Cestohowa, Texas
Encyclopedia
Cestohowa is an unincorporated community
in Karnes County
, Texas
, United States
. According to the Handbook of Texas
, the community had an estimated population of 110 in 2000.
and 50 miles southeast of San Antonio
.
The community's history is closely tied to the settlement of Panna Maria
, five miles to the south. It was from Panna Maria, the oldest Polish
settlement in the United States, that forty Silesian
families established Cestohowa in 1873. The new settlement's name originated from the city in Poland
that was home to the painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa, a Roman Catholic patronness.
A church was built in 1877-78. Cestohowa had its own post office between 1883 and 1918, and a public school that opened (by incorporating a parochial school) in 1937 and operated through the 1970s. Today there are approximately 110 residents living in the community.
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Karnes County
Karnes County, Texas
Karnes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 15,446. Its county seat is Karnes City. Karnes County is named for Henry Karnes, a soldier in the Texas Revolution.-Geography:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to the Handbook of Texas
Handbook of Texas
The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
, the community had an estimated population of 110 in 2000.
Geography
Cestohowa is located at 29°00′36"N 97°56′05"W (29.0099721, -97.9347253). It is situated along FM 3191, one miles west of State Highway 23 in northern Karnes County, approximately five miles north of Panna MariaPanna Maria, Texas
Panna Maria is a small unincorporated community in Karnes County, Texas, United States. It is the oldest Polish settlement in the United States. A Franciscan missionary, Father Leopold Moczygemba, started recruiting Upper Silesians in 1852, when Silesia was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The...
and 50 miles southeast of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
History
The Spanish built a fort, the Presidio Fuerte de Santa Cruz del Cibolo near Cestohowa, founded in 1734.The community's history is closely tied to the settlement of Panna Maria
Panna Maria, Texas
Panna Maria is a small unincorporated community in Karnes County, Texas, United States. It is the oldest Polish settlement in the United States. A Franciscan missionary, Father Leopold Moczygemba, started recruiting Upper Silesians in 1852, when Silesia was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The...
, five miles to the south. It was from Panna Maria, the oldest Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
settlement in the United States, that forty Silesian
Silesians
Silesians , are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. A small diaspora community also exists in Karnes County, Texas in the USA....
families established Cestohowa in 1873. The new settlement's name originated from the city in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
that was home to the painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa, a Roman Catholic patronness.
A church was built in 1877-78. Cestohowa had its own post office between 1883 and 1918, and a public school that opened (by incorporating a parochial school) in 1937 and operated through the 1970s. Today there are approximately 110 residents living in the community.
Education
Public education in the community of Cestohowa is provided by the Falls City Independent School DistrictFalls City Independent School District
Falls City Independent School District is a public school district based in Falls City, Texas .In addition to Falls City, the district also serves the unincorporpated community of Hobson as well as rural areas in northwestern Karnes County and a small portion of southeastern Wilson County.Falls...
.