Austin city (regional capital), history - Pictures
In 1730 Franciscan missionaries established three temporary missions in the area, at sites which for centuries had been occupied periodically by groups of Native Americans. The site of the present city was settled in 1838 on the north bank of the Colorado River by five families, who named the community Waterloo. In 1839 Waterloo was chosen as the site of the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas. A one-story frame building was erected to house government offices, town lots were sold, and a newspaper began publication. In December 1839 the city was incorporated and its name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, who is considered the father of Texas.
In spite of protests from the citizens of Austin, the capital was moved to Houston in 1842 because of a threatened Mexican invasion. After being located in Houston and in Washington-on-the-Brazos, the capital was returned to Austin in 1845, the year Texas became a state. Austin became the permanent capital in a state election in 1850. Despite the fact that its county voted against secession, Austin was the site of several Confederate army facilities during the American Civil War (1861-1865), and volunteers from the city organized a company of light infantry.
