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TEXAS HISTORY MUSEUM DISTRICT
Gonzales is home to the official Texas History Museum District, designated by both the Texas House and Senate
in 2011. Lining the path of the Runaway Scrape along the banks of the Guadalupe where General Sam Houston
received the news of the fall of the Alamo, stand four important Texas History Museums that attract visitors from
far and wide.
GONZALES MEMORIAL MUSEUM
This building is one of nine State Archeological Landmarks built in 1936-37 during the presidency of Franklin
Delano Roosevelt celebrating the Texas Centennial. Designed by architects Phelps and Dewees, this monumental
complex was dedicated October 30, 1937. Phelps and Dewees designed "The Old Eighteen" tablet, made of
Georgia marble, which honors those settlers credited with firing the first shot of the Texas Revolution. Raoul
Jossett sculpted the bronze attached to the tall pink granite monument designed by Page and Southerland. It
lists the "Immortal Thirty-Two," commemorating the Gonzales soldiers who died defending the Alamo. The
two murals within the museum are by Texas artist, James Buchannan Winn, Jr. They depict Texas and Southwest
exploration, history and culture.The north wing of the museum is centered by the exhibit of the original
cannon used by the settlers during the first shot of the Texas Revolution. The south wing houses artifacts and
memorabilia from early day Gonzales. The east side of the museum has a large amphitheater that is used for
concerts, movies and galas.
Photographs on this page by Leslie Jannsen, Gonzales Camera Club
