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Joe Cook, WorldConnect file.

"Mollie’s brother, Moses Austin, and his son Stephen Fuller Austin, bought land in Missouri and operated lead mines there at Bellevue, Washington County. They later sold their lead mines and moved westward like so many families of that era. They lived for awhile at Mound Prairie, [[Hempstead County, Arkansas|Hempstead County, AR]], when the state capitol of Arkansas was at Washington, about 5 miles to the Southwest. Many of their friends came with them from Missouri. This was around 1816. One of Stephen Austin’s close friends was a Methodist preacher, William Stevenson, who was also speaker of the First General Assembly of Arkansas Territory when it convened at Arkansas Post on Feb. 7, 1820. Stevenson was the representative from Hempstead County. They had served together in the Missouri Territory Assembly. Austin was 25 years old at the time. After moving to Arkansas, Stephen Austin continued his interest in politics and in 1819 and 1820 he and his brother-in-law, James Bryan were promoting the new towns of Little Rock on the Arkansas River, and Fulton on the Red River. His friendship with William Stevenson may have influenced Stevenson’s role in the selection of Little Rock as the new territorial capital by the legislature of 1820. Stevenson made the motion in the House to select Little Rock as the capital of Arkansas. Stephen F. Austin’s father, Moses Austin, had moved to Texas and was attempting to establish an American Colony there. When Moses Austin died in 1821, Stephen took over his father’s Texas Colony located on the present site of Austin, the capital of Texas, so named to honor this family. He was instrumental in preparing for Texas independence. Because of Mexican opposition, Texas revolted in 1836. This led to the war with Mexico. Austin took charge of the Texans, but died sometime in 1831. He was born in 1790. After his death, Sam Houston took over. Austin is called the Founder and Father of Texas. (Any encyclopedia or Book of Knowledge has his history. He was a first cousin to our Grandfather, John Webb, Sr"

[[Category:Washington County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Hempstead County, Arkansas]]