Founding the Town
historical marker
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 bottomlands. By late October of 1823, Austin decided to establish his capital here. San Felipe became the first urban center of Austin's colony. It served as the political and commercial hub for early Anglo-American settlers in Texas. The Mexican government formally recognized it as the capital of the Austin Colony on July 26, 1828. This site's selection was crucial to the early development of Texas and the events leading to the Texas Revolution.