Come and Take it Cannon - Monday, February 2, 2015

There's a small piece of Texas history, a cannon weighing about six pounds, which fired the first artillery shot for Texas Independence in 1835. It happened at the Battle of Gonzales in Texas and led to the annexation of more land to the United States than all the shots fired during the American Revolution. This is the kind of information we learn doing Volksmarches.

On Monday, February 2, Susan, Darren and and I took an hour-long drive from San Antonio to do a 5k (3.1 mile) Volksmarch at Palmetto State Park, known for its dwarf palm trees, followed by a 10k (6.2 mile) Volksmarch in historic Gonzales, Texas.

We made a short pit stop at a Rest Area. Normally, I wouldn't write about a Rest Area, but this one had very nice displays. A few minutes of our time was spent examining the exhibits.

Susan M. looking "captive-ated."

Darren and Susan amongst the Rest Area exhibits.

The day was windy, clear and cold. We bundled up in our heavy coats, scarves, and gloves, then set out through the woods and palmetto swamps on our Palmetto State Park walk. The San Marcos River cuts through the park, but we saw it only a few times as we walked through the woods and swamps.

Susan M. and Darren M.

Winter on a Palmetto State Park trail

A little cutie checking us out.

Palmetto frond

Palmetto swamp

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was active in Palmetto State Park from 1934 to 1937. Below is the Refectory designed by Olin Smith, an architect working for the State Parks Board, but funded by the National Park Service. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website:

"Carrying the design aim of indigenous architecture further than any other like-minded project, the remarkable native-sandstone, splayed-boulder refectory seems to grow right out of the ground. With the area's lush 'tropical' vegetation and unusual wetlands in mind, architect Smith designed the sandstone to appear as if emerging from the soil to form walls, thus blurring the distinction between nature and culture. To complete the illusion, the building’s first roof was thatched with palmetto fronds—reportedly cut and carried from Huntsville State Park."

Palmetto State Park's Refectory

Refectory

In addition to the Refectory, the CCC built Park Road 11, a low water crossing on the San Marcos River, Water Tower/Storage building, residence (currently the park headquarters), barbeque pits, picnic seating, rock pool and retention dams, rock table, culverts, concrete picnic tables, and two sets of Entrance Portals (one stands on private land where park extension was not realized).

Water Tower/Storage Building built by CCC

San Marcos River low water crossing

Artesian springs

Artesian springs

When we finished our 5k walk at Palmetto State Park, we headed about eight miles southeast to the town of Gonzales, Texas.

As is the case with many Texas towns, Gonzales is rife with history. Darren wanted to put his last Texas historical marker stamp in his special Volksmarch booklet. He could have put 20 stamps in that booklet with all the historical markers we came across today.

Because it was lunchtime, we looked over the 10k Volksmarch route to see if we could do 5k of our walk, eat lunch at Running M Bar and Grill, and then continue the remaining 5k after lunch. Piece of cake, we could easily eat lunch in the middle portion of our walk.

The Gonzales Volksmarch starts at the old jail which is now the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center and Old Jail Museum. Susan and I mugged for the camera in front of the old jail.

Just call me Grumpy Cat

After signing in, we took off walking. Each county seat in Texas has an interesting county courthouse. Here is the Gonzales County Courthouse.

Gonzales County Courthouse

Gonzales was a wealthy town in the days of cattle barons and cotton kings. The walk went past many gorgeous historic homes.

The old oak trees were impressive!

We walked a lot of the Driving Tour route.

I love this home!

We had lunch at the Running M Bar and Grill. Fortified, we continued on to the Gonzales Memorial Museum. For a small museum, it sure packs a punch in the history contained therein. You can read more about it in my blog, "Exploring Historic Gonzales, Texas, on Foot." The last time we were at the museum, I did not notice the limestone walls loaded with fossils! Found 'em this time, I did.

Fossils in a limestone wall at
Gonzales Memorial Museum Amphitheater.

On the last part of our walk we found irises blooming in February and an old Mobil Service Station.

Old advertising on a historic Mobil Service Station.

Pegasus atop an old Mobil Service Station

It never did warm up, but we enjoyed the day anyway and learned a lot.

Thanks for taking the time to learn about a small town in Texas and one of our interesting state parks.

Travel Bug out.

