Ethnic Texans

Institute of Texan Cultures' Texans Series

In 1852, sixteen Czech families landed at Galveston. They were the first group of Czechs to arrive in Texas, although there were already a few Czech people in the state.

Most of the early Czech settlers were farmers and settled in central Texas. Many believed that having a farm was the best and most creative way of life. Farming for them was more than just making a living.

The Czechs looked for good land for their farms. A story says that when they saw some good land, they turned off the road. They kept going until their ox carts got stuck in deep mud. This thick, black soil that stopped their carts would be good for growing crops so that’s where they settled.

Today, Czech Texans live all over the state. Many of them live and work in cities, but their grandfathers were probably farmers.

 

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