Dr. Thomas Polk
Gonzales, Gonzales County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Star and Wreath Born February 7, 1792, he served Texas and the men who fought for her independence at the Siege of Bexar and the San Jacinto Campaign 1835-36. Died February 2, 1872. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This grave marker honors Dr. Thomas Polk, born in 1792, who served the Texan cause during the fight for independence from Mexico. He aided the men who fought at the Siege of Bexar in late 1835 and through the decisive San Jacinto Campaign of 1836. The bronze Star and Wreath denotes a citizen recognized by the State of Texas for service during the revolution.
Why it matters
The Texas Revolution turned a Mexican province into an independent republic and set the stage for American westward expansion into the Southwest.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
In 1835 Texas was a province of Mexico, and tension between its largely Anglo-American settlers and the Mexican central government had reached the breaking point. That autumn fighting broke out, and Gonzales was where it started. In October 1835, the town's settlers refused to give up a small cannon to Mexican troops, and the skirmish that followed is remembered as the opening shot of the Texas Revolution.
Within weeks Texan volunteers had marched on San Antonio de Béxar, the main Mexican stronghold in the region. The Siege of Bexar ended in December 1835 with the Mexican garrison's surrender. In the spring of 1836 came the San Jacinto Campaign, a hard retreat eastward that ended with the Texan victory at San Jacinto on April 21. That victory won independence.
Armies of that era lost men to wounds, fevers and exposure as much as to battle, and volunteers often went without much medical care. People who could tend the sick and injured were badly needed throughout the campaign.
People & events
Thomas Polk was born on February 7, 1792, so he was already in his forties when the revolution came. According to his marker, he served Texas and the men fighting for her independence at the Siege of Bexar and through the San Jacinto Campaign of 1835-36. The marker gives his title as "Dr.", which suggests he served in a medical role, caring for volunteers through months of hardship.
The marker gives few further details of his life, and it is better to say so plainly than to fill the gap with guesses. What it does record is enough to place him among the men who saw the revolution through from beginning to end, from the siege of San Antonio to the campaign that decided the war.
Polk lived long enough to see Texas become a republic, join the United States, go through the Civil War and enter Reconstruction. He died on February 2, 1872, just days short of his eightieth birthday. In 1962 the State of Texas marked his grave as part of its long effort to honor veterans and participants of the revolution.
Its place in the American story
The Texas Revolution turned a Mexican province into an independent republic, and that republic's annexation in 1845 helped bring on the U.S.-Mexican War. That war shifted a vast portion of the Southwest into the United States. A doctor tending volunteers in 1835 and 1836 was serving in events whose consequences reshaped the map of North America.
Polk's story is also a reminder that wars are fought by many people who never appear in the famous accounts. For every commander whose name is widely known, there were others who supplied, nursed and kept alive the men in the field. Markers like this one keep such people part of the record.
The Star and Wreath design itself is part of the story. Texas has marked the graves of revolutionary-era participants with this emblem, which is one of the ways the state has shaped its memory of independence.
If you visit
Gonzales is one of the most history-rich small towns in Texas, and it proudly calls itself the place where the revolution began. Dr. Polk's marker fits naturally into a visit built around that story. Look for the bronze Star and Wreath emblem, which identifies people the State of Texas has honored for their part in the revolution.
As with any grave marker, visit quietly and respectfully. Take a moment to read the dates. Polk was born when George Washington was president and died after the Civil War, and his life spans much of the early American story.
If you are on a road trip, Gonzales pairs well with other revolutionary sites in the region, including San Antonio, where the Siege of Bexar took place, and the San Jacinto battleground near Houston. Following those places in order lets you trace the revolution from its first spark to its finish.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · Thomas Polk
Related events
- · Siege of Bexar
- · Battle of San Jacinto
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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