Exploring Historic Gonzales, Texas, on Foot - Sun., Dec. 1 (Part 2)

** OR ** How I Ended Up in Jail...

Palmetto State Park is 13 miles northwest of the "Come and Take It" city of Gonzales, Texas, a historic town involved in the First Shot of the Texas Revolution on Oct. 2, 1835. Thus starts the fascinating history of this small town which was the westernmost Anglo settlement until the end of the Texas Revolution. We decided to do the Volksmarch here because of its proximity to Palmetto State Park...we were in the neighborhood already.

[Quick off-topic note: In yesterday's blog about Palmetto State Park there was a photo of me as "Swamp Monster." That's because there is a legend in the area about the "Ottine Swamp Thing." I thought I'd try to emulate it. Click on link to read more about it.]

I have to admit, I was in jail Sunday. Bob pulled up in front of the building, I got out and went in willingly. The Old Jail Museum is the start point for the Gonzales Volksmarch. The Old Jail also houses the Chamber of Commerce.

Old Jail Museum and Chamber of Commerce

Bob with the city's flag: Come and Take It

By now you're most likely wondering what is all the hubbub about "Come and Take it." The story is that in 1831 the Mexicans loaned a six-pound cannon to the town of Gonzales to help fight off the Comanche and Tonkawa Indians. Over the intervening four years, tensions grew between the U.S. and Mexico, so Mexican officials at San Antonio de Bexar demanded the cannon back.

A Mexican corporal and five soldiers were sent to retrieve the cannon. Andrew Ponton refused to give it back. The little cannon was buried in a peach orchard.

Next, a Mexican lieutenant with 150 mounted soldiers came to "take" the cannon. When the soldiers appeared on the west bank of the Guadalupe River, only 18 men were in Gonzales, but "The Old Eighteen" stood their ground. They hid the ferry and called for volunteers to reinforce their ranks.

Not to be deterred, the soldiers scouted upriver for a place to cross and spent the night (without crossing). Early morning on Oct. 2, 1935, the colonists crossed the river with the cannon, waving a flag that said, "Come and Take It." Almost immediately the cannon fired killing one of the Mexican soldiers. The rest of the lieutenant's men scattered and retreated.

Gonzales became known as "The Lexington of Texas" where the first shot was fired and the first Texas army of volunteers was formed in the fight for Texas Independence. Thus began the Texas Revolution. According to the Gonzales Memorial Museum we visited on our walk, the six-pound bronze cannon was again buried. No one knew where it was or, if they did, they weren't telling. In a flood years later, the original cannon was washed out of it's hiding place. You can see the replica and the original cannon in the museum.

If you make it to Gonzales, Texas, be sure to look around Gonzales Memorial Museum. There are a few surprises there you can ferret out on your own. It is a very small museum with no admission charge.

Art deco Gonzales Memorial Museum

The Immortal 32 Monument

Below is the main part of the inscription on the art deco monument above:

The wind displayed the flag beautifully!

"The Runaway Scrape" refers to the fleeing townspeople as Gonzales burns. The decision was made to burn down their city so the Mexicans could not pillage it and find anything to use in the war. The American soldiers, women and children fled from the pursuing armies, who wanted to kill them all, trying to make it to safety. It was springtime. There had been heavy rains which led to muddy conditions making travel hazardous.

Replica six-pounder cannon

Original bronze six-pounder cannon.

Other images from our Volksmarch in Gonzales...

The county courthouse

Butterflies in the sun

Randle-Rather Building

Stately homes. (We wondered where the money came from to have a town filled with such grandeur.)

The house below is built in the dog-run style. Kitchen space is on the right of the dog run and sleeping quarters are on the left of the dog run. Dogs slept in the open-air center to scare away raiders and thieves.

Dog-run cabin known as the "Eggleston House."

The following photo brings back childhood memories from southern California.

Anyone remember getting fuel and full-service at Mobil?

Whoever owned this was a grand citizen indeed!

Our walk ended back at the Old Jail Museum where we found the Escape Pod patiently waiting for us. Our weather was gorgeous, maybe even a little warm.

We took a break between our two walks to have lunch in Gonzales at a new restaurant with a very limited menu: chicken wings with choice of sauce, cheeseburger, chicken burger, club sandwich, BLT, jalapeno poppers and a couple of other appetizers. Know this, if you try to eat in a small town in Texas on a Sunday not much is open!

Today's walks = one 10K + one 5K for a total of 15K (9.3 miles). With that, we drove off into a gorgeous sunset on our way back to San Antonio on US 90.

Travel Bug out.