Gonzales County Chronological History — March

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1836:

  • March 1 - 32 men from Gonzales area entered the Alamo, joining nine men from area already in the Alamo
  • March 6 - Alamo fell; all are killed
  • March 11 - General Sam Houston arrived in Gonzales to take command of the Army of the Republic of Texas
  • March 13 - Run-away Scrape began in Gonzales

1839:

  • March 19 - Christopher C. DeWitt first person to be granted permission by to establish ferry across “Guadalupe River at old crossing.” It operated until 1868.
  • March 27 - first City Council meeting held

1840:

  • March 21 - City Council passed new ordinances:
    • Rioting declared a pest.
    • Running or galloping a riding animal through the Inner Town punishable by a $5 fine.
    • A $10 fine for discharging a fire arm in the Inner Town or between the Town and the river.
    • A fine for cutting or injuring any shade tree not on his property
    • A $10 fine for any retailer of spirits who was open after ten o’clock or for any merchant who did not close his business on Sunday (except for medicines or drugs)
    • A $10 fine for mutilating or removing public notices within the limits of the corporation.

1854:

  • March 4 - John Mooney authorized to build bridge over San Marcos River near Gonzales. It was a covered bridge, reportedly the only one in Texas at that time.

1883:

  • March 3 – J.D. Houston, W.B. Houston, and J.W. Tinsley have built new residences. 
  • March 31 – Bob Houston says that he and his brother and Lee Kokernot lost 3000 head of cattle from the cold this past winter, the average value of the animals being $22 which would make their loss $66,000. Notwithstanding it, however, Mr. Houston will drive 13,000 head this year to start in about a week.
  • March 31 - a well-founded street report says the jail is stocked with lice and the city marshal objects to putting prisoners in it on that account. “This I deny most emphatically” says W.W. Honnoll, deputy sheriff.
  • March 31 - Captain W.E. Jones started his trail outfit this week. He has 500 head of Texas mares purchased in southwest Texas. He will drive the mares to Kansas City for shipment east. He says his drive of cattle to Baxter Springs this spring will be something over 2000.

1886:

  • March 20 - City asked to pass an ordinance banning hogs from running loose in the streets. One citizen said that if they did not, he would raise hundreds of hogs and turn them loose in town.

1887:

  • March 2 - A candy pulling was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Fly.

1899:

  • March 30 - On account of the “Battle of Flowers” at San Antonio on April 21, San Jacinto Day, the Southern Pacific will sell excursion tickets from Gonzales at $1.50 for the round trip. Train leaves Gonzales at 7:30 a.m. and arrives in San Antonio at 10:45 a.m.

1901:

  • March 9 - David Darst, in his 80s, led a group of citizens to the spot where his father, Jacob, showed him where the first shot of the Texas Revolution had been fired. Accompanying him were: Dr. C.R. Dudley, Miss Nettie Fitzgerald, Miss Laura Reese, B.N. Peck, A.R. Wright, Yancy Holmes, H. Reese, Jr., and Tate Barbour.

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