Gonzales in Gonzales County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Kerr's Settlement
Birth of the DeWitt Colony
Photographed By James Hulse, August 4, 2021
1. Kerr's Settlement Marker
In April 1825, Green DeWitt acquired a land grant from the Republic of Mexico to settle 400 families in and around the present location of Gonzales. He recruited ex-Missouri state senator James Kerr as his surveyor general to establish a capital for his colony. Kerr laid out four leagues allocated to the capital township and named it Gonzales in honor of Don Rafael Gonzales, the provisional governor of the state of Coahuila y Texas. Kerr and a few other men built their cabins in this area along what is now called Kerr's Creek. Indians were a constant threat, and after a destructive raid in July 1826, the settlers, few in number and unable to defend the settlement, abandoned this site for a temporary settlement called Old Station, six miles from the coast on the Lavaca River.
Late in 1827, after their crops were harvested and a fort had been completed at Gonzales, 40 of the DeWitt colonists at Old Station relocated to Gonzales. The official census of the DeWitt Colony of 1828 listed a total population of 75 comprised of 9 families and 25 single men. The relocation of the 40 residents from Old Station was a new start for the DeWitt Colony, and with the promise of land titles and opportunities for a new life, more settlers came to the Gonzales area. Pavilion erected by the Spade & Trowel Garden Club, 2010 - 2011
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1825.
Location. 29° 30.48′ N, 97° 25.864′ W. Marker is in Gonzales, Texas, in Gonzales County. Marker is at the intersection of St. Louis Street (State Highway 146) and Lions Club Drive, on the right when traveling west on St. Louis Street. The marker is located in front of a small gazebo in the Gonzales City Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gonzales TX 78629, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1825 Kerr's Settlement (here, next to this marker); Texas Historic Bridge (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Oak Forest Bridge (about 500 feet away); Kerr's Creek (about 600 feet away); David Burkett (about 700 feet away); Company L, First Texas Infantry (approx. 0.3 miles away); "The Great War" (approx. 0.3 miles away); "We Shall Not Forget" (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gonzales.
Also see . . . DeWitt's Colony.
DeWitt's colony, one of the major colonies in the settlement of Texas, was established by Green DeWitt and James Kerr in 1825. Stirred by Stephen F. Austin's success, DeWitt petitioned the Mexican government(Submitted on August 12, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)to become an empresario as early as 1822, but was frustrated in his attempt. He was inspired to try again after the passage of the new federal colonization law of 1824 and after having met Austin, with whom he continued to have a close relationship. Austin's influence, together with Baron de Bastrop's helped DeWitt to petition the Mexican government successfully on April 7, 1825, for an empresario contract to settle "four hundred industrious Catholic families...known to be respectable and industrious," and also any equally respectable families of Mexican nationals who "shall come to settle with us." The government approved the grant on April 15 in Saltillo, Coahuila. DeWitt's colony was to be adjacent to and southwest of Austin's grant. Source: The Handbook of TexasPhotographed By James Hulse, August 4, 20212. The view of the Kerr's Settlement Marker from the street
Photographed By James Hulse, August 4, 2021
3. The Kerr's Settlement Marker at the Gonzales City Park
Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 212 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 12, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
