Gonzales, Texas | |
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Motto: "Where the fight for Texas liberty began" [1] | |
Coordinates: 29°30′32″N97°26′52″W / 29.50889°N 97.44778°W | |
Subregion | Eagle Ford Shale [2] |
Region | Austin Chalk [2] |
County | Gonzales |
State | Texas |
Country | United States |
Government | |
• Mayor | S.H. "Steve" Sucher |
• City manager | Tim Crow |
Area | |
• Total | 6.08 sq mi (15.75 km2) |
• Land | 6.08 sq mi (15.75 km2) |
• Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
Elevation | 285 ft (87 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,165 |
• Density | 1,238.98/sq mi (478.34/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 78629 |
Area code | 830 |
FIPS code | 48-30116 [4] |
GNIS feature ID | 1336672 [5] |
Website | www |
Gonzales is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, with a population of 7,165 at the 2020 census. [6] It is the county seat of Gonzales County. [7] The "Come and Take It" incident, the ride of the Immortal 32 into the Alamo, and the Runaway Scrape after the fall of the Alamo, all integral events in the War for Texas Independence from Mexico, originated in Gonzales.
Its cattle and poultry economy is enhanced by oilfield services and light manufacturing enterprises, a short rail connection to a major Union-Pacific rail line, and lodging oil field workers from the nearby Eagle Ford Shale. [8] It is the site of the Battle of Gonzales, the first battle of the Texas Revolution.
Gonzales is one of the earliest Anglo-American settlements in Texas, the first west of the Colorado River. It was established by Empresario Green DeWitt as the capital of his colony in August 1825. DeWitt named the community for Rafael Gonzáles, governor of Coahuila y Tejas. [9] Informally, the community was known as the DeWitt Colony.
The original settlement (located where Highway 90-A crosses Kerr Creek) was abandoned in 1826 after two Indian attacks. It was rebuilt nearby in 1827. The town remains today as it was originally surveyed.
Gonzales is referred to as the "Lexington of Texas" because it was the site of the first skirmish of the Texas Revolution. In 1831, the Mexican government had granted Green DeWitt's request for a small cannon for protection against Indian attacks. At the outbreak of disputes between the Anglo settlers and the Mexican authorities in 1835, a contingent of more than 100 Mexican soldiers was sent from San Antonio to retrieve the cannon.
When the soldiers arrived, only 18 men were in Gonzales, but they refused to return the cannon, and men from the surrounding area soon joined them. Texians under the command of John Henry Moore confronted them. Sarah DeWitt and her daughter sewed a flag bearing the likeness of the cannon and the words "Come and Take It", which was flown when the first shots of Texian independence were fired on October 2, 1835. The Texians successfully resisted the Mexican troops in what became known as the Battle of Gonzales. [10] [11]
Gonzales later contributed 32 men from the Gonzales Ranging Company to the defense of the Alamo. [12] It was the only city to send aid to the Alamo, and all 32 men lost their lives defending the site. Susanna Dickinson, widow of one of the Alamo defenders, and Joe, the slave of William B. Travis, fled to Gonzales with news of the Alamo massacre. General Sam Houston was there organizing the Texas forces. He anticipated the town would be the next target of General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican army. Gathering the Texians at Peach Creek east of town, under the Sam Houston Oak, Houston ordered Gonzales burned, to deny it to the enemy. He began a retreat toward the U.S. border. The widows and orphans of Gonzales and their neighbors were forced to flee, thus precipitating the Runaway Scrape.
