80R15330 SKA-D
 
  By: Kolkhorst H.C.R. No. 201
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
       WHEREAS, The rich and colorful history of early Texas is a
story that has seized the imagination of people around the world,
and at the very heart of this tale lies the city of San Felipe in
Austin County; and
       WHEREAS, In 1824, San Felipe de Austin was founded by Stephen
F. Austin as the unofficial capital of his colony, and the town
rapidly became a vital business and communications center, second
only to San Antonio in importance at the time of the Texas
Revolution; and
       WHEREAS, The hub of the region's early postal service, San
Felipe was also the home of the Texas Gazette, one of the state's
earliest newspapers, serving as a touchstone of civilization and
culture in a wild and untamed land; and
       WHEREAS, San Felipe also played a central role in the Texas
Revolution as the site of the conventions of 1832 and 1833 and the
Consultation of 1835, which sowed the seeds for the Texas
Revolution; and
       WHEREAS, Like many Texas communities, San Felipe suffered the
devastation and privation of war during the Revolution, but in the
years after the Civil War the town was imbued with new vigor by new
settlers, including large populations of Czech and Mexican
immigrants; and
       WHEREAS, Though very much a modern community, San Felipe is
also uniquely resonant with the echoes of the Lone Star State's
storied past, and its singular historical stature is deserving of
special recognition; now, therefore, be it
       RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate San Felipe the Colonial Capital of Texas.