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Gonzales County, named for the capital of Green DeWitt's colony, was
established in 1836 and organized in 1837 as one of the original
counties in the Republic of Texas. After the annexation of
Texas to the United States in 1845, portions of Gonzales County were
detached to form what are now the counties of Caldwell, Comal,
DeWitt, Fayette, Guadalupe, Jackson, Lavaca, and Victoria. |
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On December 14, 1837, the first Gonzales county court was organized,
with B. D. McClure as chief justice. The settlers of DeWitt's colony
obtained land grants and patents in the fertile blackland valleys of
the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers and along the major creeks,
including Plum Creek (now in Caldwell County), Rocky Creek (now in
Lavaca County), Peach Creek (named Arroyo de los Theodolites before
Anglo settlement), Sandy Fork, and Sandies and Salt creeks. |
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This county is west of the Colorado, and was settled in the early
history of Texas. There are extensive deposits of iron and coal in
this county. The distance from Gonzales to Port Lavacca is 75
miles. The lands of this county are fertile and easily cultivated.
A recent writer says of the land on Peach Creek, in that county: —
"It is as fertile as the river valleys, and has the immense
advantage of sustaining drought with less injury to the crops;
last year (1856), notwithstanding the unprecedented drought, the
yield of corn averaged from twenty to forty bushels. The
Scenery is beautiful, of the description known as rolling prairies.
The long slopes are covered with thick, soft grass, and crowned with
groves of noble live oaks and other trees; building-stone is found
in abundance throughout the county, and the numerous little brooks
of clear running water afford every advantage for stock. Sheep are
raised in considerable numbers, and are healthy and very profitable.
Hogs, likewise, are abundant and thrifty, and increase rapidly. This
desirable region is rapidly filling up with intelligent and
substantial men; people of means, liberality, and enterprise, who
will take much interest in building up churches and schools, to meet
the increasing necessities of the country. It will be well for
emigrants with "capital to take a look at this county.
BY D. E. E. BRAMAN,1857, submitted by Candi H |
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Cities and
towns
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Gonzales |
Smiley |
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Nixon |
Waelder |
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ONLINE DATA |
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Mockingbird
State Bird
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