Millions of Americans are familiar with famed Texan Stephen F. Austin, the man who secured his place in history as the “Father of Texas.”

Most people, however, are unaware that the “Father of Texas” not only hails from Virginia, but also Wythe County.

 Born November 3, 1793, in what is now Austinville, Virginia, Stephen Fuller Austin was the second child of Moses Austin and Mary Brown Austin.  Moses, born in 1761, was originally from Connecticut.  He and his brother moved to eastern Wythe County in August 1789 with intentions of founding a lead mines on the banks of the New River.

The two worked to establish several smelters, furnaces, commissaries, blacksmith shops, liveries, and mills. The tiny village around the mines became known as “Austinville,” and Moses came to be known as the “Lead King.”

 According to historians, the Austin brothers were “excellent shot makers and miners, but they were not very good businessmen.  Their business grew too quickly, and their finances were in disarray.”

Burdened by debt, the brothers are said to have looked westward, toward the rich lead deposits in Missouri; then a part of upper Spanish Louisiana.

In 1797 Moses traveled with a friend to Missouri, where he toured and eventually purchased a lead mines about forty miles west of the Mississippi River.

The following year, Moses Austin, his wife, four-year-old son and several others – forty in all – left Wythe County in search for a brighter future in Missouri.

Nearly two decades later, however, the Austin’s again relocated to the largely unsettled expanse of Texas.

Stephen’s father had hopes of colonizing the region.  Sadly, Moses died in 1821 having never realized his dream of settling the vast territory.

Persuaded by a letter from his mother, Wythe County native, Stephen F. Austin set out to continue his father’s dream.

Under Austin’s leadership, the Texas colony grew from three-hundred to over 11,000 by 1832.

Fearing the large number of American settlers now crossing into Texas, Mexican government officials sought to discourage the colonists by introducing immigration controls and tariff laws.

In July of 1833 Austin traveled to Mexico City in hopes of gaining reforms, as well as convincing government officials to lift their ban on immigration.  Though partly successful in his efforts, Austin returned to Texas only to discover the situation had worsened.

Soon the colonists found themselves in a state of war with the Mexican government.

Austin briefly commanded Texan forces in late 1835.  Under his leadership, colonists secured a decisive victory near modern-day San Antonio, during the Siege of Bexar.

In the spring of 1836 Texas’ sovereignty was officially recognized and the war for Texas independence was over.

In August, Austin announced his candidacy to serve as the new nation’s first president.

Unfortunately for Austin, he was soundly defeated by another Virginia native, Sam Houston.

As President of Texas, one of Houston’s first moves was appointing Austin to serve as the nation’s first secretary of state.

Tragically, Austin would serve only two months before dying unexpectedly, after catching a severe cold in December 1836.

The Wythe County native’s last words were, “The independence of Texas is recognized!” Upon hearing of Austin’s death, President Houston ordered an official statement proclaiming: “The Father of Texas is no more; the first pioneer of the wilderness has departed.”

Today, Austin’s birthplace is officially marked by a memorial.  The large stone, located just a few hundred feet south of the New River, rests inside the Stephen F. Austin Memorial Park.

Just a few hundred feet to the north of the monument is a boat drop-in site to the New River.

To the south, runs the New River Trail, a 57-mile linear park that follows an abandoned railroad track.  The park parallels the scenic and historic New River for 40 miles and passes through four counties. The trail’s gentle slope makes it great for visitors of all ages to hike, bike and ride horseback. Several places in the park provide horse, canoe and bike rentals, boat launches and gift shops. Fishing is popular and primitive camping sites dot the trail.

-Jeremy T.K. Farley

Each day, over 70,000 vehicles pass through eastern Wythe County, along Interstates 81 and 77, making the stretch of roadway one of the most traveled sections of highway in the region.

Unfortunately, the lack of a functioning wastewater system in the extreme eastern end of the county has, for years, stifled commerce.

In recent years, Wythe County has become proactive in combating these issues, in hopes that greater economic activity off the county’s interstate exits will in turn lower the tax burdens on the county’s 29,235 residents.

This May, the County completed a multi-year project by providing businesses and residents between Exits 84 and 86 with public sewage.

Previously, businesses located off Exit 86 were forced to treat their own wastewater. Linda Wyatt, owner of the Apple Tree

Restaurant, says they treated their wastewater for over forty years.

Calling the entire process of treating their business’ wastewater a “nightmare,” Wyatt says, “We had to fill out daily reports regarding the treatment plant, had to deal with state inspections and were constantly facing new issues.”

“When the county notified us that we could hook up, we closed the treatment plant the same day. The county’s wastewater system has taken a huge expense and liability off our shoulders.”

The improvements in sewage come on the heels of recent highway improvements made by VDOT. Last year, VDOT rebuilt the Exit 86 bridge, strengthening and widening the structure, in anticipation of additional traffic in the coming years.

County leaders hope these improvements, in conjunction with legislation passed by the 2013 General Assembly regarding mixed beverage licenses between mile markers 75 and 86 along Interstate 81 will allow the county to be viewed more favorably by high quality restaurants.

By attracting restaurants similar to those found in the Town of Wytheville, Wythe County officials are optimistic that the recent changes will, over the course of time, help lower the burden for taxpayers countywide.

Additional hotels and restaurants in the county would provide meals and lodging tax collections for the county.

Presently, the majority of large chain restaurants and hotels within the county are located in the Town of Wytheville and all meals and lodging taxes goes to the Town.

Despite inclement weather, twenty-four individuals participated in the Emergency Vehicle Operator’s Course [EVOC] earlier last month.

The two day training program began with eight hours of classroom presentation, followed by an entire day spent driving emergency vehicles through a road-course set up in a parking lot at the Wytheville Community College.

The Wythe County Board of Supervisors sponsored program was instructed by the county’s emergency management team through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the Virginia Association of Rescue Squads.

In addition to the sixteen hours of training time logged, students participating in the certification program were required to complete a written examination and practical skills test.

Through the training exercise, emergency responders learned safe driving techniques for operating a wide variety of emergency vehicles, including police cars, ambulances and fire trucks.

In spite of heavy rains, class instructors continued with the hands-on-driving portion of the program, “We respond in all types of weather, including the rain, so we didn’t stop the course when the weather started getting ugly,” said Ikey Davidson, Wythe County’s Director of Emergency Management.

The safety training included participants from multiple departments, as well as several neighboring localities.

Through training exercises such as these, government officials hope to enhance public safety by ensuring emergency personnel and volunteers are prepared to meet the challenges associated with driving emergency vehicles.

Special thanks to Wythe County Rescue Squad for providing accompanying photos.