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Why I wrote AUSTIN;
THE SON BECOMES FATHER
| Everybody likes a person who keeps
promises. Stephen Fuller Austin was that kind of person. He had not planned to
come to Texas, but his dying father asked him to take over the work of bringing Anglo
settlers into this part of Spanish territory. As as result he is known as "The
Father of Texas." |
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Austin held many jobs in his role
as empresario. Not only did he have to keep records of the land he assigned, he
settled squabbles between neighbors and was responsible for enforcing the law . He
learned Spanish in order to translate the laws so that the settlers could understand
them. He made long trips to Mexico City to ensure that the colonists got clear title
to their land. Imprisoned for voicing the wishes of Texas colonists, he returned in
time to participate in the Texas Revolution. His last days were spent seeking world
recognition for the place he loved. |
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| Austin was a very private man, and
it was hard for me to find out how he reacted to things. It wasn't until I found a
book about his father, an energetic man who made and lost several fortunes, that I got any
sense of how much this man loved his family and how he viewed life. I grew to admire
Stephen Austin even more as I realized what it cost him to keep his promises. |
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This book was published in 1993
when Texans celebrated Stephen Austin's 200th birthday. I was there. In fact,
as author of this book, I was made an honorary citizen of his namesake city, Austin,
Texas. |
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- Mary Dodson Wade |
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