TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
Custom Search
New   |   Texas Towns   |   Ghost Towns   |   Counties   |   Trips   |   Features   |   Columns   |   Architecture   |   Images   |   Archives   |   Site Map

 TX DeWitt County location
DeWitt County





Counties
Texas Counties


Texas Towns
A - Z

YORKTOWN, TEXAS

DeWitt County, Central Texas South

28°59'00"N 97°30'09"W (28.983196, -97.502415)

Highways 72 and 119 at Coleto Creek
16 miles SW of Cuero the county seat
24 miles N of Goliad
25 miles NE of Kenedy
36 miles NW of Victoria
43 miles S of Gonzales
35 miles SE of Stockdale
75 miles E of San Antonio
ZIP code 78164
Area code 361
Population: 1,810 (2020)
2,092 (2010) 2,271 (2000) 2,207 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Victoria Hotels

Yorktown TX - Birdseye view of C. Eckhardt Building, street, bridge
Birdseye view of Yorktown showing C. Eckhardt Building
Postcard courtesy William Beauchamp Collection
Yorktown, Texas Old Photos
William Beauchamp Collection

History in a Pecan Shell

The town is named after Captain John York, who died defending the town against Indians in the autumn of 1848. York had helped settle the town two years before with business partner Charles Eckhardt. The men saw an immense opportunity by founding a town here since it would create a shorter route from the busy port of Indianola to San Antonio.

Known as the Old Indianola Trail, it was well-traveled by German immigrants on their way inland. Many settled here as well as survivors from Indianola’s storms which turned that prosperous city into Texas’ most famous ghost town.

Eckhardt built the town’s first house in May of 1848 and two years later he established the Charles Eckhardt and Sons store. In 1854 the town was named after the late Captain York.

In 1871 the town was granted a post office and incorporated. The Aransas Pass Railway was built a mile south of town in 1886 and the town relocated to the rails. The old site continued on for several years as “Upper Yorktown.”

In 1898 Yorktown had an estimated population of 850 people and every essential business as well as a few non-essential businesses. At its peak, Yorktown’s population hit nearly 2,500 but had declined to 2,207 by 1990. It has since risen to 2,271, although many downtown businesses have closed, including the feed store – once the center of the area economy. The 1871 Eckhardt store now contains the town’s history museum and is listed on the National Register.

Yorktown TX longhorns pulled cotton wagons
Longhorns pulled cotton wagons, Yorktown, TX
Postmarked Nov. 1, 1909
Click on image to enlarge


 Yorktown  Texas Main Street old photo

Main Street, Yorktown, Texas, Postmarked 1908
Click on image to enlarge
Vintage photo courtesy Dan Whatley Collection



 Yorktown  Texas Main Street old photo

Main Street, Yorktown, Texas, Postmarked 1910
Click on image to enlarge
Vintage photo courtesy Dan Whatley Collection



 Yorktown  Texas Gonzales  Street old photo

Gonzales Street South, Yorktown, Texas
Click on image to enlarge
Vintage photo courtesy Dan Whatley Collection



Yorktown, Texas Landmarks


Yorktown Photo Gallery


Texas Yorktown City Hall
Yorktown's City Hall
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


Texas - Yorktown Historical Museum, Yorktown Texas C. Eckhardt Building
C. Eckhardt Building
Yorktown Historical Museum
144 W. Main St.
On the National Register

TE photo, July 2008

Historical Marker: 144 W. Main St.

C. Eckhardt & Sons Building

Erected 1876. Had iron shutters, elevator, walls 25 inches thick. Housed general mercantile store begun by pioneer Caesar Eckhardt family in 1848, soon after founding of Yorktown. Wagons brought in goods from seaport of Indianola. Gold and silver hidden under potatoes were sent to San Antonio to purchase other supplies. During the Civil War, wife ran the business while the husband and two sons served the South.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965


Yorktown TX Streetscape
A Yorktown Streetscape
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


A keystone building in downtown Yorktown TX
A keystone building in downtown Yorktown
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


1909 Nau Brothers Building  Yorktown TX
The 1909 Nau Brothers Building
TE photo, July 2008


Nau Brothers Building  threshhold Yorktown TX
Nau Building Threshhold
TE photo, July 2008


Nau Brothers Building  ghost sign Yorktown TX
Nau Brother's Ghost Sign
TE photo, July 2008
More Texas Ghost Signs


former Yorktown Bakery , Texas
The former Yorktown Bakery
TE photo, July 2008


Former Chevrolet Dealership with Deco Signage Yorktown TX
Former Chevrolet Dealership with Deco Signage
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


Eagle - Chevrolet Signage , Yorktown TX
Chevrolet Signage Detail
TE photo, July 2008
More Texas Eagles


Yorktown TX downtown garden - Cactus
A Downtown Garden
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


Yorktown TX former Feed Store
The former Feed Store.
TE photo, July 2008
More Texas Stores


Yorktown TX former Feed Store old loading dock
The old loading dock
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


Yorktown's Hospital, TX
Yorktown's Hospital (circa 1950)
TE photo, July 2008


Main Entrance of the Yorktown Hospital , TX
The Main Entrance of the Yorktown Hospital
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008


