Touring America 2023

Sunday is church day, so we decided to look at some churches today. If you remember from my earlier post, US 90 parallels I-10 and is a great alternative to the Interstate travel through Texas. As you travel US 90 it passes through many small towns, most forgotton, that have much history. One of these is Schulenburg, Texas. In 1831, the Mexican government granted 4428 acres of land to Kesiah Crier. He kept this land intact until late 1845 when he began selling off portions of the land to other settlers. In 1873 the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad began buying up much of the land for the railroad. The largest portion was the 450 acre parcel of Louis Schulenburg. This railroad today is known as the Southern Pacific. Since most of the town was ultimately constructed on what was formerly the homestead of Louis Schulenburg, the town was aptly named in his honor and a train depot was built in the town. The town of Schulenburg thrived on cotton, it's main source of income along with eggs, poultry and many other items. The town of Schulenburg sponsors a historic tour of the areas churches. We decided to forego the formal tour and take the tour ourselves at our leisure. So, armed with a $4.00 map, purchased at the Polka Museum across the street from the Chamber of Commerce, we set out on our journey. Below is the short version. What an awesome tour...!

Our first stop was in the town of Praha. This area was first settled by Czechoslovakians and their influence is apparent in this region.  TheSt. Mary's Parish was established in 1855 and this church was constructed in 1895. It is constructed of mostly local stone. Upon completion, it was dedicated and name "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" given. The architecture is nineteenth century and the interior was painted by a famous Swiss artist and has never been repainted. 
 




The adjacent cemetery was established in 1865 and features a monument honoring nine local men who lost their lives in World War II. 

Mass had just begun so I had to settle for this picture from the vestibule.

We then traveled to the City of Freyburg. Freyburg was established in the mid 1800s by German settlers. Lutheran and Methodist churches were established here. The Lutheran church was ultimately moved to a nearby community, but the Methodist Church continued. It was beautiful in its' simplicity. This is the United Methodist Church, built in 1879.








It's interior was simple and contains the original wooden benches and altar. Services are only held twice a month.

This little fella was on a tract of land adjacent to the United Methodist Church. He was very interested in what I was doing and watched me very closely. If you wonder why I would call an animal that weighs several hundred pounds a "little fella"...look at the picture below.

This is "little fella"s Momma..!

After leaving Freyburg, we headed out to High Hill, Texas. In September 1860 several families left their homeland in Neudeck, Austria for the United States. They finally settled here, known today as High Hill. This is St. Mary's Catholic Church. It is the third church to be built on the original 9 acres deeded to the church in 1868.

The interior of the church was massive and impressive. It is a classic example of Gothic Revival style, displaying not only Victorian features but also the European background of the German and Czech-Moravian settlers.

The altar and painted canopy are original and have never been touched up. Absolutely amazing!












After leaving High Hill, we headed east on Farm Road 615. Rounding a curve we were met with this sign. It certainly doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling but we decided to proceed. Fortunately we weren't in the coach!

This is the Piano Bridge, built in 1885 and one of the few iron bridges still in use today. It got it's name from the twanging sound made when wagons or cars crossed it. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, the wooden planks had to be nailed down, causing the twanging to cease. An adventure for us, nonetheless.

After crossing the Piano Bridge, we came to the Village of Dubina and the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. Dubina was founded in 1856 and boasts the historical significance of being the first community in Texas founded entirely by Czech-Moravians. The original church was built in 1877 and served until July 21,1909, when a tropical storm demolished it.

The present church, seen here and above, was completed in 1912 and was decorated with frescoes and stenciling. 

During its heyday, the population of Dubina exceeded 3000. Today, around 200 people call Dubina, home.

Finally, we proceeded back north on Texas Farm Road 1383 to the town of Ammannsville. Founded in 1870 by Andrew Ammann and his family, the town was built by settlers who brought all the materials by wagon from Houston, some 90 miles east. For 19 years settlers had to go to nearby churches for mass. During a sermon, held on one of the front porch of a local home, a priest suggested they build their own church. In 1890 the first cornerstone was laid for the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

After the original church was destroyed by a storm in 1909, a second church was built that same year. Eight years later, that church was destroyed by a spectacular fire! In the midst of this fire, villagers rushed inside the church and carried out many of the statues which now grace the interior of the new church which was built in 1919.

This ornate altar was inspiring, to say the least. All of the paint on the walls and ceiling is original, dating to 1919. It has never been retouched or repainted. What you see is exactly how it looked to those first parishioners 94 years ago!