La Vernia is a city in

Wilson County, Texas Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,753. Its county seat is Floresville. The county is named after James Charles Wilson. Wilson County is part of the San Antonio–New Br ...

, United States. La Vernia is on the south bank of Cibolo Creek at the junction of

U.S. Highway 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...

and Texas Farm to Market Road 775, about 25 miles east of downtown

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

. The population was 1,077 at the 2020 census. La Vernia is part of the

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

The La Vernia area was first inhabited by the

Coahuiltecan The Coahuiltecan were various small, autonomous bands of Native Americans who inhabited the Rio Grande valley in what is now southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. The various Coahuiltecan groups were hunter-gatherers. First encountered by Europ ...

speaking peoples of Texas and subsequently by nomadic bands of

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

and

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

who migrated to Texas in the 17th century. One of the earliest land grants made was to Erastus "Deaf" Smith. Smith married Guadalupe Ruiz Durán, a Mexican citizen, who was descended from one of the original

Tejano Tejanos (, ; singular: ''Tejano/a''; Spanish for "Texan", originally borrowed from the Caddo ''tayshas'') are the residents of the state of Texas who are culturally descended from the Mexican population of Tejas and Coahuila that lived in the ...

Spanish Texas Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. The term "interior provinces" first appeared in 1712, as an expression meaning "far away" provinces. It was only in 1776 that a lega ...

families; and as such, received a land grant from the Mexican government on Cibolo Creek, north of present-day La Vernia in 1825. This area remained primarily unsettled by Europeans until 1837, when veterans from the Texas Revolution began to arrive. La Vernia was first settled in earnest around 1850. W. R. Wiseman of

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, who organized a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church at the site around 1851, is said to have named the place Live Oak Grove, for a grove of trees nearby. In 1853 a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

was established under the name Post Oak. The town's name was changed to La Vernia in 1859. The name came from the local Spanish vernacular for green oaks (Lavernia is not Spanish for green oaks). Hence, The Brahan

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

was established in 1859. The building also served as a school and church. German and Polish immigration brought the population to 110 by 1885. The community was now served by three churches, a steam

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

, and a

cotton gin A cotton gin—meaning "cotton engine"—is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.. Reprinted by McGraw-Hill, New York and London, 1926 (); a ...

. During this time, the major crops grown were corn and cotton, which are still major crops in the area today. In 1890, La Vernia had a population of 200. Construction of the San Antonio and Gulf Railroad across the area in 1893 brought the population to 343 by 1900. A

two-teacher school A two-room schoolhouse is a larger version of the one-room schoolhouse, with many of the same characteristics, providing the facility for primary and secondary education in a small community or rural area. While providing the same function as a c ...

was in operation by 1896. Classes grew to be so large, that they had to move out of the Masonic lodge. The enrollment had grown to sixty-six children. By 1915, the town operated two cotton gins, a bank, four churches, a pottery plant, a brick works, and supported a population of 500. In 1947, there were seventeen businesses recorded. In 1965, population had increased to 700 residents and twenty-five businesses. The community incorporated around 1966, and in 1990, had a population of 639 and thirty-six businesses. La Vernia experienced a population drop as people began to migrate to the larger job markets available in neighboring

, Floresville and Canyon Lake. In 2000, La Vernia had 136 businesses and a population of 931. The

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2005 La Vernia had a population of 1,087 of people. In 2010 a new shopping area was built just west of town on Highway 87, including a new

H-E-B H-E-B Grocery Company, LP, is an American privately held supermarket chain based in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 340 stores throughout the U.S. state of Texas, as well as in northeast Mexico. The company also operates Central Market, an ...

grocery store and gas station. A longtime grocer, Baumann's Grocery store, closed at the time H-E-B opened.

Geography

La Vernia is located at (29.353106, –98.125777). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. La Vernia is above sea level.

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 1,077 people, 348 households, and 233 families residing in the city. As of the

of 2000, there were 931 people, 317 households, and 239 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 344 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.48%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.11%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.75% Native American, 0.64%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 4.19% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.83% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 19.98% of the population. There were 317 households, out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,500, and the median income for a family was $46,912. Males had a median income of $35,625 versus $24,844 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,931. About 12.5% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over. La Vernia has a lower crime rate compared to surrounding towns. Statistics presented are based on data collected by the FBI as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting Program. These data represent offenses reported to and arrests made by State and local law enforcement agencies as reported to the FBI. Total 347, Murder is 2, Rape are 3, Robbery is 0, Aggravated Assault has recorded 38, Burglary 70, Larceny – theft is unusually high at 228, Motor vehicle thefts is at 6, and Coverage indicator is 100%.

Education

La Vernia Independent School District with a total enrollment of 3182 students provides public education to the La Vernia. La Vernia Primary School includes grades pre-k through third grade. The newly constructed Intermediate School, opened in 2009, includes grades three to five. The building that now serves as the junior high was the first school building built for the La Vernia school district. Originally serving all grades, it now houses the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

La Vernia High School La Vernia High School is a public high school located in La Vernia, Texas (USA). It is part of the La Vernia Independent School District located in northern Wilson County and classified as a 4A school by the UIL. In 2015, the school was rated " ...

consists of grades nine to twelve. Private school education is available at La Vernia Christian Teaching Center.

Economy

La Vernia is located in the center of the

Eagle Ford Shale The Eagle Ford Group (also called the Eagle Ford Shale) is a sedimentary rock formation deposited during the Cenomanian and Turonian ages of the Late Cretaceous over much of the modern-day state of Texas. The Eagle Ford is predominantly compos ...

Play, a source of

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

production, which is a significant economic driver of growth and development in

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

. The largest employers are La Vernia Independent School District and Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative. The highest percentage of employment is in the retail trade with grocery store

being the largest employer in that industry.

Culture

The La Vernia Heritage Museum displays artifacts and memorabilia relating to the history and development of the city.

Sports

La Vernia High School fields girls teams that compete in basketball, softball, soccer, cheerleading, track & field, tennis, volleyball and golf. The school has boys teams that compete in football, baseball, basketball, soccer, track & field, tennis, wrestling and golf. La Vernia Little League has baseball and softball divisions for ages 4 to 16.

Notable people

* Dusty Jonas, Olympic high jumper *

Austin Mahone Austin Harris Mahone (; born April 4, 1996) is an American singer, songwriter and professional wrestler. Mahone gained popularity performing covers of pop songs on YouTube. He released three albums to date. Famous releases include " Say Somethi ...

, pop singer *

Jane Y. McCallum Jane Yelvington McCallum (December 30, 1877 – August 14, 1957) was an American politician and author, a women's suffrage and Prohibition activist, and the longest-serving Secretary of State of Texas. She attended schools in Wilson County, Texa ...

, Texas Secretary of State * Hugh M. Tiner, the second president of

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and t ...

References

External links

*
La Vernia News

{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Wilson County, Texas Greater San Antonio