Stephen F. Austin (1793-1836)

          Austin was born in southwestern Virginia, and moved to Missouri at the age of five.  Austin attended Yale College before he became a militia officer for Missouri from 1814 to 1820.  It was Austin's father, Moses, who worked to establish an American colony in Mexican Tejas.  But, Moses died before finishing his plans, and the job fell to Stephen to complete the dream of Texas becoming its own colony.

          In late 1835, after overcoming many obstacles on the road to statehood, Austin and Juan Seguin led the attack on Mexican troops at the battle of San Antonio.  His contributions to Texas were boundless and never-ending as he remained firm and dedicated to his words of encouragement in the pursuit of independence.  He died an untimely death at the age of forty-three having devoted his life to the cause of Texas.