Ranch house on Farm Road 532, west of Moulton in Lavaca County
I haven't added any new counties since visiting Kaufman County, southeast of Dallas, on August 19th. However, I've been busy editing photographs of counties I visited about a year ago, and completing web pages on a number of them, bringing me up to #120. Of course, that means I still have a backlog of 54 counties to edit and post. It just takes time. After you finish this blog post check out Kendall County #115, Mason County #116, McCulloch County #117, Travis County #118, Dallas County #119 and Refugio County #120.
Over the Labor Day weekend I took a short day trip to Gonzales, seat of Gonzales County, to revisit this important historic town and its J. Riely Gordon designed courthouse. It was a hot, sunny Texas day and I enjoyed the ride west on I-10 to Flatonia, Texas. I stopped at Joel's BBQ in Flatonia and had a sliced beef sandwich before heading south on Highway 95 to Moulton, in Lavaca County. Moulton is a lovely German-Czech-American town in the rolling hills of south-central Texas. It doesn't have a courthouse but it does have a number of historic buildings and is worth a visit.
I turned west at Moulton and took Farm Road 532 to Gonzales. This narrow, 2-lane road winds through the rolling hills and is a delight to drive on a nice day. I stopped and photographed a "too good to be true" ranch house just west of Moulton and then stopped again a few hundred yards up the road to record this pasture scene.
Over the Labor Day weekend I took a short day trip to Gonzales, seat of Gonzales County, to revisit this important historic town and its J. Riely Gordon designed courthouse. It was a hot, sunny Texas day and I enjoyed the ride west on I-10 to Flatonia, Texas. I stopped at Joel's BBQ in Flatonia and had a sliced beef sandwich before heading south on Highway 95 to Moulton, in Lavaca County. Moulton is a lovely German-Czech-American town in the rolling hills of south-central Texas. It doesn't have a courthouse but it does have a number of historic buildings and is worth a visit.
I turned west at Moulton and took Farm Road 532 to Gonzales. This narrow, 2-lane road winds through the rolling hills and is a delight to drive on a nice day. I stopped and photographed a "too good to be true" ranch house just west of Moulton and then stopped again a few hundred yards up the road to record this pasture scene.
A pasture on Road 532, west of Moulton, Texas
I had first visited and photographed the Gonzales County courthouse on my birthday, June 8, 2009. On that day Donna and I drove from San Antonio to Houston on US 90 Alt, visiting courthouses in Seguin, Gonzales and Hallettsville. We also made a most important stop in Shiner to visit the Spoetzl Brewery, home of Shiner Beers.
I can't wait for my birthday beer!
I arrived in Gonzales on my recent trip about 11:30 AM and drove into town on St. Louis Street, stopping to walk around the 1936 Gonzales Memorial Museum and Amphitheater. This moderne building and landscape is looking a little weather-worn but it's stil an impressive monument to the Texas Revolution, which began in Gonzales, the "Lexington" of our state's revolution.
Okay, it's time to clean the reflecting pool
Gonzales is home to many fine late 19th century buildings, including the 1895 Gonzales County courthouse. The courthouse is still in use after 117 years!
The Gonzales County courthouse, 1895
Downtown Gonzales is alive and well. There are 3 full block "squares" in the center of town, with the courthouse and county jail in one of them. There's also an unfortunate "Justice" building just east of the historic courthouse, but it doesn't detract from the courthouse. The old jail is now a visitor's center. A tour of the jail includes the gallows room.
Uh, should be self-evident, don't you think?
The Old Jail on St. Lawrence Street
I spent a couple of hours in Gonzales before returning home to Houston. The end result was a completely new Gonzales County web page. Check it out here.
"Come and Take It"
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