Falls City, a city in Karnes County, Texas. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The town was formed by populations drawn from the previously settled (1850s) towns of Marcelina and Home Valley when the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway built a switch here in 1886.

The railroad named the switch after San Antonian George W. Brackenridge who was a major shareholder in the SAAP line. A depot was built and the following year a post office named Skiles opened nearly a mile from the tracks and across the river.

In late 1893, it was relocated closer to the depot and when Skiles and Brackenridge merged, neither fought for their name but compromised on naming the new post office after nearby waterfalls.

By the mid 1890s the town was thriving with all essential businesses in place. Besides the aforementioned communities of Marcelina and Home Valley, Falls City also drew population from nearby Polish towns of Panna Maria and Cestohowa.

This infusion changed the demographics of the town and Falls City became predominantly Polish-American. In 1902 the Holy Trinity Catholic Church was built and a Catholic school opened in 1911. This was replaced by a larger school in the early 1930s. Falls City incorporated in the fall of 1946.

Oil was discovered near the community and shortly thereafter (1958) uranium was discovered. The town was split on whether or not to continue mining. Businessmen were pro while the farmers were con. The conflict continued for years, but by the mid-1990s the matter appears to have been resolved. The population of 478 people has increased slightly to the 591 reported for the 2000 census.