“Come and Take It” Celebrates Beginning of Texas Revolution

Oct. 2, 1835, marked the beginning of the Texas Revolution with the firing of the first shot near Gonzales, in modern-day Cost. The shot was fired by a cannon given to Gonzales by the Mexican government as protection from the Indians. Years later, in 1835, it became a part of the battle when the Mexican troops tried to take it back. The Gonzales troops, carrying a flag that read "Come and Take It" surprised the Mexican soldiers, and soon after the cannon fired, killing a Mexican soldier and starting the war. That six-pound cannon is part of the exhibit at the Gonzales Memorial Museum, 414 Smith St.

Each year Gonzales residents celebrate the historical event with the Come and Take It Festival. The festival will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday in downtown Gonzales, says the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce. It officially begins with the ceremonial firing of the first shot.

For more information about the festival, click here.