Ranger Cross ceremony will honor ‘Old Paint’ Caldwell

The public is invited to a Ranger Cross ceremony honoring Texas Revolution hero Mathew "Old Paint" Caldwell, for whom Caldwell County was named when it was established in 1848 — 175 years ago.

The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Gonzales City Cemetery on College Street. Attendees will meet at the Caldwell gravesite 10 to 15 minutes before the ceremony begins.

After the ceremony, all attendees are invited to the Gonzales County Jail Museum, 414 St. Lawrence St., Gonzales, for refreshments and visiting.

Caldwell was captain of the Gonzales-Seguin Rangers and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. His role in recruitment ahead of the Battle of Gonzales (Oct. 2, 1835) have lead many to call him “The Paul Revere of Texas.” He served as the first law enforcement official or sheriff of Gonzales County, which includes present day Guadalupe, DeWitt, Caldwell and Lavaca counties.

Caldwell died at his home in Gonzales at the young age of 44 on Dec. 28, 1842. He was buried in the Gonzales City Cemetery with full honors as a military hero. In 1930, he was honored by the state of Texas with a monument at his Gonzales gravesite. The 1936 Texas Hall of State Building in Dallas has an exterior frieze commemorating Caldwell.

Organizers of the cross ceremony are also wanting to connect with relatives and descendants. Please contact the Gonzales County Jail Museum at 830-263-4663, or email jail.pgtx@gmail.com.