This month in Gonzales history

1835:

• Sept. 29, Mexican government demands return of cannon from Gonzales

1842:

• September, Mexican General Adrian Woll attacked San Antonio and captured members of the District Court along with other citizens. They started back to Mexico. Gonzales’ Mathew Caldwell and his men met the army on the Salado and a battle ensued. Captain Dawson brought reinforcements to Caldwell but Woll’s troops killed or captured these men. In November, General Somervell took troops down to Laredo and captured the town on Dec. 8. Somervell ordered his men back to Gonzales but many of them traveled on down to Mier, Mexico, resulting in imprisonment and in many instances, death.

1880:

• Sept. 11, several citizens died of “malarial poison.”

1883:

• Sept. 15 – J.D. and W.B. Houston passed through town Saturday with a herd of 500 stock cattle destined for the Pecos. They were shipped rather than being driven up the trail. “Unlike other drovers they did not go up north avenue through the principle street, but turned out back of the Presbyterian Church. A good idea.”

1885:

• Sept. 26, concrete poured for new jail.

1891:

• Sept. 10, about 250 bales of cotton per day are coming into town this week.

1901:

• September, the Gonzales Cotton Oil Manufacturing Company began buying up most of Block 3 to establish their business. It was still operating in 1953 and in 2018 the brick building, though derelict, was still standing on Saint Louis Street.

1909:

• September, first reports claimed an earthquake struck near Gonzales. A few days later it was reported that the loud noise and rumble occurred when a huge portion of a bluff separated from the bank and fell into the Guadalupe River. A few days later the Inquirer stated that they had found the true cause of the disturbance, a meteor crashed to earth between Praha and Flatonia.

1910:

• Sept. 10, oleomargarine touted as a substitute for butter
• Sept. 14, the bronze Texas Hero statue was placed on its base but will be veiled until dedication in October.
• Sept. 20, the house bought from C.E. Dilworth by Mrs. T.M. Harwood has been moved to its new location. (This was the house built by G.W. Littlefield in 1885, sold to C.E. Dilworth, sold to Mrs. Harwood and moved to 510 Saint Michael Street .)
• Sept. 21, 8,000 bales of cotton have been received to date, beating last year’s total of 4,915.

1912:

• Sept. 5, Commissioners’ Court awarded a contract to T.S. Hodges to rid the jail of bats which have infected the jail for years.
• Sept. 5, the cement walks bordering the High School campus (now Junior High campus) on St. Louis Street and St. Lawrence Street are almost completed.
• Sept. 12, total receipts of cotton at the warehouse/cotton yard combined, show a total of 9,437 bales, which is more than at this time last year.
• Sept. 12, Fair dates have been changed from Oct. 23, 24, 25 to Nov. 20, 21, 22 because of the difficulty in getting a really good carnival for the October dates.
• Sept. 12, Commissioners’ Court let the contract on Sept. 3 to remove the Mansard roof from the jail and replace it with a flat roof. 

1913:

• Sept. 4, the mound property just south of the Guadalupe bridge was sold by Mr. C.E. Dilworth to J.B. Wells, Sr. The property includes the old graveyard and Santa Anna mound. Total amount was about 312 acres at $100 per acre. 
• Sept. 25, Baker’s Air Dome presented the first talking movie. Two scenes from Quo Vadis were depicted with distinctness accompanied by the “talkophone.”

1914:

• Sept. 2, work is progressing on the new dam and it is hoped that in the future when there is a fire that there will be enough water pressure to put the fire out. Citizens are urged to turn off all unnecessary water running when they hear the fire bell ring.