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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Gonzales is celebrating the 200th |
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anniversary of its founding in 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, Located at the confluence of the Guadalupe and San |
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Marcos Rivers, Gonzales was surveyed by James Kerr as the capital of |
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DeWitt's colony in 1825 and was named after Rafael Gonzales, |
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governor of Coahuila and Texas; the Battle of Gonzales, a pivotal |
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event in the Texas Revolution, took place in October 1835 after |
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Mexican dragoons attempted to retrieve the legendary "Come and Take |
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It" cannon that had been loaned to the town for its protection; |
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subsequently, news arrived of the defeat at the Battle of the Alamo, |
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and Sam Houston, who was in Gonzales attempting to organize the |
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Texas army, had the town burned and ordered a retreat; following |
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independence, Gonzales County was established as part of the |
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Republic of Texas, but with many former citizens of the town |
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remaining in exile, the city council did not have its first meeting |
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until 1839; Gonzales was rebuilt over the following decades, and by |
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1880, it boasted six churches, daily mail service, four schools, a |
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courthouse, a 500-seat opera house, a library, gas and water works, |
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and a population of 2,900 residents; and |
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WHEREAS, Gonzales flourished in the late 19th century as a |
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center for shipping cotton, wool, hides, cattle, horses, |
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cottonseed, and pecans, and poultry farming later became integral |
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to the local economy; today, Gonzales is home to more than 7,000 |
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people; residents and visitors alike enjoy such attractions as the |
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Gonzales Memorial Museum, which houses a collection of historical |
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artifacts and weapons, and the Come and Take It Celebration, an |
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annual festival that serves as a tribute to the firing of the first |
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shot of the Texas Revolution; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Gonzales take great pride in the |
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city's heritage while building for a bright future, and it is a |
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pleasure to honor their important contributions to the story of the |
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Lone Star State as they mark this notable milestone; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the |
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bicentennial of Gonzales and extend to its residents sincere best |
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wishes for a meaningful and memorable celebration. |