Dickinson
and Kimble... In
1836, the little village of Gonzales was on the western most
outskirts of the Texas frontier. Try to imagine this small community along the banks of the Guadalupe River, made up mostly of log buildings with
dirt floors. The
settlers built their town next to the Guadalupe for two major
reasons; protection and water. The original town near Kerr Creek
was abandoned after Indians destroyed it. The citizens hoped that
the new town site, with the river on one side, would be easier to
defend. The
main street of the town, in those days, was Water Street (where
the Hwy. 183 bypass is today). Old maps from 1836 show that the
majority of the town's commerce was located along that little dirt
road. There
was the normal assortment of dry-goods stores, blacksmith shops,
and a hat factory. According to The Handbook of Texas, two
gentlemen who would later fight and die at the Alamo, were the
hat makers. The establishment was the Dickinson and Kimble Hat
Factory; the partners were George C. Kimble and Almaron Dickinson. Dickinson,
along with his wife Susanna, moved to Gonzales in 1831 and joined
Green DeWitt's colony. He received a league of land on the San
Marcos River in what is now Caldwell County. Dickinson was in the
battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835, and later joined the newly
formed Texas army in its siege of San Antonio. He served the Alamo
as a captain in charge of artillery. Dickinson was well suited for
this task; he had once been in an artillery unit with the United
States Army. Almaron
Dickinson's wife and small child were with him when Mexican troops
stormed over the Alamo walls on March 6, 1836. Susanna Dickinson
and her baby daughter, Angelina, were among the few survivors.
Mrs. Dickinson became known as the "messenger of the
Alamo" when she brought the news of the massacre back to the
citizens of Gonzales. Later she would recall how her husband
rushed up to her just before he died and stated that all was lost.
He told her to try to save herself and the child. Dickinson's
partner in the hat-making business was another of those Alamo
heroes. George
C. Kimble was one of the original citizens of Gonzales. He moved
to Texas from New York in 1825. In June of 1832, he married
Prudence Nash; they had two children. He later formed his
partnership with Almaron Dickinson and the hat factory on Water
Street was born. In
February of 1836, Kimble was mustered into the Gonzales Ranging
Company of Mounted Volunteers. He was the commander of that unit
and led his men into the Alamo on March 1, 1836. This group of
heroes, from Gonzales, would be the only ones to answer the
beleaguered garrison's desperate plea for reinforcements. Because
of their extreme bravery and sacrifice, Kimble and his men will
forever be known as the "Immortal 32." Dickinson
and Kimble weren't much different from today's ambitious young
people. The hat makers were eager to be successful and raise a
family. They came to Texas for the free land and other
opportunities. But as with most things, the land wasn't exactly
free; it eventually had to be fought for. And fight they did,
winning the land and freedom for others to enjoy. I
see the little hat factory on Water Street as a symbol of
something that patriotic Americans have been doing for years. In
every generation, brave individuals seem to always step forward to
defend family, neighbor, and country. Exceptional people willing
to give all they have, including their life, for the protection of
others.
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