On October 1, 1835, a monumental moment in Texas history occurred with the Battle of Gonzales. Texan volunteers from the Gonzales area bravely crossed the Guadalupe River and advanced towards the camp of Mexican military commander Francisco de Castañeda. The following morning, they launched an attack, forcing Castañeda to order his men to fall back. This battle marked the start of the Texas Revolution and is often referred to as the “Lexington of Texas.”
In 1837, another notable event took place in Houston when John P. Borden opened the General Land Office. This institution was responsible for managing and distributing public lands in the Republic of Texas. Two years later, Borden transferred the office to Austin, where it continues to operate to this day.
Moving forward to 1849, the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville received its first inmates. Initially housed in temporary structures, these individuals would eventually be transferred to permanent facilities. The penitentiary remains an integral part of Texas’s criminal justice system.
On a lighter note, in 1885, Alfred H. Belo launched The Dallas Morning News. This influential newspaper has become an important source of information for the residents of Dallas and the surrounding areas.
As the years passed, more significant events occurred within the state. In 1942, the Chisos Mining Company filed for bankruptcy. This mining operation, located in Terlingua, Brewster County, was a major producer of quicksilver, also known as mercury.
During World War II in 1944, the Kenedy Alien Detention Camp, located near Kenedy, Texas, was converted into a prisoner of war camp. This move reflected the changing dynamics of the global conflict and the need to house prisoners of war.
In the realm of entertainment, 1974 saw the premiere of the movie “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” Filmed in Round Rock, TX, this famous horror film became a cult classic and cemented its place in Texas pop culture.