|
Gonzales Courthouse
Square
Photo
courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2009 |
 |
A
Short Description of a Town Long on History
Outside of Nacogdoches,
whose History predates the Texan Revolution, there is no town that
figures so significantly in Texas History as Gonzales. Well, there
is Brownsville.
O.K. Nacogdoches,
Gonzales and Brownsville.
Of Course San Antonio
goes without saying.
Gonzales is the only town of its size to retain its name from Spanish
rule. It's ironic that this was the westernmost Anglo settlement
in what was to become Texas. Beside it's being "The Lexington
of Texas" and firing the first shot, it also was the only
town to send reinforcements to the Alamo,
a gesture that is understated in every History of the State. In return,
Gonzales was burned to the ground in "The
Runaway Scrape" and survived flood, other fires and John
Hardin (who behaved himself both times he called Gonzales home). There
was that little escape from the jail, but nobody got killed. With
a history like this no wonder Gonzales developed a sort of self-imposed
isolation for many years.
Gonzales
Hotels › Book Here |
 |
Gonzales, Texas
Landmarks / Attractions
|
A
Destination Worthy of a Drive
Today, there's plenty to do and see, and it's certainly a destination
worthy of a drive from Dallas
as well as Houston.
It's a mere 64 miles from Austin,
and San Antonio
is a brief and comfortable 66-mile drive.
Bed and Breakfasts provide a civilized and relaxed way to visit, and
for the more savage and pagan, there are two unusual and under-used
parks only minutes away. The city itself has Independence Park with
many amenities and views of the Guadalupe
River come with nearly every picnic table.
Gonzales is undergoing a skin shedding of sorts, with many houses
undergoing restoration, following the lead of their
magnificent courthouse. A Main Street City, it has shown its awareness
of its own importance.
Gonzales
Hotels > Book Here |
It's
that time again in Gonzales - Come & Take It by Murray Montgomery
Dr.
Pat Wagner and the "Come & Take It" Cannon by Murray
Montgomery
Those of us who love Texas history can thank Dr. Wagner for the
little cannon that is presently on exhibit at the Gonzales Memorial
Museum.
Susannah
Dickinson by Linda-Kirkpatrick
Richard
Kimble and Almaron Dickinson, Heroic hat makers at the Alamo
by Murray Montgomery
Old Mass Grave at Gonzales
by Murray Montgomery
In April of 1905, human remains were found in Gonzales while
excavation work was underway at a site on St. Michael Street...
G.W.
Fly: Confederate soldier and Texas statesman by Murray Montgomery
While researching old issues of The Gonzales Inquirer from the year
1905, I came across the obituary of Mr. G.W. Fly. The Fly name is
very prominent in the history of Gonzales...
Murder
of Local Doctor During Reconstruction from Murray Montgomery's
"Lone Star Diary"
After the Civil War ended, folks in Texas and throughout the South
underwent a phase in time known as "Reconstruction." During this
period, the states that had previously been part of the Confederacy
were now subject to military rule as well as, occupation by Union
troops. Citizens of Gonzales, Texas, had to deal with the problem
of enemy soldiers, in their hated blue uniforms, walking the streets
...
Slave
Ada Stone by Murray Montgomery
109-Year-Old Ex-Slave Recalls Days Long Past
"A
River, A Town, and Memories" by Murray Montgomer
Remembering Tillie McGill Bright
"I met her one time and I will always cherish those few hours that
we spent together — talking about the memories of her childhood
in Gonzales, Texas..."
Small
Town Artillery I -
The Most Famous Piece of Ordnance in Texas
Small
Town Artillery II -
Gonzales: The Gun of August
The
Gonzales Inquirer
The
Texas, Gonzales, and Northern Railroad
Southern
Clay
The Caracara - Vulture of the Millennium
Gonzales
Hotels › Book Here
|
 |
|
Shipping a
carload of cotton, Gonzales, TX
Postcard written June 5, 1912 Mailed to Paris, France
Click on image to enlarge
|
Gonzales,
Texas Forum
Subject: Gonzales
Inquirer - Thank You
I'd just like to thank you for the blurb on the Gonzales Inquirer.
My father, Paul Ziemer, served as Editor of the paper in 1953-55,
and my mother, Margaret Ziemer, was (I believe) the first female
editor in chief of that venerable paper, in 1956. - Eric Ziemer,
August 07, 2004
All the DeWitt
Colonists want to say thanks for the feature on our head municipality,
Gonzales. Well done, it's hard to fish out because of poor record
keeping, but contemporary Texians (and DeWitt Colonists) were a
bunch of jokers half the time, in fact it's pretty well known that
a significant portion of the Old 18 including alcalde Ponton were
"pulling Col. Ugartechea and Lt. Castaneda's leg" on multiple events
during the affair over a tube that could barely belch (or should
we say vomit given a good powder emetic) out a potpourri of half-digested
ordinance from local blacksmith trailings (it made a lot of noise
though). - Wallace L. McKeehan, SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS, October
10, 1999
I found your
website today and was both impressed and enchanted with the variety
of material and humor. I liked the cow (steer?) over the Gonzales
restrooms! - Bill Rau, SIDE ROADS October 13, 1999
Editor's Note
Each visit to Gonzales convinced us that their desire to show their
town is a sincere desire to share. Our special thanks to the Chamber
of Commerce for their candor and to the Historic Society who contributed
the images you'll see throughout
the trip. Thanks also to the citizenry of Gonzales (new and
old) who took time from their daily routine to answer questions
and give directions to us (most of which were correct). - 1999
|
 |
Gonzales
County 1940s map
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Gonzales
County Town List |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and new or vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
|
|
HOME
