Pilgrim is an unincorporated community located in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The community has an approximate population of sixty.[1] Pilgrim is situated on land granted to Thomas J. Pilgrim by Stephen F. Austin. Pilgrim is located near a salt flat, and was a notable hideout for John Wesley Hardin in the 1870s. A map shows Pilgrim is located on Farm to Market Road 1116.[2]
In 1838, Thomas J. Pilgrim received the Republic of Texas' land grant in Gonzales County, Texas.[3] This land includes a lake and a settlement called "Pilgrim." In addition, there were three schools that were part of the Pilgrim Creek School District in the 1880s: 1) Burnett School (established in 1875 and named from another family which had come to the area); Salt Creek School (established in 1878, named for the salt flats in the area); and Lake Grove, (a school then only for blacks established in 1883). The Pilgrim Presbyterian Church and the Pilgrim Cemetery were also named in honor of Thomas J. Pilgrim. A Recorded Texas Historic Landmark was placed on the road attesting to the history of Pilgrim.[4]