Since Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, the republic and the
state have had a thriving Czech community. Texas’ most famous brewery, the
Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, began as a cooperative effort by Czech farmers,
lonely for the familiar brew of their homeland.
During the latter part of the 19th century, Czech immigration into Texas was
surpassed only by North Americans and Germans. While democratic ideas were
developing in Western Europe in the 1800s, Eastern Europe was still under a
feudal system that kept most of the people in economic bondage. The ethnic
states of Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Selesia, and Slovakia were ruled by the
Austrian Empire until the end of World War I when Czechoslovakia was born in
1918.
A failed revolution back in 1848 spread the gap between the haves and
have-nots in the agricultural society. Land had been divided among heirs in
progressively smaller strips, making it more difficult for a farmer to make a
living. The industrialization that was making the mass production of Pilsner
beers and other products possible was driving the small cottage craftsmen out
of business. Czech nationalism, compulsory military service, and religious
persecution all contributed to making the Texas frontier very attractive to
young Czechs.
From 1851 until the U.S. Civil War, Czech immigrants poured into Texas looking
for land and opportunity. A ticket across the Atlantic Ocean cost between $10
and $30, the yearly wage of many a farmer or craftsman. The trip took 10-12
weeks.
Once in the New World, the Czechs began building farms in Austin, Fayette,
Lavaca, and Washington counties. They inundated or founded communities like
Snook, Praha, Industry, Wesley, West, Taylor, and Shiner. One of their most
enduring legacies in many of these small towns has been the formation of
churches named for the Czech saints, Cyril and Methodius, who introduced
Christianity and an alphabet to the Slavs in 863, AD.
The Czechs were known as frugal, hard workers who had a strong sense of
community and national identity. Unlike the German settlers, the Czechs often
preferred to not assimilate into Anglo society. Until learning English in
school became compulsory, many of their schools taught Czech as a first
language. The 1910 Texas Almanac listed 250 communities with distinct Bohemian
identities, and several Czech-language newspapers thrived in Texas into the
1970s.
The community of Shiner in Lavaca County is a good example of the enduring
Czech influence in Texas. Surrounded by fertile farm land, the community’s
economy still relies on agriculture. The most beautiful structure in town is
the towering red brick Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius Catholic Church. The
town still supports a chapter of the Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of
Texas (SPJST), the local social fraternity and dance hall.
As the Czechs and German settlers were apt to do, they formed a small
cooperative brewery, but it needed a master brewer to produce the old-world
taste they missed. The town sent to Bavaria for Kosmos Spoetzl in 1909, and the
rest is history. In honor of the brewery’s founder, the current owners
(Gambrinus Brewing Co.) are marketing a Pilsner under the name of Kosmos
Special Reserve. –G.E.M.
This article appears in July 19 • 1996 and July 19 • 1996 (Cover).