When Czech families arrived in Texas in the 1850s, they gravitated toward the communities of Germans with whom they felt culturally similar. Fayetteville already had a strong base of German immigrants when an influx of Czechs arrived and made it “the cradle of Czech immigration.” In blended communities like these, attempts were made at first to keep the German and Czech cultures distinct. This especially applied to the churches. St. John the Baptist Church, erected in 1870, ministered primarily to the Czechs. St. Paul Lutheran Church ministered primarily to the Germans. Over time, however, the boys and girls of the community began to intermarry, and the cultures blended.

Fayetteville Area Heritage Museum contains many exhibits relating to the region’s history, including artifacts and photos of the early Czech and German settlers.

Watch our Religious and Ethnic Diversity in German Texan Communities video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in our German Texans mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel Tours mobile app. Download the app for more videos and travel information: