Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Gonzales, TX, Where The Fight Began. Helena, MT. “Perfect Storm” Twice.

 

For “Travel Tuesday”: Lets Visit Gonzales.

Gonzales, Texas, Where the fight for Texas liberty began.

conflict at Gonzales was a

“Do you know who started the fight that led to the battle of the Alamo? Have you ever wondered who was brave enough to start a revolution? Eighteen men from Gonzales. Gonzales holds a unique place in Texas history as the site of the firing of the first shot for Texas independence.”

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Gonzales Things to Do

Gonzales holds a unique place in Texas history as the site of the firing of the first shot for Texas independence.

On October 2, 1835, eighteen townsmen stood on the bank of the Guadalupe River, disobeyed a direct order from Santa Anna and refused to give up their small cannon to the Mexican Army. Instead they fashioned a flag showing a black replica of the cannon on a white background with words that would echo through the years, “Come and Take it.”


These 18 men stand out in Texas history as the “Old Eighteen,” a small group of men who forever linked themselves and Gonzales with the Texas Revolution.
Gonzales played a key role in many of the events not only leading up to the Texas Revolution, but during and after as well.
Thirty-two men answered the call for help from the Alamo. The immortal 32 were the only reinforcements who made it to the Alamo in time to fight and die along side many other heroes.”

More about the Battle of Gonzales here: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qeg03

Gonzales, Texas (1825) and later Gonzales County (1836) were named for

“After the fall of the Alamo, during the Runaway Scrape, General Sam Houston ordered the town of Gonzales burned. The women and children who were left here braved floods and devastating odds to retreat, and travel to San Jacinto.
After the revolution, soldiers and townspeople returned to Gonzales to rebuild their town. Cattle barons and cotton kings reigned in Gonzales for many years producing huge fortunes. There are many homes and buildings in Gonzales that reflect the lifestyle and prominence of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
When visiting Gonzales you can experience first hand the pride, history and heritage of the people who built this great state.
Before the Alamo, before Davy Crockett, the “Come and Take It” challenge was issued. The “Come and Take It” spirit lives on in Gonzales today.

The 49 original blocks and seven public squares laid out in the shape of a Greek cross withstood the test of time and form the first Texas History Museum District.
Within the district are museums, historic homes, historic monuments and a thriving downtown made up of buildings built before and around 1900.
Download the GPS based Tour Gonzales smart phone app that will guide you through a tour of seven museums, 30 historic homes, downtown, parks and recreation. The app also provides information about hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts.    “Come and Take It,” come and take a tour. See the museums, historic homes and the history.”

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Bird Watching

  • “Approximately 240 recorded species of birds have been observed at Palmetto State Park, located on F.M. 1586, off U.S. 183 North of Gonzales. Swamps, lush undergrowth and the park's abundant Dwarf Palmettos give the visitor a feeling of tropical paradise, a surprising contrast to the rolling hills nearby. The San Marcos River and a small oxbow lake, perfect for swimming and fishing, lend a relaxing end to a day of birdwatching. www.tpwd.state.tx.us_

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Old Jail Museum

Jail“Old Jail Museum built in 1887, houses the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture offices.  Architect Eugene T. Heiner designed the brick structure to hold 200 prisoners under riot conditions. Contractor Henry Kane and Snead & Company Iron Works contracted to build the jail of concrete and steel for $21,660.20

Enter an entrance hall which was once the sheriff’s office. To the left were three rooms, kitchen and bath used as the family living quarters for the sheriff or jailer.
All of the ceilings are made of corrugated steel and concrete. On the lower floor are display cases for articles taken from prisoners, information on the sheriffs, deputies and other law enforcement officials who served through the years.”

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Gonzales Memorial Museum,   414 Smith Street

 

GMM_with_flags

“A Centennial historical memorial, the Memorial Museum commemorates the ‘Immortal 32' who died in the Alamo. Memorabilia is displayed there from the founders and early settlers of Gonzales, including the come & Take It Cannon.”

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The Eggleston House

Horace Eggleston Log House (1846) in Gonzales, Texas

“This ‘dog-run’ style cabin was built after the Texas Revolution and is located on St. Louis Street east of Memorial Museum.

Period furniture is on display there and a recording can be activated that tells its story.”

 

 

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J. B. Wells House, 823 Mitchell Street

J.B. Wells House

“The James Bailey Wells house was built in 1885 of Florida long-leaf pine. The 15-room house features original wallpaper, drapes and furnishings.

The Gonzales Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas is the custodian and the home is open for tours on Saturdays.”

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Braches House & Sam Houston Oak

The McClure-Braches House HDR

“A log house built in 1831 by Sarah Ann and Bartlett D. McClure was replaced by this plantation-style house built in the 1840s by Sarah Ann and Charles D. Braches. The house became a stopping place for wagon trains, stages and mail hacks.

Sam Houston Oak, Gonzales,

After the fall of the Alamo, General Sam Houston ordered the burning of Gonzales before the advancing Mexican Army.

