Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-03-28
A BIT OF TEXAS HISTORY.
The Man in Whose Honor the City
Of Austin In That State
Was Named.

Ihe historical cOnundrum. namely
in whose honor, Moses Austin or hi
son, Stephen +. Austin, was the capital
city of Texas called, involves recall
of some facts of special interest to 9
number of the readers of the Globe
Democrat in Missouri and Texas
writes William F. Switzler, in that pa
per. And for the reason, among 9th
ers, that Moses Austin once lived IL
Missouri, and the history of the name
of the capital of any state in the union
is of interest to the people of the state
Mr.. Perry S. RAIDERS History Of Mis-
souri," page SO, and some other publ
cations, also claim that Austin, Tex.
was so called in honor of Moses Austin
This is incorrect. The name was con-
ferred to perpetuate the memory OF
his son Stephen, the founder OF the
state.
Moses Austin was born in Durham
Conn.,, about the beginning Of the
American revolution. So was his son
a native of Connecticut. Moses came
to Missouri in 1898 and engaged in lead
mining in Washington county, or what
is now Washington county, and about
1908 became the partner in Potosi OF
John D. Cook, afterward judge Of the
supreme court, in the practice of law.
Judge Cook resigned in 1928, and died
in Cape Girardeau, year not known.
In 1920 Moses Austin moved to Texas.
and soon after forwarded from Bexar,
n sS. ~ - n
commandant at Monterey petition
asking permission to bring to that Sec
ton and colonize there 300 American
families. Permission was granted,
whereupon he returned to Missouri in
search of the emigrants. On his way
he was robbed by Mexican bandits and
exposed to hardships that caused his
death in Louisiana on June 10, 1921.
During the same year his son, Steph-
en- F. Austin, conducted party of emf
grants from New Orleans to occupy
the tract of land which had been grant
ed to his father in Texas by the Mexi-
can government. Led by Stephen Aus
tin, the emigrants settled on the Col.
orado river near where the city of Aus
tin now stands. The town was orig
inally built on beautiful plateau in
the bend of the river, and it ow, with
population in 1890 of 1890, extends
back from the original front about two
miles, and along the river about 2H
miles. The Moses Austin grant of land
was confirmed to his son Stephen in
1922.
In 1888 the Texas colonists formed
constitution, and Stephen Austin and
other delegates visited the City of Mex
leo to secure its ratification and the
admission of Texas to the Mexican con-
federacy. Owing to the existence of
revolution and anarchy in Mexico they
failed of their object. and Austin was
taken prisoner and detained in Mexico
until September, 1885. On his release
he returned to Texas, and was made
commandant of the Texas army, and
went as commissioner to Washington
to obtain from the United States gov
eminent recognition of Texas as an
independent republic, and its admis-
sion into the American union as q
state. But he did not live to see the
accomplishment of his desires, for he
died in Texas December %, 1886.
Texas proclaimed her independence
and seeded from Mexico on March 2,
1886, nearly ten months before the
death of Austin. But Texas was not
annexed to the United States until De.
cember 20, 1s45, ten years after his
death. The capital was called "Aus-
tim in honor of Stephen F. Austin, and
not of his father.