In 1839 the president of the Republic of Texas appointed a group of horseman to find the best place for the capital of Texas. The horseman chose the community of Waterloo. The area was chosen for its beauty, natural resources and its central location in Texas. The legislature confirmed the choice and renamed it Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, who colonized the first American settlement in Texas. In 1820, Moses Austin
(the father of Stephen F. Austin) obtained a land grant from Mexico for an American colony in Texas. The plan was to settle 300 American families on 200,000 acres. Moses Austin died before completing the plan. However, his son, Stephen F. Austin, carried out the plan.
History
Austin,Texas
By Nancy Gorosh
By Nancy Gorosh
