Weser, Texas, Goliad County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

The community was founded in the early 1880s and named after the ship that carried Texas� first Polish immigrants to Galveston in 1854. A post office opened in 1881 and the town was connected by stage to neighboring Cuero and Goliad. In the 1890s the town had most essential businesses and a population of 150.

A school was built in 1903 but without a railroad connection, Weser�s future looked bleak. With the decline in cotton prices in the 1920s, the town entered into a decline with the post office closing in 1928. By the early 1930s Weser was reduced to a single business and the population to a mere 50. That same figure has been in use ever since.

Weser Historical Marker
US 183/77A, 14 mile N of Goliad
Photo courtesy Will Beauchamp

Historical Marker:

WESER

Many German and Polish immigrants came to Texas in the 19th century on a ship named "Weser." Arriving at the Port of Galveston, a number of the pioneer settlers made their way overland to this area, establishing a community in the 1850s and 1860s. By 1881, when a post office was granted, it was officially named Weser for the ship that had brought the immigrants to America. By 1900 the settlement included, in addition to the post office, a general merchandise store, a steam grist mill, a cotton gin, a school, a blacksmith shop, a Western Union Telegraph office, a saloon, a Sons of Hermann Lodge hall and a dance hall. A community brass band entertained residents and played for local celebrations.

The population of Weser consisted primarily of farmers and ranchers and their families. The school they established for their children served as a focal point and gathering place for area residents. Early facilities were replaced with a new building erected by volunteers in 1903. It continued to serve students in the Weser area until 1943, when it closed its doors. The building was later sold and moved out of the community.

The highest population figure recorded for the town was 153 in 1904. It remained steady until the 1920s, when new generations began moving away to larger cities for greater economic opportunities. By the 1930s only two businesses remained in Weser, and the population had dropped to 50, a figure that remained steady for the remainder of the 20th century. Although smaller in number now, the Weser community represents a typical rural settlement in Goliad County.

(1999)

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