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Cologne
Cemetery on the north side of Hwy 59 on a dirt road.
TE Photo, February 2006 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Cologne
would seem to fit in with many towns (Oldenburg,
New Berlin and Westphalia)
settled by German immigrants and named after cities back in the old
country. But in this case the town was facetiously named for the stench
of slaughterhouses that formed the economic core of the community.
Former slaves Jim Smith and George Washington are credited
with founding the town. Smith and Washington were freighters operating
out of the lost port of Indianola.
They bought 500 acres here at Perdido Creek and by 1870, families
began arriving. First called "The Colony" and then Perdido,
the name was changed yet again to Centerville when resident
Jim Hall called attention to the fact that "Perdido" was equidistant
from Goliad and Victoria.
Founders were adamant about the community being for freemen and for
years white settlers were excluded. The Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific
Railway arrived in 1889 and the village became a stop known as "Ira
Station." Jim Hall donated land to the railroad to construct the
depot. In exchange he asked for a lifetime position as station manager.
More importantly, Hall demanded that the railroad keep the community
as a stop.
The town developed as a shipping point and later a slaughterhouse
and hog rendering plant was built. The stench of these businesses
could be smelled in Goliad
or Victoria
(depending on wind direction) so when it became time for a post office
to be opened, William Young light-heartedly submitted the application
for Cologne. The humor may have been lost on the postal authorities,
but to the delight of residents, the name was granted. In 1898 the
town that had been known as The Colony, Perdido, Centerville,
and Ira Station became Cologne, Texas. (See vintage
maps below)
Methodists and Baptists had congregations in the community as early
as the 1880s, but both lost their churches during the 1930s. The Methodists
rebuilt their church while Baptists started attending services in
nearby Fannin.
By 1914 Cologne had only 35 residents and the post office closed in
1925. It dropped to its record low of 25 people by 1940. From 1970
through 1986 it had rebounded to 35, but the depot, cattle pens and
railroad were all gone by this time.
In an all-but-forgotten historical footnote - John F. Kennedy once
mentioned Cologne, Texas. The occasion was a speech at Cologne, Germany
in 1963. Kennedy began by saying "I bring you greetings from the cities
of America, including Cologne, Minnesota, Cologne, New Jersey, and
even Cologne, Texas."
The town cemetery is on the north side of highway 59 on a dirt road.
Founders Smith and Washington are buried in the far northwest corner
and the Washington family is well represented by many headstones.
The largest tombstone in the cemetery is for the Young Family - the
plot belonging to the man who gave the town its fragrant name.
In 1990 the population was estimated to be 85 but based on the vacant
houses, it appears to be less.
(See also Historical Marker ) |
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Tombstone
of Joseph Smith
TE Photo, February 2006 |
Historical Marker
(in Cologne Cemetery on Lott Road):
Cologne Community
Former slaves established
the community of Cologne in an effort to provide safety and refuge
from the general lawlessness and violence committed -- particularly
against African Americans -- during the post-Civil
War Reconstruction era.
Freedmen Joseph Smith and George Washington had opened
a freight and passenger business in Victoria
after the Civil War. Their business was a success and they were able
to live in relative prosperity in Victoria,
along with other African American families. As Reconstruction
ended and Texas Democrats regained control of local and state government,
the prosperity and security gained by emancipated slaves was threatened.
In 1877, Washington and Smith purchased more than five hundred acres
on Perdido Creek between Victoria
and Goliad. They sold portions
of this land to other African Americans, and still others purchased
adjacent property. A cemetery, churches and a one-room school were
soon built, and a post office opened in 1898.
The community was first known simply as "The Colony" but was later
known as Perdido, Centerville and Ira Station. The name "Cologne"
may have derived from the wishful thinking of residents who wanted
to distract from the scent of the local rendering plant.
Initially, the community's economy was based largely on agriculture,
but the arrival of the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railroad in
1889 allowed shipping to become a major commercial activity. Unusual
for the time was an integrated depot built in the 1890s. As with many
rural communities, two world wars, the Depression and urbanization
caused the gradual decline of Cologne.
(2008) |
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Tombstone
of Elnott Washington, PVT US Army, World
War I
TE Photo, February 2006 |
Tombstone
of Willie E. Walls, SGT US Army, World
War I
TE Photo, February 2006 |
Tombstone
of Altha Washington
TE Photo, February 2006 |
WM
Young Family Tombstone
TE Photo, February 2006 |
Goliad
County 1858 Map showing Perdido and
Perdido Creek
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
Goliad
County 1907 Postal Map showing Cologne
(Near Victoria County line)
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
Sims
Tire Shop
TE Photo,
February 2006 |
| According
to newly installed signs along highway 59 this section of highway
will be expanded to form Interstate 69. In February of 2006, work
is already underway. Trees have already been cut and removed. Several
houses and at least one defunct business will soon be bulldozed. |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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