2023 AFAOA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Greetings Austin friends and cousins! Conference voting has concluded, and the membership has chosen Austin, Texas as the site for our 2023 AFAOA conference. Part reunion, part informational speakers and research, and part simply enjoying our host city, this conference is an event many of us look forward to every year. September and October were the overwhelming preference for the month during which to schedule the conference, with the majority preferring October, so we will begin looking at availability in this time frame. More information will be coming soon and will be posted on the AFAOA website, Facebook page, and included in the upcoming newsletter. I hope to see you in Austin this Fall!
Elizabeth Neithamer
AFAOA Conference Chair
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Austin, the capital of Texas, is a growing city on the Colorado River, established in 1835 when Texas won its independence from Mexico. The pink granite Texas State Capitol soars over the city. Nearby is the Bob Bullock History Museum with interactive exhibits.
Visit the grave of Stephen Fuller Austin, “The Father of Texas”, in the Texas State Cemetery. Nearby is the oldest wooden structure in Austin, the French Legation, built by the French as a diplomatic outpost during the Republic of Texas period, 1835-1845. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Museum has collections centered on this period. Enjoy the natural beauty of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
The University of Texas is home to 17 libraries and museums, including the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, the Briscoe Center for American History and the Blanton Museum of Art.
For research, the Texas State Library holds a variety of Texas government records, including Republic of Texas Pass- ports, the Index to Confederate Pension Applications, newspapers on microfilm and the 1897 Voters’ Registration, as well as printed family and county histories and city directories. It also has a good selection of materials for other states. The Texas General Land Office, established in 1837, archives land grant records and maps dating to the 18th century.
