You may not have had the chance to visit but Gonzales, Texas but if you’ve traveled around Texas for any time, you’ve no doubt seen the famous “Come and Take It” flag portraying a small cannon. Gonzales, a small community located south of Luling, is home of the “Come and Take It” motto for which the city is still known. Today locations connected to that fateful cannon make up some of the best things to do in Gonzales.
Today, Gonzales is the county seat of Gonzales county and a quiet town with most activity taking place around its courthouse square.
Table of Contents
What Does Come and Take It Mean?
The cannon on the Come and Take It Flag dates back to a small brass cannon the city received in 1831 from the Mexican government for protection due to raids by local Native American residents. Four years later, when relations between Texas and Mexico soured, over 150 Mexican soldiers staged a battle to retrieve the weapon. The soldiers were faced with 18 town residents, who stalled the army while local citizens rolled out the small cannon and prepared for action.
As this was happening, other townsfolk sewed the first battle flag of Texas, which pictured a cannon beneath the words “Come and Take It,” the motto by which Gonzales is still known. The Gonzales residents fired the first shot and the Mexican troops retreated. Although the confrontation was brief, this act began the Texas Revolution. The site of this historic first conflict is marked by a monument located seven miles southwest of Gonzales on TX 97.
Continue south on US 183 for 13 miles to Gonzales, one of Texas’s most historic cities. This is the “Come and Take It” town where the Texas Revolution began in 1835.
Plagued by constant attacks by American Indians, Gonzales’s citizens received a small brass cannon for protection sent by the Mexican government in 1831. Four years later, when relations between Texas and Mexico soured, more than 150 Mexican soldiers staged a battle to retrieve the weapon. The soldiers were faced with 18 Gonzaleans, who stalled the army while other citizens rolled out the small fieldpiece and prepared for action. Meanwhile, other townsfolk sewed the first battle flag of Texas, which pictured a cannon beneath the words “Come and Take It,” a motto by which Gonzales is still known. The Texans fired a shot and the Mexican troops retreated. Although the confrontation was brief, it set off the Texas Revolution.
The site of this historic first conflict is marked by a monument located 7 miles southwest of Gonzales on TX 97. The first shots were fired a half mile north of the present monument.
What to Do in Gonzales
Stop by the Chamber of Commerce.
Located in the County Jail Museum, this office has brochures on local attractions and events including routes for driving and walking tours of Gonzales’ historic sites. 414 St. Lawrence St.
Gonzales County Jail Museum.
This unusual museum is housed in the old Gonzales jail, built in 1887 and used until 1975. Downstairs you can tour the room where female prisoners and mentally ill persons once were incarcerated together. Exhibits include jail weapons created from spoons and bedsprings. The walls of the second floor are chiseled with graffiti of past residents. The large room is rimmed with iron cells, all overlooking a reproduction of the old gallows that carried off its last hanging in 1921. According to legend, this prisoner continually watched the clocks on the adjacent courthouse, counting the hours he had left to live. He swore that he was innocent, and said that if he were hanged the clocks would never keep accurate time again. Although the four clock faces have been changed since that time, none of them has ever kept the same time again. The Chamber of Commerce office is also housed here. 414 St. Lawrence.
Gonzales Memorial Museum.
Visitors looking to learn more about the town dubbed the “Lexington of Texas” can tour the Memorial Museum, which is home to memorabilia from Gonzales’s earliest residents.
This museum is dedicated to the history of Gonzales and honors “The Immortal 32,” members of the Gonzales Rangers who died defending the Alamo and soldiers of the first battle of the Texas Revolution, fought here in 1835.
The original “Come and Take It” Cannon — which was lost for many years after the battle of the Alamo, is on display at the Memorial Museum along with the original constitution of Gonzales that was printed in 1841.
Gonzales Pioneer Village Living History Center.
This attraction takes visitors back to Gonzales’s frontier days. The village is composed of log cabins, a cypress-constructed home, a grand Victorian home, a smokehouse, a blacksmith shop, and a church. The village also stages reenactments, including the “Come and Take It” celebration in October. 2122 N. St. Joseph St.
Independence Paddling Trail.
Enjoy a scenic 2.6 mile section of the Guadalupe River as you watch for birds and other wildlife along the shady river banks.
Old Jail Museum.
This unusual museum is housed in the old Gonzales jail, built in 1887 and used until 1975. Downstairs you can tour the room where female prisoners and mentally ill persons once were incarcerated together. Exhibits include jail weapons created from spoons and bedsprings.
The walls of the second floor are chiseled with graffiti of past residents. The large room is rimmed with iron cells, all overlooking a reproduction of the old gallows that carried off its last hanging in 1921. According to legend, this prisoner continually watched the clocks on the adjacent courthouse, counting the hours he had left to live. He swore that he was innocent and said that if he were hanged, the clocks would never keep accurate time again. Although the four clock faces have been changed since then, none of them has ever kept the same time again.
Best Festivals in Gonzales, Texas
OCTOBER: “Come and Take It” Festival.
Events at Gonzales’ largest festival take place throughout the town including the downtown square, Independence Park, the Old Jail Museum, the Memorial Museum and Pioneer Village.
In the early morning hours of October 2, 1835 the boom of a cannon marked the birth of the Lone Star state as a flag emblazoned with the words “Come and Take It” waved in the wind while the settlers of Gonzales held back Mexican soldiers intent on confiscating the artillery weapon. The echo of that first cannon shot still reverberates through the hearts and souls of Gonzales’ citizens, and each first weekend in October residents rally to pay tribute to those who took a stand for freedom.
Athletic festival attendees can appreciate the town’s historic past as they pedal along 10, 20 and 40-mile pathways on their way to the finish line during the Cannon Express Bike Ride. Contestants and the crowd that cheered them on are welcome to enjoy live Texas tunes at a barbecue after the event.
Fleet-footed festival-goers will want to sign up for the 5K Run at Independence Park, while those who care to participate in a slower-paced race can enter the 5K Walk. If water sports are more your speed, the Come and Take It Canoe Race takes place at Lake Wood.
For a true taste of the Lone Star State, sample the servings at the Texas T-Bone Cook-off and the Texas Bean and Chili Cook-offs before an afternoon filled with old-fashion fun, including a classic car show, a horseshoe and washer pitching contest on St. Joseph Street and bingo at Confederate Square.
While a parade and a Pride of Texas carnival provides hours of entertainment for the entire family, visitors will want to take time to remember the true reason behind the festival at Pioneer Village, where demonstrations of frontier life are conducted among the venue’s many 1800’s structures, a battle re-enactment brings the glory of the fateful day back to life, and a memorial service is held in honor of the “Immortal Thirty-Two,” forefathers from Gonzales who gave their lives at The Alamo. History buffs will also want to take the short trip to the town of Cost, the actual site of the skirmish, where a cannon-firing ceremony breaks the silence and the cry of “Come and Take It!” rings out once again.
DECEMBER: Winterfest Celebration.
A four-day celebration of the holiday season, this annual event includes parades, Santa’s craft market, live entertainment, and a historic homes tour. Downtown.