born group to settle in Austin
County in the 20th century; other influences came from African
Americans, who further contributed to the county's development and
the creation of many religious and social institutions; and
WHEREAS, Austin County has fostered an environment where
publications have flourished, like the Texas Gazette and the Texas
Register; the Texas Gazette was created by Godwin Brown Cotton in
1829 at San Felipe and was the first newspaper in the State of
Texas; the Texas Register also started in Austin County at
San Felipe in 1835 and eventually became the official voice of the
government of the Republic of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Austin County also was the founding place of the
Texas postal system and the Committee of Safety in San Felipe; the
latter would defend Anglo-Americans from Indian tribes and would
eventually become the Texas Rangers; and
WHEREAS, Today, Austin County has flourished into a
successful county where its economy thrives as a hub for
transportation, agribusiness, tourism, and manufacturing; many
towns have prospered in this county, including Cat Spring, Shelby,
New Ulm, and Frydek, and it now has a total population of over
31,000 residents; and
WHEREAS, Honoring their history as they embrace the
opportunities of the future, the citizens of Austin County may
indeed take great pride in their unique contributions to the story
of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 24, 2025, as Austin County Day
at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting
delegation.