At the cotton gin of William Millican, near here, on July 17, 1835, pioneers living near the Lavaca and Navidad rivers held the significant Lavaca-Navidad Meeting. James Kerr, founder of Gonzales, was chairman and the Rev. S. C. A. Rogers was secretary. The meeting adopted resolutions protesting the mistreatment of Texas colonists by the government of Mexico. This early formal public protest was a forerunner of the Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836, and the constituting of the Republic of Texas.