Latium, Texas, Washington County. (original) (raw)

A Czech-German community that dates from the mid-1800s, the town (pronounced Lay chem) was originally one of five "Latin Colonies" founded by German political refugees. Czech immigrants began arriving after the Civil War, and a mission was set up here by the Reverend Josef Chromcik in the mid 1870s.

The town received a post office in the mid 1880s, although it closed in 1907. The population has never been large due to its proximity to Brenham. In 1892 there were only 50 people listed. As the German population moved to larger German-speaking communities, Czechs moved in - eventually outnumbering the original Germans.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church was built by its Czech congregation in 1918 and a school served the community from 1885 until the school consolidations of the late 1940s.

The region around Latium has shifted from agriculture to cattle raising in recent years but for much of the 20th Century it was a supply center for farms between Brenham, Round Top and Burton.

Latium retains a community center, a general store, a VFD and a Catholic church.