| |
| This
building, now used as a barn, was the first Polish house in Panna Maria (c. 1858)
The steep roof was a Silesian design to prevent the accumulation of snow.
TE Photo, 5-01
|
History in
a Pecan ShellPanna
Maria is polish for Virgin Mary. It is the oldest permanent Polish settlement
in the entire U.S.
A Polish missionary Father
Leo Moczygemba had been preaching to scattered immigrants around Bandera
Texas in the 1840s. After witnessing the successes of his German parishioners,
he decided that his fellow Poles would thrive in Texas as well. He wrote back
to his father in Silesia. |
|
The Store/Post Office was once the barn of John Twohig
TE
Photo, 5-01 |
|
The Panna Maria Visitor's Center
TE
Photo, 5-01 |
| In 1854, the first
group of immigrants arrived - including Father Leo's four brothers. The trip from
Poland via Germany took a harrowing three-months. |
|
The
Panna Maria Oaks
TE
Photo, 5-01 |
On Christmas Eve,
1854 the immigrants huddled together from the cold and Mass was held under
the Live Oak trees that stand today in the churchyard.
Father Moczygemba
bought land from a banker in San
Antonio named John
Twohig with church money and set aside parcels for the school, church and the
immigrants too poor to afford their own farms. Twohig saw them coming and sold
them land at inflated prices. Land that was selling in other parts of Karnes County
for 1.50 an acre were sold to the Poles for close to 6.00 per acre. |
|
A house on main street
TE Photo, 5-01 |
After a severe drought
and other setbacks, Father Moczygemba was blamed for bringing the unhappy Poles
there and had to leave because of threats to his life. He went to Michigan, another
state with recent Polish immigrants. He died there, after years of service to
the Polish community. In 1974 citizens brought his remains back to be reentered
under the same tree where he once said Mass.
The name Moczygemba still
is held by several Panna Marians and many stones in the cemetery are marked with
the family name. One of Father Leopold's four brothers had ten children.
The
Panna Maria CemeteryTo
get to the Panna Maria Cemetery, go just south of the church to the large white
community buildings and turn West. The road will lead straight to the cemetery
gate after about a quarter mile.
The oldest part of the cemetery is
obvious due to the taller and more elaborate tombstones. |
|
Tombstone with Sculpture
TE photo, May 2001 |
The community was
harassed for its perceived Union sympathies or its failure to support the Confederacy
during the Civil War. The community was so isolated that strangers passing by
on horseback had no idea who they were or where they were from.
At least
one tombstone in the cemetery shows that the Poles did participate to some degree.
One young man (Albert Lyssy) served in the Confederacy, was captured, released
and then placed in the Union Army where he was wounded and taken prisoner again
- this time by the Confederates. |
| At
least one grave testifies that Polish immigrants did play a role in the Civil
War
TE
Photo, 5-01 |
The population dwindled
and the town was bypassed by the railroad.
The Community Center still
serves the hundreds of former Panna Marians and descendents for various festivals
and holidays.
The Catholic school has been turned
over to the Karnes County ISD. It appears not to be in use. |
|
The children's watering trough
TE
Photo, May 2001 |
|
BBQ Pit counter-weights
TE
Photo, May 2001 |
Nearby Destinations
Within 5 miles
are Helena (another ghost town) to the
East, and Cestohowa
to the North.
From
San Antonio, take Hwy 181 South
to FM 81; or take Hwy 87 South to Hwy 80 South to Helena
to FM 81. Approximately 60 miles drive.Book
Hotel Here > San Antonio
Hotels |
Panna Maria
Chronicles A
Snakebitten Legacy by Clay Coppedge
Father Leopold Moczygemba, who founded
the country’s first Polish community, first Polish Catholic School and who also
consecrated the first Polish Catholic Church, was one person who had to pay a
price in his own time for an honored place in history...more |
Panna Maria,
Texas Forum Greetings
from South Texas
A bit of information for the small town of McCook.
From what I have gathered, McCook was established by some Polish folks that moved
down from Panna Maria, Texas. They established a small farming community in south
Texas and built a nice church. The folks in McCook are a fine bunch and right
neighborly. I grew up in Edinburg,
about twenty five miles from McCook. I still remember some the the names of the
Polish students that came from McCook. We had the Kotzurs, the Pavelics, the Pilarziks,
the Pavlickas, the Sekulas and the Kellers to name a few.... more
- Richard Sanchez, August 20, 2006
Book
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Antonio Hotels | More Hotels
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