Site of First Shot of the Texas Revolution - Cost, TX - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

This bronze monument faced with Texas gray granite measures 16' 2" in width, 13' 6" inches in height, and 3' 10.5" inches in extreme depth. It was designed by Waldine Amanda Tauch, an apprentice and eventual partner of the nationally famous Pompeo Coppini. It depicts Texan soldiers in battle surrounding a cannon. One of the soldiers raises a sword over his head with his proper right hand; another carries a flag; another carries a rifle. One soldier kneels behind the cannon. The relief is inset into the front of a granite marker, with allegorical female goddess figures carved in relief niches flanking each side.

The monument marks the site where the Texans fired the first cannon shot against the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836. The commission created by the Texas legislature in 1935 to oversee Texas' Centennial allocated $10,000 for this memorial. It was erected a year later, in 1936.

The wording below the bas-relief states:

"Near here on October 2, 1835 was fired the first shot of the Texas Revolution of 1835-36 -- the shot heard round the world. At Gonzales the Texans defied the Mexican government and refused their demand for the Gonzales cannon with the "come and take it" challenge until reinforcements arrived from other parts of DeWitt's Colony and from the colonies on the Colorado and Brazos. They then pursued the Mexicans from Gonzales to near this point and fired upon them with this cannon, driving them back to Bexar. This shot started the revolution and was directly responsible for adding more territory to the United States than was acquired by the freeing of the original thirteen colonies from England. (Erected by the State of Texas 1936)"

TITLE: Site of First Shot of the Texas Revolution, (sculpture) ARTIST(S): Waldine Amanda Tauch DATE: 1936 MEDIUM: Relief: bronze; Base: Texas gray granite CONTROL NUMBER: IAS TX000664 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: On US 97 just 1/2 mile East of Cost, TX Gonzales, TX 78614 USA DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: None noted... this monument has been studied and recorded/observed ad nauseam by Texas historical buffs.

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   02/11/2019 WayBetterFinder visited it 10/02/2018 iconions visited it 08/12/2017 WalksfarTX visited it 02/16/2013 Raven visited it

View all visits/logs