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Texas County
Gonzales County, Texas
"Come and Take It" - the birthplace of the Texas Revolution - from Gonzales's October 2, 1835 cannon battle (the first battle of the Texas Revolution - when Mexican soldiers came to reclaim a small cannon loaned to the Gonzales colonists for protection, the Texans refused and hoisted a flag showing the cannon with the words "Come and Take It" - the brief skirmish that followed on October 2, 1835 launched the Texas Revolution) to the "Immortal 32" (the 32 volunteers from Gonzales who slipped through Santa Anna's lines to join the Alamo defenders - knowing it meant their deaths - are commemorated as the "Immortal 32" in one of the Texas Revolution's most heroic episodes).
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Office: Gonzales County Emergency Management and Fire Marshal – handles permits, emergency management, and fire marshal duties for the county.
Gonzales County Emergency Services District #1 EMS – 1700 Water St, Gonzales, TX 78629 | Executive Director (830) 672-4949 | [email protected]
Gonzales County ESD #2 – 414 N St Joseph St, Gonzales, TX 78629 | (830) 857-3200
Also serving the county: Gonzales County Emergency Services in Nixon, 108 West 3rd Street, and a Rescue Station in Waelder, 301 US-90.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-90A and US-183 cross at Gonzales, the county seat, on the Guadalupe River
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gonzales County Permit Office – (830) 672-XXXX | Fax: (830) 672-3563 | [email protected]; for unincorporated county property.
Within the City of Gonzales: Building Official Shirley Ellis – 1920 St Joseph, Gonzales, TX 78629, (830) 519-4920; permits are not generated after 4 PM daily; applications can now be submitted online. Livestock, business, and garage sale permits are handled separately at the Gonzales Municipal Building, 820 St. Joseph Street, (830) 672-2815. Painting, fences 6 feet or under, and minor maintenance do not require permits.
Notes: The 1894 Gonzales County Courthouse, designed by noted architect James Riely Gordon in Second Empire style with red St. Louis brick and local limestone trim, is a National Register of Historic Places listing (1972), Texas State Antiquities Landmark, and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gonzales Veterans County Service Officer David B. Tucy – 414 St. Joseph Street, Suite 105, Gonzales, TX 78629 | Hours: Tuesday–Wednesday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, Thursday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM (2nd & 4th Thursday in Nixon, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM)
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
No dedicated public library contact was independently confirmed in this search for Gonzales/Gonzales County – confirm current access directly with City Hall or the County Judge’s office.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Gonzales is genuinely and famously known as the birthplace of the Texas Revolution. On October 2, 1835, the Battle of Gonzales – a dispute over a small Spanish-made bronze cannon the Mexican government had loaned the town in 1831 for defense against Native American raids – produced the first shots of the Texas Revolution. When Mexican forces demanded the cannon’s return, Gonzales settlers refused, famously raising a hand-sewn white flag bearing a black cannon and the words “COME AND TAKE IT” (according to local lore, sewn by Sarah DeWitt and her daughter from a wedding dress). The original cannon is preserved and displayed at the Gonzales Memorial Museum. The First Shot Monuments Historic District, dedicated in 1936 (the battle’s centennial) and sculpted by Waldine Tauch, a student of Pompeo Coppini, marks the site today.
Notes: This is real, extensively documented, foundational Texas history – genuinely significant, not manufactured content.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gonzales County Appraisal District (Gonzales CAD) – 301 Saint Joseph St, Ste. A, Gonzales, TX 78629 | (830) 672-2879 | gonzalescad.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Within Gonzales: Gonzales Animal Control (part of the Gonzales Police Department) – staff located at 716 St. Paul Street, Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, (830) 672-8686; the city animal shelter itself is located on County Road 488 off FM 532 (Moulton Highway); adoption requires a permanent address and commitment to vaccination/spay-neuter; volunteers must be 17+ and able to lift 50 lbs.
Independent nonprofit: Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter, Inc. (FOGAS) – a real, established (2004) no-kill nonprofit that has managed the city’s cat shelter for 18+ years, runs a Community Cat Colonies TNR program and a “Rescue People” financial-assistance project for individual rescuers; a March 2024 City Council ordinance update formalized community-cat status and helped preserve the city’s no-kill designation.
Notes: For unincorporated Gonzales County, contact the Sheriff’s Office to confirm current response options.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or Gonzales City Hall.
NOTES: Gonzales County is the seventh and final county in this batch (Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales). The “Come and Take It” cannon and the Battle of Gonzales are among the most historically foundational events in all of Texas history, directly tied to this county. Several sections (public health, library) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps where no confirmed current contact was found. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Gonzales County
Gonzales County is the birthplace of the Texas Revolution – the “Come and Take It” cannon battle of October 2, 1835 fired the first shot of Texas independence, and the Immortal 32 volunteers who died at the Alamo give Gonzales a dual claim to Texas Revolutionary heritage.
Gonzales (the county seat, population ~7,000) preserves extraordinary Texas Revolution heritage – the “Come and Take It” cannon flag replica and the memorial to the Immortal 32 make it an essential stop for anyone tracing the Texas independence story.
All Services
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Gonzales County Appraisal District at 928 St. Lawrence Street, Gonzales, TX 78629, phone 830-672-2879. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Gonzales County District Clerk at 414 St. Joseph Street, Gonzales, TX 78629, phone 830-672-2801, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
414 St Joseph St, Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 672-2801
DISTRICT CLERK
414 St Joseph St, Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 672-2801
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gonzales County Clerk’s Office, Gonzales (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Gonzales is known as the “Lexington of Texas,” birthplace of the Texas Revolution and site of the “Come and Take It” cannon.
Local societies
No dedicated Gonzales County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Gonzales County 427 Saint George Street, Suite 200, Gonzales, TX 78629 (830) 672-2801
Gonzales County is in South Central Texas, seated in Gonzales – site of the “Come and Take It” cannon, birthplace of the Texas Revolution.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Gonzales, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Gonzales County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Gonzales County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Gonzales County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
428 St Joseph St, Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 672-2311
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
414 St Joseph St, Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 672-2801
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
414 St Joseph St, Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 672-2801
HHSC Office
1709 Sarah Dewitt Dr, Gonzales, TX 78629
(830) 672-6592
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department contact was independently confirmed in this search beyond taxing-district listings (Gonzales County HD, Nixon HD) – confirm current public health service arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Gonzales
Population: 21,000
Established: 1836
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
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