Gonzales is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, with a population of 7,165 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County. Gonzales was the site of several integral events in the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of Gonzales, the "Come and Take It" incident, the ride of the Immortal 32 to the Battle of the Alamo, and the subsequent Runaway Scrape.

The city's 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.

History

Gonzales is one of the earliest Anglo-American settlements in Texas, the first west of the Colorado River. It was established by Green DeWitt as the capital of his colony in August 1825. DeWitt named the community for Rafael Gonzáles, governor of Coahuila y Tejas. 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.

Gonzales later contributed 32 men from the Gonzales Ranging Company to the defense of the Alamo. 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.

Geography

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 , all land.

Demographics

thumb|right|Gonzales County Courthouse, finished in 1896 to plans by J. Gordon Riely, the master of Texas courthouses

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Gonzales had a population of 7,165, 2,602 households, and 1,834 families residing in the city. The median age was 37.2 years, with 26.9% of residents under the age of 18 and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.1 males.

97.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,602 households in Gonzales, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.4% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 3,226 || 45.0%

|-

| Black or African American || 723 || 10.1%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 71 || 1.0%

|-

| Asian || 42 || 0.6%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 1,558 || 21.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 1,545 || 21.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 4,178 || 58.3%

|}

2010 census

As of the census 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.

Education

thumb|Gonzales College, now a private residence.

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. 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.

The city of Gonzales also is home to the Gonzales Center, a branch of the Victoria College which is located in Victoria, Texas.

Media

The Gonzales Inquirer was established in 1853. It is one of the six oldest county newspapers still operating in Texas. Radio station KCTI was established in Gonzales in 1947.

Notable people

  • Phil Coe (1839–1871), saloon owner and gambler, killed in gunfight of "Wild Bill" Hickok
  • John Joel Glanton (1819–1850) Texas Ranger and Glanton Gang member
  • Jerry Hall (born 1956), model, actress, and Mick Jagger's long-time companion
  • Myra Hemmings (1895–1968) was a founder and first president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority
  • George W. Littlefield (1842–1920), Confederate officer, cattleman, and regent of the University of Texas at Austin
  • Tom Sestak (1936–1987) defensive tackle for Buffalo Bills; 1962–1968 Member of the All-Time AFL Team
  • William Stubbs, award-winning American interior designer, author, and television show host, born in Gonzales

References

Further reading

  • City of Gonzales official website
  • Gonzales Chamber of Commerce
  • Gonzales Inquirer