A large oak tree near the home will forever be known as ‘The Sam Houston Oak’, because it was here the general is said to have rested on his first stop during ‘The Runaway Scrape’.”  (http://texaswagonworks.com/texas_history/runaway_scrape.shtml )

From: http://www.gonzalestexas.com/things-to-do/museums

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On This Day:

The city of Helena, Montana, is founded after miners discover gold, Oct 30, 1864:

“On this day in 1864, the town of Helena, Montana, is founded by four gold miners who struck it rich at the appropriately named "Last Chance Gulch."

The first major Anglo settlement of Montana had begun just two years before in the summer of 1862, when prospectors found a sizeable deposit of placer gold at Grasshopper Creek to the west. When other even richer deposits were soon discovered nearby, a major rush began as tens of thousands of miners scoured the territory in search of gold. In 1864, four prospectors spotted signs of gold in the Helena area while on their way to the Kootenai country, but they were eager to reach the reportedly rich gold regions farther to the north and did not to stop. But after striking out on the Kootenai, they decided to take "one last chance" on finding gold and returned. When the signs turned out to mark a rich deposit of placer gold, they staked their claims and named the new mining district Last Chance Gulch.

Eventually, Last Chance Gulch would prove to be the second biggest placer gold deposit in Montana, producing some $19 million worth of gold in just four years. Overnight, thousands of miners began to flood into the region, and the four original discoverers added to their fortunes by establishing the town of Helena to provide them with food, lodging, and supplies. But unlike many of the early Montana mining towns, Helena did not disappear once the gold gave out, which it inevitably did. Located on several major transportation routes, well supplied with agricultural products from an adjacent valley, and near to several other important mining towns, Helena was able to survive and grow by serving the wider Montana mining industry. In 1875, the city became the capital of Montana Territory, and in 1894, the capital of the new state of Montana.:

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Perfect storm hits North Atlantic, Oct 30, 1991:

“On this day in 1991, the so-called "perfect storm" hits the North Atlantic producing remarkably large waves along the New England and Canadian coasts. Over the next several days, the storm spread its fury over the ocean off the coast of Canada. The fishing boat Andrea Gail and its six-member crew were lost in the storm. The disaster spawned the best-selling book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and a blockbuster Hollywood movie of the same name.

On October 27, Hurricane Grace formed near Bermuda and moved north toward the coast of the southeastern United States. Two days later, Grace continued to move north, where it encountered a massive low pressure system moving south from Canada. The clash of systems over the Atlantic Ocean caused 40-to-80-foot waves on October 30—unconfirmed reports put the waves at more than 100 feet in some locations. This massive surf caused extensive coastal flooding, particularly in Massachusetts; damage was also sustained as far south as Jamaica and as far north as Newfoundland.”

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Now today on Oct 30, 2012, History repeats itself.

Hurricane Sandy: What it's like to ride the 'perfect storm'

Hurricane Sandy’s Waters Course Through Blacked-Out New York

Power outage seen on October 29, 2012 in Manhattan, New York. Photographer: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

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Yesterday:

Now that the 220v heater is plugged in, I could move the electric radiator that I had next to Prissy the little kitten, back into the grooming room, ready for a new customer.

http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=bedlington+terrier&img=http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images20/BEDLINGTONGLEN8Months1.JPG&v_t=keyword_rollover&host=http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bedlingtonterrierphotos5.htm&width=133&height=146&thumbUrl=http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRDgcMABlvldupYFRHlt08L0d3bd_TN-e4_-iumMJ9_egOOnri99hEjWxNn5A:www.dogbreedinfo.com/images20/BEDLINGTONGLEN8Months1.JPG&b=image?page=3&v_t=keyword_rollover&q=bedlington+terrier&s_it=imageResultsBack&oreq=d665147c69d940e7afdce9e43b2c6f1d&oreq=926707ec1e604a2185785abe3242a346&imgHeight=385&imgWidth=350&imgTitle=Bedlington+Terrier+puppy&imgSize=58591&hostName=www.dogbreedinfo.com“Lil-Miss”, a very energetic Maltese-Poodle mix arrived to be groomed.  She was big and really strong for a 5 month old puppy, and even though she had been groomed once before, she was a mess.  They hadn’t cut down her puppy coat and it was really straggly.  I think that they found out how uncooperative she is, and didn’t want to do a full groom on her.  But charged full price anyway.

She is never going to look like a Maltese or a Poodle, so I decided the best cut for her was that of a Bedlington Terrier, especially as she has that long tail, and her ears are too high set to look like a Poodle.

She just would not hold still, and so it was quite a job. and wore me out for the rest of the day.

3 comments:

Dizzy-Dick said...

That dog really looks nice. You do a great job.

Rod Ivers said...

Of course most groomers would have sedated her!!! Your exceptional to have stayed the course in light of her energy....

LakeConroePenny,TX said...

Thanks for your comments, DD, and Rod.

DD. I try to good job, as that is what I am being paid for, so most people appreciate it, and give me a big tip.

Rod. She will be better next time, as I taught her to "hold still", and praised her when she did.

I don't give other people's animals meds, even though I was a vet tech. Some sedation meds will make them have seizures later in life.

I don't like to take chemicals myself, let alone give them to an animal.

Happy Tails and Trails, Penny