Gonzales (Texas)

Gonzales is one of the earliest Anglo-American settlements in Texas, and the first west of the Colorado River . The city was founded by businessman Green DeWitt in August 1825 and became the capital of his colony. The city received its name in honor of the governor of Rafael Gonzales ^[2] . In 1826, the original settlement was abandoned after several attacks by the Indians, and in 1827 it was rebuilt not far from the original place.

Gonzales is called Texas Lexington because it was here that the first shootout of the Texas Revolution took place. In 1831, the Mexican government granted DeWitt’s request for a small cannon to protect against Indian attacks. At the beginning of the conflict between the English settlers and the Mexican authorities in 1835, a contingent of more than 100 Mexican soldiers was sent from San Antonio to pick up the cannon.

When the soldiers arrived in Gonzales, there were only 18 men, but they refused to return the gun, and soon people from the outskirts of the city began to join them. The Texans under the command of John Moore took the fight. Sarah DeWitt and her daughter sewed a flag on which was a semblance of a gun and the words “Come and take it” ( Russian “Come and take it” ), under which the first shots were fired in the history of the Texas Revolution on October 2, 1835. The Texans successfully repelled the attacks of the Mexican troops and this battle became known as the Battle of Gonzales ^{[3] [4]} .

Gonzales later became the only city to send 32 people to help defend the Alamo ^[5] . All 32 people from Gozasles were killed defending the mission. Suzanne Dickinson and a slave of William Travis named Joe brought news of the Alamo massacre to Gonzales. General Sam Houston was in the city to organize the Texas resistance forces. He suggested that Gonzales would be the next target of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anne , who commanded the Mexican army, and ordered the city to be burned so that it would not go to the enemy. The Texans, along with the remaining residents of the city, were forced to move closer to the US border.

After the Texas Revolution, the city was abandoned for some time, but in the early 1840s it was restored to its original place. By 1850, about 300 people lived in the city. By the 1860 census, the population had grown to 1,703 people, by the mid-1880s, to 2,900, and by 1900 the population was 4,297 people.

According to the US Census Bureau , Gonzales is 13 km ² .

Climate

The warmest month is August, the highest temperature, 44 ° C, was recorded in 2011. The coldest month is January, the lowest temperature, -16 ° C, recorded in 1989. Most precipitation falls in may.

According to the 2010 census, in 2010, 7,237 people lived in the city, 2,503 households, 1,720 families. The racial makeup of the city: 62.6% are white, 12.6% are black, 1.3% are Native Americans, 0.7% are Asians, 0.0% are residents of Hawaii or Oceania, 20.2% are others. races, 2.5% - two or more races. The number of Hispanic residents of any race was 53.1% ^[9] .

Of the 2,503 households, 39.8% are children under the age of 18. In 43.1% of cases married couples live in the household, 18.3% - households without men, 31.3% - non-family households. 27.8% of households are single people, 12.2% are single people over 65 years old. The average household size is 2.80. The average family size is 3.41 ^[9] .

31.2% of the city’s population is under 20 years old, 25.1% are between the ages of 20 and 39, 28.7% are between 40 and 64, and 15.0% are 65 and older. The average age is 34.7 years ^[9] .

According to a five-year survey from 2008 to 2012, the average household income in Vernon is $ 35,595 per year, and the average household income is $ 36,616. The per capita income for the city is $ 17,213, lower than the national average of $ 39,997. About 23.7% of families and 28.5% of the population are below the poverty line. Including 43.4% of those under the age of 18 years and 18.5% of those aged 65 and over ^[10] .

In the 19th century, the city was an important center for higher education in Texas. In 1853, a city college was opened, which accepted 50 students for training. During the Civil War , men's programs were curtailed, and freed resources were allocated to build Fort Wall. In 1857, college was one of the first bachelor of arts students in Texas to study women. In 1891, the college was purchased by a private individual and became private property.

Gonzales Schools is run by the Gonzales Independent School District, the city’s high school is known for its Apache team ^[11] .

Historic Buildings and Monuments

Gonzales has a large number of historical buildings and other monuments.

In 1910, by order of the state government, a monument of stone and bronze was erected at the site of the battle of Gonzales, not far from motorway 97. The monument was made by the then leading architect of Italian origin Pompeo Coppini.

The Gonzales County Courthouse, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1896 by James Riley Gordon. Adherent of the Neo-Romanesque style, Gordon designed 72 district court buildings, of which 18 in Texas.

In 2012, This Old House magazine recognized Gonzales as one of the best neighborhoods with old houses, noting the well-preserved city center, a large selection of affordable houses and improved baroque houses from the time of Queen Anne , the revived Tudor style , Italian architecture and neo-Greek , as well low cost of living compared to the big cities of Texas, such as San Antonio , Austin and Houston ^[12] .

The oldest surviving buildings in Gonzales were built in the mid-19th century, but most of the historic buildings in the city were built in the late Victorian period, between 1880 and 1915. Most often, buildings of that century were built in the Baroque style of the time of Queen Anne, and houses in the styles of colonial revival and neoclassicism are also not uncommon. Most of the historic buildings were built on the orders of the most important people of Gonzales and their families.

• Phil Coe (1839–1871) is a famous saloon owner and player in the Wild West , the last known victim of Wild Bill Hickock’s duels.
• Crispin Sanchez (1925–2008) is a pioneer in education and sports for Mexican Americans. He was an excellent baseball player , but he preferred to receive the title of Doctor of Philosophy in Pedagogy and for 23 years managed the Laredo Community College.
• Jerry Hall (1956—) - American supermodel, actress, former girlfriend and common-law wife of the Rolling Stones lead singer, Mick Jagger .
• George Littlefield (1842–1920) is a Texas herder, banker, and regent at the University of Texas at Austin .

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  The Baptist Church, built in 1902 in the neo - Gothic style.

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  Gonzales Museum, which became the center of the centenary of the city in 1936

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  Houston House at 621 St. George St.

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  The post office, built in 1909, currently occupies various offices.

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  Fire station in the city center.

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  The Lynn, a movie theater built in the mid-20th century. ^[13]

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  According to the standard plans of the cities of New Spain, the city is built around a large area consisting of 4 parts.

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  One of the largest commercial buildings in the city center, the 1895 Randler-Rater building.

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  Some of the shops in this part of the city have been open since the 1850s.

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  Historic shopping center.

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  The Walnut Ridge building was built in 1901.

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  The headquarters of the city's oldest newspaper, Gonzales Inquirer .

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  Crystal Theater

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  House of Solomon Joseph built in 1874.

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  Edward Sweeney House built in 1926.

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  Suner House, built in 1875.