The town was derelict immediately after the Texas Revolution, but was eventually rebuilt on the original site in the early 1840s. By 1850, the town had a population of 300. The population rose to 1,703 by time of the 1860 census, 2,900 by the mid-1880s, and 4,297 in 1900. Part of the growth of the late 19th century can be attributed to the arrival of various immigrants, among them Jews, many of whom became peddlers and merchants. [13]
Gonzales is located in central Gonzales County, on the northeastern side of the Guadalupe River, just east of the mouth of the San Marcos River. U.S. Route 183 passes through the western side of the city, and U.S. Route 90 Alternate passes through the north of the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Gonzales has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.7 km2), all land. [6]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Gonzales has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [14]
Climate data for Gonzales, Texas (2 miles south) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1965–2023) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) | 96 (36) | 100 (38) | 98 (37) | 102 (39) | 109 (43) | 106 (41) | 111 (44) | 111 (44) | 98 (37) | 93 (34) | 87 (31) | 111 (44) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.1 (16.7) | 65.9 (18.8) | 72.5 (22.5) | 79.3 (26.3) | 85.6 (29.8) | 91.8 (33.2) | 94.3 (34.6) | 95.7 (35.4) | 89.9 (32.2) | 82.1 (27.8) | 71.9 (22.2) | 64.0 (17.8) | 79.6 (26.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.1 (10.6) | 54.8 (12.7) | 61.7 (16.5) | 68.3 (20.2) | 75.8 (24.3) | 81.9 (27.7) | 84.2 (29.0) | 84.7 (29.3) | 79.4 (26.3) | 70.6 (21.4) | 60.4 (15.8) | 52.8 (11.6) | 68.8 (20.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.1 (4.5) | 43.7 (6.5) | 51.0 (10.6) | 57.3 (14.1) | 66.0 (18.9) | 72.1 (22.3) | 74.0 (23.3) | 73.7 (23.2) | 68.8 (20.4) | 59.0 (15.0) | 49.0 (9.4) | 41.6 (5.3) | 58.0 (14.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | 12 (−11) | 8 (−13) | 18 (−8) | 31 (−1) | 43 (6) | 50 (10) | 59 (15) | 58 (14) | 47 (8) | 28 (−2) | 21 (−6) | 4 (−16) | 4 (−16) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.37 (60) | 2.07 (53) | 2.80 (71) | 2.82 (72) | 4.68 (119) | 3.41 (87) | 1.95 (50) | 2.92 (74) | 3.58 (91) | 3.94 (100) | 2.73 (69) | 2.66 (68) | 35.93 (913) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.3 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 6.7 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 70.8 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Source: NOAA [15] [16] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 307 | — | |
1860 | 1,103 | 259.3% | |
1870 | 1,255 | 13.8% | |
1880 | 1,581 | 26.0% | |
1890 | 1,641 | 3.8% | |
1900 | 4,297 | 161.9% | |
1910 | 3,139 | −26.9% | |
1920 | 3,128 | −0.4% | |
1930 | 3,859 | 23.4% | |
1940 | 4,722 | 22.4% | |
1950 | 5,659 | 19.8% | |
1960 | 5,829 | 3.0% | |
1970 | 5,854 | 0.4% | |
1980 | 7,152 | 22.2% | |
1990 | 6,527 | −8.7% | |
2000 | 7,202 | 10.3% | |
2010 | 7,237 | 0.5% | |
2020 | 7,165 | −1.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [17] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (NH) | 2,134 | 29.78% |
Black or African American (NH) | 654 | 9.13% |
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 23 | 0.32% |
Asian (NH) | 38 | 0.53% |
Some Other Race (NH) | 15 | 0.21% |
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 123 | 1.72% |
Hispanic or Latino | 4,178 | 58.31% |
Total | 7,165 |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,165 people, 2,711 households, and 1,834 families residing in the city.
As of the census [4] of 2010, there were 7,237 people and 2,243 households in the city. The population density was 1,412.8 inhabitants per square mile (545.5/km2). There were 2,869 housing units at an average density of 562.8 per square mile (217.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 71.5% White, 7.40% African American, 1.00% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 21.15% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.2% of the population.
There were 2,571 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,226, and the median income for a family was $34,663. Males had a median income of $22,804 versus $18,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,866. About 14.8% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 23.0% of those age 65 or over.
The site of the Battle of Gonzales, in the village of Cost, off Highway 97, is marked by a handsome stone and bronze monument commissioned by the State of Texas in 1910. The Gonzales Memorial Museum, built and dedicated by the State of Texas as part of the state's 1936 Centennial celebrations, houses the Come and Take It cannon and memorializes Gonzales's Old Eighteen and the Immortal 32. The monument at Texas Heroes Square is the work of the Italian-born San Antonio artist Pompeo Coppini, Texas' leading sculptor in his day.