Yorktown TX cold-war relic: Fallout Shelter
A cold-war relic
TE photo, July 2008


Texas' shortest windmill - Yortown TX
Texas' shortest windmill - or- Texas' tallest grass
Photo courtesy Stephen Michaels, July 2008
See Texas Windmills


Yorktown TX - firehouse and water tower
Yorktown fire house and water tower old photo
Postcard courtesy William Beauchamp Collection
Yorktown, Texas Old Photos
William Beauchamp Collection


Historical Marker: 1214 Zorn Rd., Yorktown
Holy Cross Catholic Church
This church was established by Polish families who first came to Texas in the 1850s and settled in Panna Maria, then migrated to this area. A group of Polish Catholics split from the primarily German Catholic Church in Meyersville and joined the Catholic Church in Yorktown. By 1867, there were 13 Polish households as members of the Yorktown congregation, and the time had come to build a new church facility. In 1867, Anton and Lucyia Koszielsky deeded land at this site to the church, and the building that was constructed was dedicated to St. Mary. After it burned in 1915, the parish hired architect F. B. Gaenslen to design their new building. Completed in 1916, the building utilized the cross from the steeple on the former church and thus came to be called Holy Cross. Construction work was overseen by Falbo Contractors of San Antonio, with much of the labor supplied by parishioners. Gaenslen's design for a simplified Romanesque style church was carried out in red brick, with polychrome brick detailing on the tower. Its Romanesque features are evident in its tower, semi-circular arched windows and corbelled parapet. Since 1916, Holy Cross Catholic Church has served Catholics in Yorktown and the surrounding area. The building stands as an architectural landmark in the region, as it houses the parish's ongoing ministries of worship, education and outreach.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001



Historical Marker: Intersection of Old FM 237 and Zorn Rd., Yorktown.
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
In 1867, Anton (1815-1889) and Lucyia (1830-1912) Koszielsky deeded land to the Roman Catholic Church for a graveyard to serve the parishioners of the growing Catholic community of Yorktown. In 1916, Jesse H. (1866-1943) and Constantine (1866-1941) Kozelski donated additional acreage to enlarge the cemetery. In 1937, an extensive landscaping project was completed and crucifixion monument, donated by Frank and Florentyna Jendrzey, became the focal point of the cemetery. Elizabeth Wollny donated the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1979. The cemetery chronicles the diverse heritage of the Yorktown area.
Historic Texas Cemetery – 2001



Historical Marker: east off FM 240 on edge of Yorktown.

Upper Yorktown Cemetery

In 1872, Ann Friar (1802-1899) formally established Upper Yorktown (Friar) Cemetery, where her husband, rancher-businessman Daniel Boone Friar (1800-1858), local masons and others were interred. In 1949, Barbara Respondek (1882-1949) donated one acre to the east for African-American residents, adding to its diverse Anglo, German and Hispanic origins. Noted burials include: Friar family members; 1876 feud victims Dr. Philip Brassell (b. 1827) and son, George (b.1855); settlers Gotlieb (1790-1867) and Marie (1790-1869) Heissig; Union sailor Timothy Sullivan (1836-1909); and numerous war veterans and local pioneers.
Historic Texas Cemetery-2001



Yorktown Area Road Trip

  • Cuero and DeWitt County Trip

    A driving through Cuero, Yorktown, Yoakum and Arneckeville



  • Take a road trip
    Central Texas South

    Yorktown, Texas Nearby Towns:
    Cuero the county seat
    Gonzales
    Victoria
    See Lavaca County | DeWitt County

    Book Hotel Here:
    Gonzales Hotels | Victoria Hotels | More Hotels

    Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Texas Escapes Online Magazine »   Archive Issues » Home »
    TEXAS TOWNS & COUNTIES TEXAS LANDMARKS & IMAGES TEXAS HISTORY & CULTURE TEXAS OUTDOORS MORE
    Texas Counties
    Texas Towns A-Z
    Texas Ghost Towns

    TEXAS REGIONS:
    Central Texas North
    Central Texas South
    Texas Gulf Coast
    Texas Panhandle
    Texas Hill Country
    East Texas
    South Texas
    West Texas

    Courthouses
    Jails
    Churches
    Schoolhouses
    Bridges
    Theaters
    Depots
    Rooms with a Past
    Monuments
    Statues

    Gas Stations
    Post Offices
    Museums
    Water Towers
    Grain Elevators
    Cotton Gins
    Lodges
    Stores
    Banks

    Vintage Photos
    Historic Trees
    Cemeteries
    Old Neon
    Ghost Signs
    Signs
    Murals
    Gargoyles
    Pitted Dates
    Cornerstones
    Then & Now

    Columns: History/Opinion
    Texas History
    Small Town Sagas
    Black History
    WWII
    Texas Centennial
    Ghosts
    People
    Animals
    Food
    Music
    Art

    Books
    Cotton
    Texas Railroads

    Texas Trips
    Texas Drives
    Texas State Parks
    Texas Rivers
    Texas Lakes
    Texas Forts
    Texas Trails
    Texas Maps
    USA
    MEXICO
    HOTELS

    Site Map
    About Us
    Privacy Statement
    Disclaimer
    Contributors
    Staff
    Contact Us

     
    Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved