Hillje (pronounced "Hill-Gee") is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

Wharton County, Texas Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton. Wharton Count ...

, United States. According to the

Handbook of Texas The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is an American nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to documenting the history of Texas. It was founded in Austin, Texas, United States, on March 2, 1897. In November 2008, the ...

, the community had an estimated population of 51 in 2000. It is located within the

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the Office of Management and Budget, United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical ...

metropolitan area.

History

The community was named for Fred Hillje, who purchased part of a local ranch in 1888. Many of its earliest settlers were of

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

descent and came from

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

. The

New York, Texas and Mexican Railway The New York, Texas and Mexican Railway Company was a railroad business chartered in 1880 to connect New York City with Mexico City. The initial tracks were laid in Texas (1880–1905). Known colloquially as ''The Macaroni Line'', it was establi ...

had a

railroad siding In rail terminology, a siding is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighter r ...

called the 45-mile post, which is where Hillje was laid out. L.C. Wychopen opened a general store in 1898. That next year, Hillje was severely damaged by a flood. A post office was established at Hillje in 1899 and remained in operation until 1907. Its population was 20 in 1915 and had the general store and a gin in 1926. The local tax roll listed 40 registered voters in Hillje. There were six women, a

mechanic A mechanic is a skilled tradesperson who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially engines. Formerly, the term meant any member of the handicraft trades, but by the early 20th century, it had come to mean one who works w ...

, and a few farmers, all of whom were White. There were five businesses in the community in 1931, as well as a factory, two churches, and a cemetery on the 1936 county highway map. 75 people lived in Hillje from 1939 to 1965; three years later, the population went down to 51 and had no businesses. It returned to five businesses in 1985 and had a church and a community hall. The population remained at 51 in 2000.

Geography

Hillje is located at the junction of U.S. Highway 59 (US 59) and FM 441 in western Wharton County, approximately 18 miles west of Wharton.

Economy

Hillje contains several businesses. Prasek's Hillje Smokehouse is one of the largest businesses in Hillje as well as one of the top employers.

Education

Hillje's first school was opened in 1895. Another school was built in 1926. Both schools had 155 White students, 14 black students, and four teachers. It had one school in 1936. Public education is provided by the Louise Independent School District. The district's campuses are located in Louise, a few miles west of Hillje on U.S. Highway 59 (US 59).

Notable person

* Hugo Mark Gerbermann, Catholic

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

and bishop.

Gallery

File:Hillje TX St Andrews Church.JPG, St. Andrew's Catholic Church File:Hillje TX St Andrews Cemetery.JPG, St. Andrew's Cemetery

Notes

External links

Louise-Hillje Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Czech-American culture in Texas German-American culture in Texas Unincorporated communities in Wharton County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas