History
St. Joseph's School
Built 1868. Oldest Polish private school in America. Since 1855, classes had been held in various sites. This was the first school building in the colony at Panna Maria. Teachers lived upstairs and classes were held on the ground floor. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1966
History
Thomas Ruckman
(November 8, 1826 - December 2, 1914) Founding father of Karnes County, Ruckman was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1848 from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and taught in South Carolina for a year. But the lure of Texas-- then a frontier state where land was cheap and opportunity boundless-- brought him on Christmas morning, 1850, to San Antonio.
History
Town of Panna Maria
Oldest Polish settlement in Texas - Established December 24, 1854 by the Reverend Leopold Moczygemba O.F.M., who was instrumental in bringing from Poland about 100 Polish peasant families - Within a few months the majority sought homes in other localities in Texas. Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Elsewhere in Texas
Hear it from the road
Whistlestop tells you this story automatically when you drive past. No searching, no tapping, nothing to ask.
