urn:taro:utexas.cah.00359 A Guide to the Austin Papers: The Moses and Stephen F. Austin Papers, 1676, 1765-1889. October 2004 Encoded in XMetal 2 by Evan Hocker according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. July 2009 Locations revised by Megan Mummey. March 2010 Locations revised by Megan Mummey Descriptive Summary Austin, Moses and Austin, Stephen F. Austin Papers 1676, 1765-1889 Materials are written in English. 25 ft., 2 in. Correspondence, notes and lists, diaries, petitions, certificates, maps, field notes and surveys, broadsides, proclamations, inventories, financial and legal papers, land grants and deeds, reports, and newspaper clippings Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin The Austin Papers are composed primarily of the collected personal and official records of Moses Austin and Stephen F. Austin, documenting an era in Texas history marked by increased Anglo colonization, strained relations with the Mexican government, the Texas Revolution, and eventually the founding of the Republic of Texas. Biographical Note

Moses Austin (1761-1821) was born October 4, 1761, in Durham Connecticut. He married Mary Brown in 1785 and the couple had five children, including Stephen Fuller Austin. Moses founded his own dry goods company (Moses Austin and Co.) and in 1789 won the Virginia state contract to provide a lead roof for the new capitol building. His innovative business and mining strategies earned Austin credit for founding the lead industry in the United States. Though he amassed a considerable fortune from his lead mining ventures, the failure of the Bank of St. Louis sent Austin into debt. So he devised a plan to colonize Spanish-controlled Texas with Anglo settlers. He travelled to Texas and won the approval of the Spanish governor in 1820, but his health soon failed. Suffering from pneumonia contracted in Texas, Moses Austin died on June 10, 1821. His final wishes were that his son, Stephen, carry on with his plans to colonize Texas.

Stephen Fuller Austin (1793-1836), son of Moses Austin, was born on November 3, 1793, near his father's lead mines in Virginia. Educated in Kentucky, Stephen went to work in his father's business and served in the Missouri state legislature. Stephen and the family suffered a major financial set-back with the failure of the Bank of St. Louis, so he moved from Missouri to Arkansas to speculate in real estate and other business ventures. He was appointed circuit judge in Arkansas but soon decided to study law in New Orleans. While there, he learned of his father's efforts toward Anglo settlement of Texas, and planned to work with his father on this new enterprise. The untimely death of Moses Austin left Stephen to carry on the colonization plan, and in August 1821 he received permission from the Spanish governor to continue the work begun by his father.

Stephen returned to New Orleans and began promoting the new colonies along the Brazos and Colorado Rivers in Texas, with the first settlers streaming into the area in late 1821. Soon thereafter Mexico gained independence from Spain, forcing Austin to travel to Mexico City to salvage his colonial arrangements. The new agreement ushered in the era of the empresario, while Austin spent much of his time coordinating the allotments of land, mapping and surveying the territory. Accused of inciting insurrection among the colonists, Austin was taken prisoner and spent much of the period between 1834 and 1835 in Mexican prisons. Though he generally favored a moderate approach to relations with the Mexican government, Austin returned to Texas and was a leading figure in the revolutionary movement that eventually led to Texas independence from Mexico. Austin served briefly as Secretary of State for the new Republic of Texas, but died soon after his appointment at the age of forty-three.

 Scope and Contents

The collection consists primarily of the personal and official records of Moses Austin (1761-1821), and his son Stephen F. Austin (1793-1836) who carried out his father's plan for the Anglo colonization of Mexican Texas. Included is material related to the history and early peregrinations of the Austin family, especially their years in Missouri; their business activities, including the lead mines, store and banking investments; the pursuit of both men for permission to colonize and Stephen F. Austin's management of the resulting colony; the events leading up to the Texas Revolution and then the Revolution itself; and the first few months of the Republic of Texas. There is also a small cache of later family correspondence on historical topics.

NOTE: The Austin Papers, including detailed calendar and index, have been published in <emph render="italic">The Austin Papers</emph>, 3 volumes, Eugene C. Barker (ed.), Washington: USGPO, 1924-1928.

 Organization and Arrangement

Papers are arranged in five series:

[* below refers to the published calendar: <emph render="italic">The Austin Papers</emph>, 3 volumes, Eugene C. Barker (ed.), Washington: USGPO, 1924-1928. ]

Series I represents published papers that are listed in the calendar*.

Series II represents unprinted papers, originals not in the possession of the University.

Series III represents papers not published and not mentioned in the calendar*.

Series IV represents papers that are unpublished but mentioned in the calendar*. (Many of these are published in other places.)

Series V represents miscellaneous copies. The originals may be found in the files marked Austin Papers (H. B. Perry)

NOTE: Typewritten transcripts of many of these materials have been prepared, and precede the originals in the detailed description of the papers.

 Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

 Use Restrictions

The use of select documents is restricted due to fragility. Photocopies are available in their place for research use.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Austin, James Elijah Brown, 1803-1829. Austin, Moses, 1761-1821. Austin, Stephen F. (Stephen Fuller), 1793-1836. Bastrop, Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de, 1759-1827. Borden, Gail, 1801-1874. Bryan, James, d. 1822. Dewitt, Green C., 1787-1853. Edwards, Haden, 1771-1849. McKinney, Thomas F., 1801-1873. Mier y Teran, Manuel de, 1789-1832. Musquiz, Ramon. Padilla, Juan Antonio, d. 1839. Perry, James Franklin, 1790-1853. Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez de, 1794?-1876. Wharton, William H. (William Harris), 1802-1839. Williams, Samuel May, 1795-1858. Zavala, Lorenzo de, 1788-1836. Subjects Emigration and immigration--Texas. Frontier and pioneer life--Texas. Indians of North America--Texas. Land grants--Texas. Lead mines and mining--Missouri. Surveying--Texas. Places Anahuac (Tex.)--History--Sources. Austin's Colony (Tex.). Galveston (Tex.)--History--Sources. Mexico--History--1821-1860--Sources. San Felipe (Tex.)--History--Sources. Texas--History--Revolution, 1835-1836. Texas--History--To 1846. Preferred Citation

The Austin Papers, 1676, 1765-1889, Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

NOTE: Collection is alternately referred to as "The Stephen F. Austin Papers" or "The Moses and Stephen F. Austin Papers."

 Related Material

For Stephen F. Austin's calling card and other related material see the Stephen F. Austin Calling Card and the Hally Ballinger Bryan Perry Papers.

For more Austin material see the Stephen F. Austin Collection.

 Processing Information

Subsequent revisions were made by Megan Mummey, July 2009.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Typewritten transcripts: 2Q407 Series I: 2Q407 Vol. I, part 1, 1765-1812 2Q407 Vol. I, part 2, 1812-1820 2Q407 Vol. I, part 3, 1821-1822 2Q408 Vol. I, part 4, 1823 2Q408 Vol. I, part 5, January-June, 1824 2Q408 Vol. I, part 6, July-December, 1824 2Q408 Vol. II, part 1, 1825 2Q409 Vol. II, part 2, January-June, 1826 2Q409 Vol. II, part 3, July-December, 1826 2Q409 Vol. II, part 4, 1827 2Q409 Vol. II, 1828 2Q410 Vol. II, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 2Q411 Vol. II, 1833-1834 2Q411 Vol. III, October 1834 - September 1835, October 1835 - January 1836, 1836-1837 2Q412 Series II: 2Q412 Part 1, 1794-1817 2Q412 Part 2, 1818-1847 2Q412 Part 3, letters to Schoolcraft, 1819 2Q412 Series III: 2Q412 1775-1814, 1822-1824 2Q406 1814-1821 2Q413 1825, 1826, 1829, 1830, 1831-1834 2Q414 1835, 1836, 1837-1889, undated 2Q415 Series IV: 1825-1827, 1828-1829, 1830, 1831-1834, 1834-1835 2Q416 1834-1835, 1836 2Q416 Series V: 2Q416 1792-1801, 1802-1810, 1811-1838 2Q406 1792-1801, 1811-1838 (Copy 2) 2A104 Field Notes Vol. I [Photostats], books 1-14 Field Notes Vol. II [Photostats], books 15,17-46 Field Notes Vol. III [Photostats], books 49-126 Field Notes [Photostats], unpublished Field Notes [Photostats], not indexed Field Notes Vol. IV [Photostats], books 127-149, 151-152, 154-160 2Q406 Letters from the Henry R. Schoolcraft Papers [originals held at the Smithsonian], 1819-1820, 1848 Henry Austin Letters and Will, [Copied from "Life and Letters of Henry Austin, 1782-1853," by William Ransom Hogan, 1954] 1806-1846, April 26, 1851 Original materials: 2.325/OD19 A List of Titles Made under the First Contract with the Mexican Nation for Settling 300 Families by Stephen F. Austin, 1824 and 1827[original RESTRICTED for preservation, but facsimile available at this same location] 3H249 Inventories compiled by Guy M. Bryan Commonplace book, 1791 2A147 Series I: 1765-1810 2A148 1811 - October 1821 2A149 November 1821 - 1822 Project for a Constitution for the Republic of Mexico, March 1823 Memorandum kept by S.F. Austin, relative to his enterprise to settle a colony of North Americans in Texas – for the information of my brother J.E.B. Austin 2A150 January 1823 - April 1824 2A151 May 1824 - November 1824 2A152 December 1824 - July 1825 2A153 August 1825 - August 1826 2A154 September 1826 - May 1827 2A155 June 1827 - December 1828 2A156 January 1829 - May 1830 3H249 Ledger and diary of James F. Perry’s journey to inspect Austin’s Colony, 1830 2A157 June 1830 - April 1831 Memorial to the Convention of 1833 2A158 May 1831 - December 1832 2.325/OD19 Austin’s prison diary [original RESTRICTED for preservation, please use service photocopy in 2.325/N32a] 2.325/N32a Austin’s prison diary [service photocopy for reading room use] 2A159 January 1833 - September 1835 2A160 October 1835 - June 1836 2A161 July 1836 - January 1837 Series II Series III Series IV: 1775-1801 2A162 1802-1811 2A163 1812-1818 2A164 1819 - August 1824 and fragments 2A165 September 1824 - June 1828 2A166 July 1828 - April 1830 2A167 May 1830 - September 1832 2A168 October 1832 - June 1835 3H232 July 1835 - December 1835 3H233 January 1836 - August 1837 3H234 September 1837 - 1889 3H235 Undated 3H249 Reminiscences of Early Texans, J.H. Kuykendall, 1857 3H235 Series V: General,1676-1776, 1790-1819 3H236 Business and account papers, 1795-1806 3H237 Business and account papers, 1795-1806 3H238 Business and account papers, 1808-1812 3H239 Business and account papers, 1813-1817 3H240 Business and account papers, 1818-1856, undated 3H249 Account of Austin, Archer, and Wharton, Commissioners to the United States, 1836 3H241 Business and account papers, undated 3H247a Notes, bills and receipts, 1796-1812 3H247b Notes, bills and receipts, 1813 - June 1830 3H247c Notes, bills and receipts, July 1830 - 1833, undated 3H241 Field Notes, 1-37 Map fragments, unidentified List of Colonists 3H242 List of Colonists Field Notes, books 38-126 Field Notes 3H249 Ledger and diary of Stephen F. Austin, 1818-1821 Memorandum Book of Stephen Samuel Perry, undated Diary of William Joel Bryan, 1853 2.325/OD19 A List of Titles Made under the First Contract with the Mexican Nation for Settling 300 Families by Stephen F. Austin, 1824 and 1827 2.325/V8 Oversize material: 2.325/V8 Loan contract to government of Texas, [1836?] 2.325/V8 Survey and field notes of 555 acre tract for Stephen F. Austin on Cany Creek, undated 2.325/V8 Abstract of titles for land made to and from Stephen F. Austin and J.B. Austin at San Felipe, undated 2.325/V8 Two newspaper clippings, Galveston, 1842 2AA2 "Headings for Classification of Texas Historical Matter" (removed from daybook: Col. Guy M. Bryan, classification by C. W. Raines, 1899) 2AA2 Letter, Moses Austin to his son J.E.B. Austin, February 23, 1820 2AA2 List of notes received of Stephen F. Austin, 1832 2AA2 House plans, description, and typescript of explanatory notes by Stephen F. Austin, 1831, undated 2AA2 Blueprints of house plans, 1831 2AA2 Memorandum of agreement, Moses Austin and Andrew Dinwiddy, concerning mining, December 25, 1811 2AA2 Notice of land auction, Missouri[?], Moses Austin, February 26, 1819 2AA2 Letter to and account of Moses Austin with Thomas Hockley, 1801 2AA2 MS. General Council of Provisional Government Decree states commissioner’s duties, December 5, 1835 2AA2 Muster roll of Capt. R. Jones Company, October 10, 1835 2AA2 Copy of letter to Manuel de Mier y Teran from Lucas Alaman, concerning the law of April 6, 1830 2AA2 J. Dawkin’s account with Moses Austin, 1810-1814 2AA2 Shipper’s export manifest, 1834 2AA2 Moses Austin in account with Robert Collet, July 16, 1817 2AA2 Memorandum of agreement, Moses Austin, Parsons Bates, and Thomas Narvell, April 20, 1796 2AA2 Draft of notice to colonists from Stephen F. Austin, November 1829 Amendments to the judiciary bill, [1816?] 2AA2 John Rice Jones in account general with Moses Austin and Co., 1798-1812 2AA2 Number of sales, April 23, 1812 2AA2 Amiable Mason in account with Moses Austin and Co., 1807-1809 2AA2 Field notes of William Cooper’s tract on Peach Creek, undated 2AA2 George Lauman in account with Moses Austin and Co., March 16, 1795 2AA2 Memorandum to James Bryan from Moses Austin, [1819?] 2AA2 Fragment of letter from Stephen F. Austin [?] to James Perry [?] , while a prisoner in Mexico, May 10, 1834 2AA2 Account papers, undated 2AA2 List of notes received from the settlers, [1828?] 2AA2 List of deeds, Austin’s Colonies, 1825 2AA2 Letter to Don Carlos Dehault from Moses Austin, February 5, 1800 2AA2 Moses Austin in account with Aaron Eliott, October 25, 1807 2AA2 Moses Austin’s oath of allegiance to the Louisiana Territory, September 11, 1807 2AA2 Muster Roll of Hugh B. Johnston’s Company, February 17, 1827 2AA2 Stephen F. Austin in account with Perry and Hunter, 1832 2AA2 Perry and Sommerville bought of Victor David, December 9, 1833 2AA2 Stephen F. Austin’s passport to Mexico, July 15, 1835 2AA2 George Fisher in account current with James Miller, October 31, 1810 2AA2 “State of Texas, Special Mission of Austin, Archer, and Wharton,” January 21 and 22, 1806 2AA2 Perry and Hunter bought of Rufus Shamb and Co., April 6, 1830 2AA2 Perry and Hunter bought of J. and M. Brown and M.D. Lewis, October 7, 1830 2AA2 Perry and Hunter bill of sale, October 16, 1830 2AA2 Appointment of William Wharton as Plenipotentiary from Texas to the Unites States, November 18, 1836 2AA2 Daniel Phelps in account with Moses Austin and Co., 1805-1806 2AA3 Robert Wescott in account with Moses Austin and Co., November 14, 1805 2AA3 Account sheet “Amount of Debt…” February 5, 1806 2AA3 Account sheet beginning “Amount brought over…” April 14, 1806 2AA3 Lead account, Moses Austin, 1806 2AA3 John Butler in account with Moses Austin and Co., 1809-1811 2AA3 Moses Austin in account with Amos and C.L. Bird, August 27, 1815 2AA3 Letter, Benjamin Johnson, Esq. to Moses Austin and Co., October 15, 1810 2AA3 John Paul in account with Moses Austin, December 26, 1812 2AA3 Moses Austin in account with Van Peters, April 24, 1815 2AA3 Moses Austin in account with John Sugar, July 5, 1817 2AA3 Moses Austin in account with Perkins and Drips, October 31, 1817 2AA3 Timothy Wilkins in account with Moses Austin and Co., August 5, 1819 2AA3 Property sold, undated Benjamin Johnson in account with Moses Austin, March 4, 1802 John Rice Jones' Account with Moses Austin, undated Moses Austin in Account with Thomas Hockley, October 1, 1801 Charter of the Milam Fur Trading and Land Co., undated [T.V.] Alley Statement, undated Bond from Missouri involving Elias Bates, January 27, 1820 Abia Brown’s Account of Credit to E. Sharp, undated Document in Spanish addressed to SFA from Vicente Guerrero, March 20, 1825 List Grantees who received titles under Robert Peebles, 1836 Inventory from A. Baines to Moses and James Austin, undated Moses Austin in account with Robert Collet, 1817 James Bryan in account with Bryan and Morrison, April 23, 1814 Copy of Col. William Ashley's Account with Moses Austin, 1813 Account of Lead and Shell received and delivered to Moses Austin, 1807 Account of David Strickland with Moses Austin, 1805 Inventory of General Land Office of Houston - Archives received from Austin's Colony, October 15, 1837 List of private transfers, undated Letter to James Perry from Capt. H. Austin, October 6, 1837 Bill from Gill Ferguson and Co. to Perry and Hunter, October 8, 1851 Account Sheet, undated Bill of Perry and Hunter with C. McMain and Co., October 8, 1831 Letter from Stephen F. Austin to Peter Grayson, undated Letter from Stephen F. Austin to the Department of State, December 16, 1836 Letter from Stephen F. Austin to William Wharton, December 10, 1836 Letter to Stephen F. Austin, Branch T. Archer, William H. Wharton from Charles Stewart and Henry Smith, December 8, 1835 Letter to Stephen F. Austin from Manuel de Mier y Teran, March 1830 Balance Sheet, 1803-1804 Observations on the Account of Stephen Austin against Moses Austin, and Co., June 1802 Moses Austin and Co. in Account current with Stephen Austin, undated Receipt for land in Virginia from Moses and Maria Austin, July 18, 1797 Letter to Moses Austin from brother's colleague Thomas Buston, concerning a land purchase, June 29, 1794 Letter from SFA to James Perry, giving general news about the struggle in Texas, March 4, 1836 Letter to Stephen F. Austin from William Bryan, concerning Mexican movements, June 20, 1836 Letter to Stephen F. Austin from Elisha Roberts, November 8, 1827 Letter to Stephen F. Austin from J.C. Blair, March 20, 1826 Three copies of a memorial from Stephen F. Austin to the Mexican Congress on the subject of the port of Galveston, November 6, 1824 Petition to Government from Stephen F. Austin to establish 2000 more families in Texas, October 1, 1824 Microfilm 828.42 Microfilm: Microfilm 828.42 J.B. Austin account book, daily transactions at San Felipe de Austin, 1825-1843

(Master Negative)