Re-enactors portray historical settlers Stephen F. Austin and Father Michael Muldoon discussing 1830's politics with a settler Courtesy Brazoria County Historical Museum
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Austin Town Festival
In 1821, Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas,"
founded his Austin Colony, the first authorized Anglo-American
settlement in Mexican Texas, centered along the Brazos River. The
first settlers arrived at the mouth of the Brazos on December 23 of
that year. The settlers, eventually numbering tens of thousands,
struggled against almost insurmountable adversity in an untamed
wilderness to forge a new life for themselves and their successors.
It these brave pioneers that the Austin Town Festival honors. This
annual event depicts life in the original colony during the
pre-Republic of Texas period, 1821-1836. Actual citizens from the
original 300 families are portrayed, including Austin, his family,
a rancher, an inn-keeper, and others whose histories are
well-known. The re-enactment, which is staged by the Brazoria
County Historical Museum, takes place in an authentically primitive
setting. It is documented with a narrative, photographs with
descriptions, three programs of the event (1997-1999), promotional
materials, newspaper coverage, and a narrated video.
Originally submitted by: Tom DeLay, Representative (22nd District).
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