Keep Up With The Joneses

On October 9, 1835 a group of Texas citizens, led by Capt. George Collinsworth entered Goliad and attacked the Mexican garrison stationed at the Presidio La Bahia and were successful in taking possession of the fort. This action followed the incident at Gonzales a week earlier where the slogan “Come and take it” was coined daring the Mexicans to come and take a cannon that protected the city. From here the Texans marched out and captured Ft. Lipantitlan, near the Nueces River on November 5th thereby cutting off the last remaining line of Mexican communication from San Antonio to Matamoros.

After Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, settlers began arriving in the Goliad area, lured by the prospect of rounding up stray cattle that belonged to the nearby missions. Ranching became the primary economic driver, and the age of the cattle drives began in the late 1800’s. Local ranch owners drove thousands of head to railheads in Kansas and Nebraska for shipment to the coasts of the U.S. As railroads were built, cattle were no longer driven up the trails and the economy of Goliad shifted to cotton and other types of farming along with beef production. With the influx of Mexican citizens fleeing the Revolutionary turmoil in Mexico and the population of Goliad grew to 13,000 in the 1890’s. By the 1940’s cattle raising and agricultural production again became economic generators and that continues today.

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