Stephen F. Austin
Austin High School
Known as the Father of Texas, Stephen Fuller Austin was born in the mining regions of southwestern Virginia, in what is now known as Austinville, which is 250 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia. After graduating in Kentucky, Austin studied to be a lawyer, and at age twenty-one he served in the legislature of the Missouri Territory. In the 1820’s, Austin was authorized by the San Antonio Governor to explore the Gulf Coast between San Antonio and the Brazos River to find a suitable location for a colony. By late 1825, Austin had brought the first 300 families, now known in Texas history as the Old Three Hundred, to the colony. He also helped settle an additional 900 families between 1825 and 1829. He had effective civil and military authority over the settlers and also organized small, informal armed groups to protect the colonists, which evolved into the Texas Rangers. The capital of Texas, Austin, is named in his honor.