Heritage
Much of South Texas has a rich and significant history and
Karnes County can certainly boast its share of it. Pictured here is the Panna Maria
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Panna Maria, Texas,
home of the oldest Polish
Catholic colony in America,five miles north of Karnes City on State Highway 123.In
1854 the first Mass was celebrated under an old oak tree which stands at the site of the
present Panna Maria church.
Panna Maria was settled by polish families who came to Texas to gain economic, political and religious freedom. Led by Father Leopold Moczygemba, the immigrants made a contract for land in 1854 with John Twohig, a San Antonio banker and merchant.
The colonists, natives of upper Selisia and Krakow, landed at Galveston after a hard voyage of nine weeks on a sailing ship. They hired Mexican carts to haul their farm implements, featherbeds, and the cross from their parish church in Poland. The 800 men, women and children walked (some barefoot) the 200 miles inland to their new home. Babies were born on the way and some of the people died. All suffered from hunger and exposure.
On December 24, 1854, they reached the site they named Panna Maria (Virgin Mary). Beneath a large oak tree they offered their first midnight mass of thanksgiving and petition for strength and courage.
They camped out until they could put up huts of mud, straw, or wood, later building of stone. In spite of hardship, they founded a stable community, aided in settling other frontiers, pioneered in education, and gave Texas many patriotic and dedicated citizens.
An 1880 federal census report for the town of Panna Maria shows such surnames as Bruarelier, Gawlik and Waclawczyk all of Polish decent. The town of Panna Maria soon grew and the out-lying communities of Cestohowa, Pawelkville and Kosciusko soon followed. Panna Maria also had the first established Polish school, and the older Polish descendants still speak an older "Silesian dialect" of the Polish Language.
The town of Helena was once a notorious wild frontier town. As legend has it, Helena died from one gunfight too many. One evening, one of the wealthiest landowners' son was gunned down in a not too unusual gunfight. Unable to find out who fired the fatal bullet, the landowner vowed to kill the town. He started with the railroad, which, at the time was building a line through South Texas, and offered to give them land to build their railroad line, many miles away from Helena. The railroad took the wealthy landowner up on his offer, and other towns sprang up along the rail line. Eventually, the citizens of Helena moved away.
Karnes City was one of those towns that sprang up along the railroad. Started by a young entrepreneur Otto Buchel and the land purchased at $5.00 an acre from J.L. Calvert, the town first was know only by Karnes. When the first Post Office was established in 1891, the addition of "City" was added to its name. After the decline of Helena, the people of Karnes County called for an election to move the county seat from Helena to Karnes City. The citizens of Karnes County voted heavily in favor of changing the county seat location, and Karnes City still remains the county seat today.
The town of Runge as it is known today owes its existence to the
decision in 1887 of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass railroad to extend its tracks
eastward from Kenedy Junction to Houston.
The enterprising group of men know asH. Runge and Company, who owned
a large area east of the San Antonio River, platted a townsite here and gave it the name
of Runge.
At one time most residents earned their livelihood from farming. The most popular
crop was cotton, along with several types of grain. Runge is now best known, state and
nationwide, for its cattle ranches and petroleum production. Runge is well know throughout
South Texas as having one of the finest independent school systems in the South.
The Runge Bandstand, one of
many historical sites,
was built in the early 1900's as
a site for concerts and
ice cream socials
As Karnes County's largest city, Kenedy is an economic center for the surrounding agricultural area. Occupying land that was once part of a Royal Spanish Grant to Don Carlos Martinez, its colorful history as a community began with the purchase of land for a townsite in 1886 by Captain Mifflin Kenedy, a partner of Richard King of the famous King Ranch. Early growth of Kenedy Junction, as it was first known, was attributed to its position as a major stop on the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad. In the early 1900's Kenedy gained a reputation for gunfighting that earned it the nickname "Six Shooter Junction.." Hot mineral water was discovered near the depot in 1915 and the Hot Wells Hotel and Bath House became a thriving business for almost 25 years. During World War II an alien detention camp was located on the outskirts of town. In years past oil, natural gas and the uranium industry played an important part in enriching Kenedy's economy.
On April 20, 1886, Marcian and Mary Pollok sold to the San Antonio Aransas Pass Townsite Co. (a subsidiary of the San Antonio Aransas Pass Railroad) all the land needed for the townsite know then as Breckenridge, now Falls City. The name of the town was changed because in North Texas was another town called Brackenridge. The two names caused confusion for the postal service. Breckenridge being the new town, was asked to change its name. The community decided on Falls City, because of the near proximity of three falls in the San Antonio river.
As of today, the largest annual budget employer in Falls City is the School District. Most of the area today is known for farming and ranching. The Falls City Community Hall hold several festivals throughout the year. The hall is used for wedding receptions as well as dances.