San Felipe, Texas

Places to Explore

• Governing the Town

  In the early years of San Felipe, Texas, Empresario Stephen F. Austin played a central role in governing the town. He held numerous responsibilities. Austin served as the administrator of land grants, overseeing the distribution of property in the developing colony. He also functioned as a court jud

• Remembering San Felipe de Austin

  This historical marker in San Felipe, Austin County, focuses on remembering San Felipe de Austin. This location is recognized as an important site in colonial Texas history. Efforts to commemorate it began in the 1920s, when local leaders started looking for ways to honor its past. These initial eff

• John Bricker, San Felipe, Texas

  In San Felipe, Texas, you will find this historical marker. It is dedicated to the memory of John Bricker. He served as a private in Captain Mosley Baker's company. On April 7th, 1836, John Bricker was killed. His death resulted from a shot fired by a Mexican cannon. This fatal event occurred just a

• A Town Hall, San Felipe, Texas

  In San Felipe, Austin County, a historical marker stands near the site of an important early Texas building. A Town Hall, built around 1830, once stood here. This structure was central to the political developments leading to Texas independence. It hosted the First and Second Conventions of Texas in

• San Felipe de Austin: First Anglo-American Capital of Texas

  San Felipe de Austin, located in Austin County, Texas, holds historical significance as the first Anglo-American capital of Texas. The town itself was founded in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin. It officially became the capital of the Austin Colony on July 26, 1828, by decree of the Mexican government. St

• Frydek Catholic Cemetery

  The Frydek Catholic Cemetery is located in Austin County, Texas. Czech immigrants began settling in this area during the 1850s. They named their new community Frydek, after a town in their homeland. In 1885, two people died and were buried here on land owned by Jan Pavlicek. By 1890, Jan Pavlicek of

• Jane Wilkins' Home, San Felipe, Texas

  This historical marker in San Felipe, Austin County, Texas, designates the site of Jane Wilkins' Home. Jane Wilkins and her family were among the Colony's earliest immigrants. They were also the first to settle what is now the City of Houston. By 1827, Jane Wilkins and her two daughters, Jane and Ma

• Business District, San Felipe, Texas

  This historical marker in San Felipe, Texas, located in Austin County, designates the town's early Business District. San Felipe de Austin, founded in 1824 by Stephen F. Austin, served as the unofficial capital of his colony and the first urban center in the Austin colony. From 1823 to 1836, it was

• Rio Brazos Historical Marker, San Felipe, Texas

  This historical marker in San Felipe, Austin County, Texas, marks a significant location for Empresario Stephen F. Austin's colony. Austin, often called the 'Father of Texas,' considered several sites for his colony's headquarters. He had briefly looked at a location on the lower Colorado River. Ult

• Building the Town

  When San Felipe's first townsfolk arrived, they found the settlement itself was yet to be built. Many of these early residents constructed their own homes, kitchens, and stables using their own hands. Stephen F. Austin, recognizing the need for specialized skills, also enlisted various tradespeople.

• Welcome to San Felipe de Austin

  Welcome to San Felipe de Austin. Located in Austin County, Texas, this site marks the central business district of what was once a pivotal settlement. Between 1823 and 1836, San Felipe de Austin served as the focal point for American colonists immigrating to and settling in Mexican-controlled Texas.

• Burning of the Town, San Felipe

  In late March 1836, the Texian Army was in retreat ahead of Santa Anna's advancing Mexican forces. This retreat spurred the "Runaway Scrape," a wave of settlers fleeing for their lives. San Felipe, then a vital colonial center, faced a critical decision. To prevent the enemy from benefiting from th

• Early Roads To San Felipe

  When Stephen F. Austin founded San Felipe in the mid-1820s, roads were primarily wagon ruts or trails marked by notched trees. Within a decade, this early Anglo settlement became a hub with over eight radiating roads. Major routes included the San Antonio Road, or El Camino Real, and the Atascosita

• Stephen F. Austin in San Felipe

  Here in San Felipe, we remember Stephen F. Austin, widely known as the Father of Texas. Born on November 3, 1793, he dedicated his life to this region until his death on December 27, 1836. Austin was instrumental in planting the first Anglo-American colony in Texas, a group famously referred to as '

