|
 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
During the railroad
expansion in the 1890s, the San Antonio and Aransas Pass railroad
built through Karnes
County. It was then a town called Castine appeared alongside
the tracks.
The community received a post office in 1898 and when Capt. Richmond
Pearson Hobson made a speech at the depot, the town renamed itself
after this hero of the short-lived Spanish
American War in 1899.
Storekeeper R. J. Polasek hosted the post office in his store expanded
his operations to include a gin, gristmill and lumberyard.
A brickyard soon joined other business in this German-Czech-Polish
town and by 1915 it had a population of 150 people. It even had a
doctor and (briefly) a hospital. Growth was slow and it wasn’t until
1950 that it reached its peak number of 175 residents.
By 1990 it was down to just 135 residents, but it still maintained
a post office and other businesses. It remains the same in 2010's
estimate. |
 |
| 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. |
|
|
HOME
