At one time, someone suggested that the Inquirer issue a Spanish Language Edition. No one took the idea seriously, since everyone knew that it would become known as the Spanish Inquisitor. We at Texas Escapes like to acknowledge excellence, even though it's rarely seen. The relationship between a small town paper and the town is a tightly woven one. One writes about the other and the other reads about itself. Somewhere money changes hands so that everyone can eat.

In frontier times, the editor of the local paper wielded power equal to politicians. In many cases he was the most educated man in town. Superior to the professors, who lived in the ivory towers of academia, the editor at least, had his feet on the ground.

Our research for our Feature "Old News", revealed that past editors of the Inquirer had two traits in common: a sound mind and a dry wit. An example:

"For those who haven't yet noticed, it rained again today."

The Inquirer is a small town paper, and it doesn't care who knows it. Birthdays and anniversaries are announced on the front page, and even the masthead announces: Gonzales, Texas, home of ___________, the name chosen at random from their list of subscribers. 

Space is donated to the Gonzales County Records Center as a public service. Donated photographs with unidentified people or places are printed in hopes someone will recognize them and this frequently happens. Is there another way this important job could be done? We don't think so.

The Chamber of Commerce has a column, and Times Past is a column well written about local history. There's news you can only get from a small town paper. Example: "The Chamber will have a mixer at the Poultry Disease Laboratory." ( Gonzales, we're laughing with you, not at you.)

So, Texas Escapes would like to bestow our "Best Small Town Paper" award to The Gonzales Inquirer for being woven so tightly into the colorful fabric that is Gonzales. There's no plaque or framed certificate, and no one has to get dressed or even stand up. There's just this letter and the hope that Gonzalans appreciate what they have.

P.S. The Inquirer accepts subscriptions from anywhere.

Copyright John Troesser
Summer, 1999

Reader's Comments:
Subject: Gonzales Inquirer - Thank You
I'd just like to thank you for the blurb on the Gonzales Inquirer. My father, Paul Ziemer, served as Editor of the paper in 1953-55, and my mother, Margaret Ziemer, was (I believe) the first female editor in chief of that venerable paper, in 1956. - Eric Ziemer, August 07, 2004

See:
"Times Past" column (Stories ranging from missing cannons (not that one) to World War II, chosen by Mr. Murray Montgomery himself.)