Cestohowa is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Karnes County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. In 2000 it had a population of 110.
Geography
Cestohowa is located at (29.0099721, -97.9347253). It is situated along FM 3191, one mile west of
State Highway 123 in northern Karnes County, approximately five miles north of
Panna Maria and 50 miles southeast of
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
.
History
The Spanish built a fort, the
Presidio Fuerte de Santa Cruz del Cibolo
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...
near Cestohowa, founded in 1734.
The community's history is closely tied to the settlement of
Panna Maria, five miles to the south. It was from Panna Maria, the oldest
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
settlement in the United States, that forty
Silesian families established Cestohowa in 1873. The new settlement's name originated from the city of
Częstochowa,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
that was home to the painting of
Our Lady of Częstochowa
Our or OUR may refer to:
* The possessive form of " we"
* Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany
* Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium
* Our, Jura, a commune in France
* Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulato ...
, a Roman Catholic patroness.
A church was built in 1877–78. Cestohowa had its own post office between 1883 and 1918, and a public school that opened (by incorporating a parochial school) in 1937 and operated through the 1970s. Today there are approximately 110 residents living in the community.
Education
Public education in the community of Cestohowa is provided by the
Falls City Independent School District.
References
External links
*
*
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Unincorporated communities in Texas
Polish-American culture in Texas
Silesian-American culture in Texas
Silesian-American history
Populated places established in 1873
Unincorporated communities in Karnes County, Texas
Forts in Texas
Spanish forts in the United States
Polish communities in the United States
1873 establishments in Texas