GOD & TEXAS: T.J. Pilgrim

Thomas J. Pilgrim had been unwell since his birth in Connecticut in 1804. But with sheer determination he pursued a college education at Colgate University in New York. Following graduation, Pilgrim joined a group of about 60 colonists who were immigrating to the Texas frontier. 

The harrowing story of their trip down the Mississippi River and on to Texas included violent storms, encounters with the Karankawa tribe, and several near-death experiences. Once they arrived in Matagorda in early 1829, Pilgrim made his way to San Felipe de Austin where he met Stephen F. Austin. Pilgrim had taught himself Spanish and became a trusted translator for Austin.

Pilgrim supported the cause of Texas independence. In 1836, he helped the Texas army capture a Mexican military vessel, and in 1840, he fought in the Battle of Plum Creek. While in San Felipe, Pilgrim founded the Austin Academy, a boy’s school that is thought to be the first English school in Texas. Later, he served as the Gonzales County treasurer, and as a three-term justice of the peace. 

By 1839, Pilgrim’s health had greatly improved. Apparently, he had been taking Doctor Phelps Tomato Pills and he credited them with gaining new vigor. His testimonial to the pills was noted in the Hartford Times on June 22, 1839. In part Pilgrim wrote, “With regard to my own case, [the pills] have restored me to perfect health, after I thought health had forever fled.”

Pilgrim is remembered for starting the first Sunday School in Texas. As a credentialed Baptist minister, he had years of training in theology. Though the school was successful, it was forced to close because it violated Mexican law against Protestant worship practices. 

Eventually, Pilgrim settled with his family near the town of Gonzales in a settlement now known as Pilgrim. Around 1846, he established a Sunday School that merged with the Gonzales Baptist Church when it was organized in 1847. Pilgrim was a respected businessman until his death in 1877. He is buried in Gonzales City Cemetery.

There is a Texas Historical Marker in honor of Thomas J. Pilgrim located in his namesake town. Thomas is an example of the many dynamic people who came to Texas while it was being tamed. He gave up the amenities of the cultured East Coast society, to venture into a land with many dangers and few promises. 

But he trusted God and followed the callings in his heart. He truly understood and responded to the call of God that is found in Isaiah 6:8 NLT, “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Hearing and responding to the Call of God will be lifechanging. English author Os Guinness summed up our present society by saying: “As modern people, we have too much to live with, and too little to live for.” 

What are you living for?

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