Near this place on October 2, 1835, the first shot of the Texas Revolution of 1835-36 was fired, the shot heard round the world. At Gonzales, the Texans defied the Mexican government and refused its demand for the Gonzales cannon with the challenge “Come and Take It” 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 on them with the 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.