Despite changes, we have a duty to preserve our history

When I was growing up in Gonzales in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the activity in downtown Gonzales was very different than it is today. Of course, everything was located downtown - all the stores, and all the businesses. There was no bypass, either Sarah DeWitt Drive, or the Water Street bypass. Little development dotted the avenues. City Hall was downtown, as was the Post Office. Every downtown building was occupied with an active business, and many of the second stories of the downtown buildings were filled with busy offices.
And on Saturday, you could not stir the people with a stick in downtown Gonzales. All the sidewalks were filled with people who came to town. Every parking place on the main streets and side streets was filled with a vehicle. Both squares were full of parked cars and trucks, and a few wagons with horses and mules. There might be a tractor here and there, also.
And the town was open for the people - the courthouse was open all day on Saturday. That’s right. Open all day, as were the banks, doctor’s and dentist’s offices; lawyer’s offices, open all day long. The people had come to town, and the town was ready to serve them. Barber shops were cutting hair into the night; stores staying open until the town was deserted, the merchants hoping for one more sale.
The grocery stores stayed open as long as people came in to make a purchase. Grocery stores such as Willie Peterek (and I do not mean when Willie had his store by the old high school; I mean when he had his store downtown, just off the square); and Pagel’s Red & White; Reaves Food Market; the Tower Grocery; Sag Wilson had a store on Water Street; Clark sold groceries where Ara Pecan is today; Portales had a grocery store; Decker’s grocery store was located at the south end of town; Antonio Espinosa had a meat market and grocery; Piggly Wiggly on St. Paul Street, next to the Alcalde Hotel; Turk had a drive-in grocery, and so did Tuffy; Nelson had a pantry grocery; Smith had a meat market; Wiley sold groceries, and so did Kelly; and Nelson had a store next to the Lynn Theatre in downtown Gonzales.
If you wanted to buy a car in the 1950’s, you could select a Lincoln or Mercury from Christian-Hamilton Motors. Was that later called Everson Motors? Gonzales Motor Company sold Studebakers. Do you remember that car? The back end looked like the front. Marrou’s sold Buicks; Rufus King had Pontiacs, and Paul Klosel was the Dodge and Plymouth dealer. You could buy a Ford at Leigh Motors; H. Robertson Motor Company carried Chryslers, and Randy Allen of Allen Chevrolet was selling cars downtown across from Halamicek and the Post Office..
Well, times change, and things have certainly changed in Gonzales since the 1950’s, as well they should, for the American economy is based on change and innovation. And our task is not to fight change, but adapt to it, and in some cases lead it.
But, there are two things about Gonzales that should never change. The first is the story of our history, and the role played by Gonzales in Texas history. We may learn more about the story, and study it more thoroughly, and it may awaken in us a more sensitive
 understanding of our first citizens, but he story line remains the same - hard work, sacrifice, and willing to fight and die for freedom.
The second thing that should never change about our town is our duty to tell the story. Those of us who reside in Gonzales and Green DeWitt’s Colony have an obligation to tell the story of our people; to present the hardship, the sacrifice, and the struggle for freedom. For if we do not tell the story, who will? If we do not lift the banner, does it fall to the ground unnoticed? If we do not fly the flag, was the sacrifice made in vain?
The grocery stores are now gone, and the people do not crowd the sidewalks. The selection of new cars has changed, but the story lives on unaltered. The story reverberates across the squares, and up and down the streets. It sweeps by the steeples of our churches, and wafts through the hallways of the courthouse. It is the story of Gonzales, and the fright for freedom. And we shall keep on telling it. We must. We must indeed, for you see, the story is who we are.
And that is part of our history, the history of Gonzales. Gonzales, Texas is the birthplace of your Texas Freedom.