St. John, Texas, Fayette County. (original) (raw)

By Carolyn Heinsohn, Fayette County Historical Commission:

1. Spanish conquistador journals reference a large Tonkawa Indian camp in the area in the 1600s.

2. McKinnon Store records in nearby Lyons indicate that families with the names of Glass, Frazier, May, Kirk and Ray were living here. They built a school before the 1870s.

3. Settled by Czechs and Germans in the 1870s and 1880s, including the Kobzas, Klesels, Beyers, Sommers, Rohans, Brossmans and Junger families. Others came later.

4. A Catholic school was built in 1882 on land donated by John Klesel; that same year Catholic services were held in the Klesel home. The last Catholic school was closed in 1963.

5. St. John Catholic Church was built on a hill on Klesels land in 1888. A cemetery was established next to the church.

6. By 1916 a hall had been built by a Mr. Kahanek; it was purchased by the Catholic parish in 1934.

7. Joe�s Place, a small store and filling station, was built by Joseph and Caroline Krause Havrda in 1931; Joe also worked as a blacksmith, Watkins Products salesman, and life and fire insurance agent. Later he was elected constable and deputy sheriff for Fayette County.

8. Joe�s Place had additions built as needed and was sold to Joe Havrda�s son, Ervin, in 1981; a caf� was housed there for awhile; the establishment is now closed.

9. David Kubenka of Praha opened Kubenka�s Welding Works in 1971; it is now the only operating business in the community.

10. The church has been totally updated and refurbished, the parish hall renovated, and a new covered pavilion constructed on the grounds. The annual parish picnic is held every July 4th.