The Gonzales County Courthouse (1896), on the National Register of Historic Places, is by the master of Texas courthouses, James Riely Gordon. Winning a country-wide competition for the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio launched Gordon's career, as the first of 72 courthouses, 18 of them in Texas (with 12 remaining in this state). J. Riely Gordon was also a master of the Romanesque Revival style, hugely popular in the 1890s, and seen here with good effect.
Gonzales has an exceptionally high concentration of historic houses and buildings.
In 2012, This Old House named Gonzales as one of the Best Old House Neighborhoods, [21] noting its well-preserved downtown, its large stock of affordable and fixer-upper fine houses in Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Italianate, and Greek Revival styles, as well as the town's low cost of living and convenience to the big cities of Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.
The oldest dwellings in Gonzales date to the mid-19th century, but most of the architecturally notable houses were constructed beginning in the late Victorian period, from about 1880 to about 1915. Queen Anne style houses are the most common, with Colonial Revival and Classical Revival houses as well. J. Riely Gordon and Atlee B. Ayers were among the renowned architects active here. Many of the most notable homes, built for the important families of Gonzales, were erected along St. Louis St. and St. Lawrence St. Those two roads edge, to the south and north, a long stretch of public land one block wide running from the historic downtown commercial center and courthouse all the way to Kerr Creek to the east.
During the 19th century, the town was a center for higher education in Texas. Construction of Gonzales College began in 1851, and it opened in 1853, with 50 students. An 1855 addition for the men's program was torn down during the Civil War; the materials were used to build Fort Waul, just to the north of the town. By 1857, the school granted bachelor of arts degrees to females, making it one of the earliest colleges in Texas to do so. The college was purchased in 1891, and its building converted into a private residence by W.M. Atkinson.
The city of Gonzales is served by the Gonzales Independent School District and is home to the Gonzales High School Apaches. [22] According to the University Interscholastic League of Texas, the Gonzales Apaches football team is in the 4A-1 Region IV District 15; Division: 4A-1. [23]
The city of Gonzales also is home to the Gonzales Center, a branch of the Victoria College which is located in Victoria, Texas. [24]
The Gonzales Inquirer was established in 1853. It is one of the six oldest county newspapers still operating in Texas. [25] [26] Radio station KCTI was established in Gonzales in 1947.
Gonzales County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, adjacent to Greater Austin-San Antonio. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,653. The county is named for its county seat, the city of Gonzales. The county was created in 1836 and organized the following year. As of August 2020, under strict budgetary limitations, the County of Gonzales government-body is unique in that it claims to have no commercial paper, regarding it as "the absence of any county debt."
Anderson is a city and county seat of Grimes County, Texas, United States. The population was 193 as of the 2020 census. The town and its surroundings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Anderson Historic District.
Seguin is a city in and the county seat of Guadalupe County, Texas, United States; as of the 2020 census, its population was 29,433. Its economy is primarily supported by a regional hospital, as well as the Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation water-utility, that supplies the surrounding Greater San Antonio areas from nearby aquifers as far as Gonzales County. Several dams in the surrounding area are governed by the main offices of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, headquartered in downtown Seguin.
Floresville is a city in Wilson County, Texas, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, its population was at 7,203 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Wilson County. The city is also part of the San Antonio metropolitan statistical area.
The Alamo is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas, United States. It was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, a pivotal event of the Texas Revolution in which American folk heroes James Bowie and Davy Crockett were killed. Today it is a museum in the Alamo Plaza Historic District and a part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site.
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar, killing most of the occupants. Santa Anna's refusal to take prisoners during the battle inspired many Texians and Tejanos to join the Texian Army. Motivated by a desire for revenge, as well as their written desire to preserve a border open to immigration and the importation and practice of slavery, the Texians defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the conquering of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas by the newly formed Republic of Texas.
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army soldiers.
The Battle of Goliad was the second skirmish of the Texas Revolution. In the early-morning hours of October 9, 1835, Texas settlers attacked the Mexican Army soldiers garrisoned at Presidio La Bahía, a fort near the Mexican Texas settlement of Goliad. La Bahía lay halfway between the only other large garrison of Mexican soldiers and the then-important Texas port of Copano.
The Runaway Scrape events took place mainly between September 1835 and April 1836 and were the evacuations by Texas residents fleeing the Mexican Army of Operations during the Texas Revolution, from the Battle of the Alamo through the decisive Battle of San Jacinto. The ad interim government of the new Republic of Texas and much of the civilian population fled eastward ahead of the Mexican forces. The conflict arose after Antonio López de Santa Anna abrogated the 1824 Constitution of Mexico and established martial law in Coahuila y Tejas. The Texians resisted and declared their independence. It was Sam Houston's responsibility, as the appointed commander-in-chief of the Provisional Army of Texas, to recruit and train a military force to defend the population against troops led by Santa Anna.
James Clinton Neill was a 19th-century American soldier and politician, most noted for his role in the Texas Revolution and the early defense of the Alamo. He was born in North Carolina.
The siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texian army defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar. Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly dictatorial. In early October 1835, Texas settlers gathered in Gonzales to stop Mexican troops from reclaiming a small cannon. The resulting skirmish, known as the Battle of Gonzales, launched the Texas Revolution. Men continued to assemble in Gonzales and soon established the Texian Army. Despite a lack of military training, well-respected local leader General Stephen F. Austin was elected commander.
Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson and her infant daughter, Angelina, were among the few American survivors of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Her husband, Almaron Dickinson, and 185 other Texian defenders were killed by the Mexican Army.
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World, commonly referred to as the Victory or Death letter, is an open letter written on February 24, 1836, by William B. Travis, commander of the Texian forces at the Battle of the Alamo, to settlers in Mexican Texas. The letter is renowned as a "declaration of defiance" and a "masterpiece of American patriotism", and forms part of the history education of Texas schoolchildren.
The Texian Army, also known as the Revolutionary Army and Army of the People, was the land warfare branch of the Texian armed forces during the Texas Revolution. It spontaneously formed from the Texian Militia in October 1835 following the Battle of Gonzales. Along with the Texian Navy, it helped the Republic of Texas win independence from the Centralist Republic of Mexico on May 14, 1836 at the Treaties of Velasco. Although the Texas Army was officially established by the Consultation of the Republic of Texas on November 13, 1835, it did not replace the Texian Army until after the Battle of San Jacinto.
Salvador Flores served as a volunteer in the Texan Army in 1835–1836. He was instrumental in organizing and commanding Texian volunteers in support of the Texas Revolution. He participated in many battles and would rise through the ranks to reach Captain status during the fight for Texas independence from Mexico. Salvador continued to provide protection for the ranches and settlers of Texas throughout the Republic years.
Byrd Lockhart (1782–1839), was a 19th-century American surveyor, Alamo defender, courier, and Texian officer during the Texas Revolution.
Matthew Caldwell,, also spelled Mathew Caldwell was a 19th-century Texas settler, military figure, Captain of the Gonzales – Seguin Rangers and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Because of his recruitment ride ahead of the Battle of Gonzales, some call him the Paul Revere of Texas.
Francisco de Castañeda, also spelled Castonado, was a lieutenant in the Mexican army stationed in San Antonio, in the 1830s. He was the commander of the troops involved in the first battle of the Texas Revolution.
Andrew Jackson Sowell was a lifelong soldier and farmer in the 19th century. He was a participant in the Texas Revolution and a survivor of the siege of the Alamo. He continued his service during the years of the Republic of Texas, in the Mexican–American War, and the Civil War. He was a frontier defender, early Texas Ranger, and a friend and scout with Kit Carson.
José Antonio Menchaca was an American soldier and politician who fought in the Texas Revolution and was recognized by a Joint Resolution of the Republic of Texas on December 22, 1838. Following the war, Menchaca served on the city council of San Antonio, Texas. He later commanded militia troops and helped defend the town from a Mexican invasion by General Adrian Woll in 1842.