• The Burning of San Felipe

  After the fall of the Alamo on March 6th, 1836, General Sam Houston and his Texian volunteers retreated eastward from Gonzales. This movement initiated what became known as the Runaway Scrape, as colonists evacuated and abandoned their homes and property. San Felipe, then the colonial capital and a

• Hill House, San Felipe, Texas

  The Hill House in San Felipe, Austin County, marks a site with early Texas history. The first known person to occupy this land was Judge Robert M. Williamson. He was widely known as "Three Legged Willie" due to a childhood illness that left his right leg drawn back at the knee, requiring him to wear

• Stephen F. Austin, Father of Texas

  In Austin County, at San Felipe, Texas, stands a historical marker erected in 1936. This marker commemorates Stephen F. Austin, known as the Father of Texas. Between 1821 and 1835, Austin significantly shaped the course of colonial Texas. He founded San Felipe de Austin in 1823 as the capital of his

• San Felipe de Austin Town Site

  Stephen F. Austin laid out the San Felipe de Austin Town Site in 1824 as the capital of his colony. This site also hosted the only Federal District Court ever convened in Texas under Mexican rule. San Felipe de Austin was central to events leading to the Texas Revolution. It hosted the First and Se

• San Felipe de Austin Cemetery

  The San Felipe de Austin Cemetery is a historical marker in San Felipe, Austin County, Texas, erected in 1993. San Felipe de Austin was established in 1824 as the community and administrative headquarters of Stephen F. Austin's original Anglo American colony. Stephen F. Austin and Baron Felipe Enriq

• Austin & Perry Stores

  This historical marker in San Felipe, Austin County, commemorates the Austin & Perry Stores. Stephen F. Austin, the empresario, founded his Texas colony with the hope that it would help his family prosper. However, the financial realities of being an empresario proved disappointing for him. To gener

• Spanish Town in San Felipe, Texas

  In San Felipe, Texas, a notable historical area known as Spanish Town once thrived. Located on the east edge of the town, this neighborhood was home to a significant number of Tejanos. These individuals were native-born Texans, forming a distinct cluster of families within the community. Their lives

• Cotten Print Shop, San Felipe, Texas

  In San Felipe, Austin County, a historical marker commemorates the Cotten Print Shop. Here, Godwin B. Cotten established a significant printing operation. Before settling in Texas, Cotten gained experience printing in Alabama, Louisiana, and Tamaulipas, Mexico. In San Felipe, he published The Texas

• San Felipe United Methodist Church

  The San Felipe United Methodist Church in San Felipe, Texas, has a history rooted in the town's early development. In 1837, after the town of San Felipe de Austin was incorporated, the town council constructed a multi-purpose building on land known as “Constitution Square.” This one-story building w

• Bottomland Farms

  Bottomland Farms in San Felipe, Texas, played a vital role in the early Austin Colony. While downtown San Felipe served as the colony's administrative center, the surrounding farms and ranches provided essential food for settlers. These agricultural operations also generated profits, contributing to

• A Home on Commerce Square

  This historical marker in Austin County commemorates two lots ideally situated near Commerce Square and the Brazos River in San Felipe, Texas. San Felipe de Austin, founded by Stephen F. Austin in 1823, served as the capital of his colony and was a significant commercial, social, and political cente

• Toward Revolution

  This historical marker in San Felipe, Austin County, Texas, is titled 'Toward Revolution.' It highlights a critical period in Texas history. The marker text states that the Convention of 1833, followed by the Consultation in 1835, reflected the growing tension between the colonists and the Mexican g

• Travis Law Office, San Felipe, Texas

  In San Felipe, Austin County, Texas, a historical marker commemorates the Travis Law Office. William Barret Travis, remembered as a revolutionary patriot and martyr of the Alamo, practiced law here. Before his death for Texas' independence, Travis was a young attorney in San Felipe. His law office w

• J.J. Josey General Store

  In San Felipe, Texas, you will find the J.J. Josey General Store. This building was constructed in 1847 by John Crutcher on the Plaza de Commercio. It was the last store built in the town after its burning in 1836 by military order. Dr. J.J. Josey purchased the store in 1867. It then operated contin

• Founding the Town

  With his Empresario contract in hand, Stephen F. Austin searched out a suitable location for the capital of his colony. In 1823, Austin, together with surveyors and guides, selected a site where a ferry crossed the Brazos River. This location featured a high, defensible bluff overlooking fertile bot