Recognizing April 24, 2025, as Austin County Day at the State Capitol.

89(R) HR 895 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

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.

Kitzman

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 895 was adopted by the House on May

23, 2025, by a non-record vote.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House