The Medieval French Colony That’s Now the Most European Town in Texas

Castroville, Texas

For generations, Castroville kept its European identity. People spoke Alsatian dialect in homes and businesses well into the 1900s. Visitors from Alsace found that Castroville preserved language patterns that had died out in Europe.

In 1853, a famous landscape designer wrote that Castroville looked nothing like Texas. Since the 1880s, the town has held St. Louis Day celebrations every August 22, keeping their heritage alive.

The French Banker

Henri Castro, a French banker with Portuguese roots, became Texas’s representative in Paris in 1842. The Republic of Texas gave him over a million acres if he brought 600 families or single men to Texas within three years and built four towns.

Each family got one square mile (640 acres) of land. Single men over 17 received half that amount. To keep this land, settlers had to build a home, farm 15 acres, and stay for three years.

Castro’s Recruitment of Alsatian Immigrants

Castro set up an office in Paris in 1842 and looked for farmers from Alsace, a region between France and Germany. In late 1843, he traveled through Alsace signing up Catholic farming families.

Each person signed a contract and paid a $20 deposit they would get back in Texas. These contracts required settlers to give Castro half their land to cover his costs of bringing them to America.

The First Colonists’ Difficult Journey

The first group left France on November 4, 1843. They spent 66 days at sea in crowded spaces with no way to wash clothes or bathe. They landed in Galveston on January 9, 1844, then traveled to Lavaca Bay and walked to San Antonio.

While waiting in abandoned buildings for Texas Rangers to guide them, more ships arrived. By 1847, Castro had brought 485 families and 457 single men to Texas.

Selecting the Settlement Site

On September 1, 1844, Castro led 27 colonists from San Antonio with Texas Ranger Captain John Hays and five Rangers for protection in Comanche lands.

They chose a flat, tree-filled spot by a bend in the Medina River, 25 miles west of San Antonio.

Castro had to buy extra land from John McMullen because his original grant started four miles west of the river.

Founding the European-Style Village

The group reached the river on September 3, 1844, and set up camp right away. The next day, they started building a shed and storeroom. Castro named the town Castroville on September 12, 1844. He laid it out like villages back in Europe.

The streets had names of Castro’s family members and European capitals. Small home lots in town were surrounded by larger farm plots outside town.

Building Homes in Alsatian Style

The settlers built homes using the “fachwerk” style from their homeland – wooden frames filled with limestone and covered with plaster. Most houses had just two rooms with a sleeping loft above.

Thick stone walls kept out heat and cold. Steep roofs were covered with cypress wood or tin. Many homes had two front doors and were only one room deep. Later, families added back rooms and porches.

Establishing Religious and Community Institutions

The settlers built St. Louis Catholic Church in 1844, the first church in Medina County. Castro pushed for this church right after founding the town. In 1847, Father Claude-Marie Dubuis, a young French priest, arrived to lead the parish.

A Lutheran church was built in 1853. This building also held the county’s first public school classes in 1854, showing the town’s growing community life.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Life was hard for the new settlers. They faced attacks from Comanche tribes and Mexican forces. In 1848 and 1849, severe droughts hit the area. Swarms of locusts destroyed crops in 1848.

A deadly cholera outbreak struck in 1849, killing many residents. Despite these troubles, the settlers stayed together, united by their shared Alsatian background.

Growing the Castro Colonies

After starting Castroville, Castro built three more settlements in Medina County – Quihi in 1845, Vandenburg in 1846, and D’Hanis in 1847. This completed his contract with the Texas government.

Between 1842 and 1847, he brought more than 2,100 Europeans to Texas. Only Stephen F. Austin brought more settlers to Texas, making Castro the second most successful colony founder in Texas history.

Becoming an Economic Center

Castroville got a post office in January 1847, connecting it to the outside world.

By 1856, the town had three large stores, a brewery, and a gristmill powered by the river. Farmers raised corn, cattle, hogs, and poultry, selling their goods to nearby army posts. Starting in 1849, Castroville became a rest stop on major stagecoach routes, bringing visitors and trade through the town.

Visiting Castroville, TX

Castroville is located 26 miles west of San Antonio on the Medina River. The Steinbach Haus Visitors Center (100 Karm St, Castroville, TX 78009) is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM. Admission is free.

You can explore Castroville’s nearly 100 historic buildings through a self-guided Historic Walking Tour. Visit in March or April to see red Alsatian poppies blooming throughout town.

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