Flatonia, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Flatonia, Texas
Town
Downtown Flatonia, Texas
Motto(s):  "Where All Roads Lead"
Location of Flatonia, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Fayette
Area
• Total	1.67 sq mi (4.33 km2)
• Land	1.65 sq mi (4.28 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	443 ft (135 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,308
• Density	865.18/sq mi (334.02/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78941
Area code(s)	361
FIPS code	48-26028
GNIS feature ID	2412629

Central Texas Rail History Center in Flatonia

Flatonia City Hall

Lyric Theatre in Flatonia

Flatonia is a small town in Fayette County, Texas, United States. It's located in the southwestern part of the county. You can find it along Interstate 10 and the Union Pacific Railroad. Flatonia is about 12 miles west of Schulenburg. In 2020, about 1,308 people lived there.

Flatonia's Past: A Look at Its History

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  Flatonia in 1881

Flatonia was officially started on April 8, 1874. The land for the town was bought by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway from William Alexander Faries. The town was named after F. W. Flato, who was a local merchant and one of the first people to settle there. Most of the early settlers were from England.

People from an older Flatonia settlement, about a mile away, and from a community called Oso, three miles northeast, moved their homes to the new town. They used wagons to move their houses! The post office also moved to the new Flatonia in 1870. Flatonia became an official town on November 10, 1875. Its first election was held on December 6 of that year. By 1878, the town had 800 residents. Its economy mostly depended on raising cattle and growing cotton.

The railway and affordable land brought many new people to Flatonia. Immigrants from places like Arab, Bohemia, Germany, Greece, and Italy arrived in different waves. In the mid-1880s, a new railway line opened, creating new towns nearby. This competition and a tough time for farming hurt Flatonia's economy. By 1900, the number of people living in Flatonia had gone down quite a bit.

During the first half of the 1900s, Flatonia's success changed with the national economy. It also depended on how well cattle and cotton markets were doing. In 1950, Flatonia had 1,024 residents and 50 businesses. It served a large area of farms and ranches. By the 1960s, cotton was no longer a big part of the local economy. Many farms started raising cattle instead. During this time, the population stayed between 1,000 and 1,500 people. When Interstate 10 (I-10) opened in the 1970s, many tourist businesses moved closer to the new highway. In 1985, Flatonia had 69 businesses. By 1990, the town had 1,295 residents.

Flatonia's Location and Landscape

Flatonia is located in the southwestern part of Fayette County. U.S. Route 90 runs through the middle of town and is called Main Street. This road goes east 12 miles to Schulenburg and west 12 miles to Waelder. Texas State Highway 95 crosses US 90 in the center of Flatonia. Highway 95 goes south 19 miles to Shiner and north 26 miles to Smithville.

Interstate 10 (I-10) passes through the northern side of Flatonia. You can get onto I-10 from Exit 661 (Highway 95). I-10 leads east 108 miles to Houston and west 90 miles to San Antonio.

The town covers a total area of about 1.67 square miles (4.33 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.

Flatonia's Weather

Flatonia usually has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. In summer, temperatures are often in the 90s Fahrenheit (around 32-37 Celsius). Some days in July and August can even reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) or higher. Winters are cool, but it rarely gets below freezing. Low temperatures in winter are usually in the 40s or 50s Fahrenheit (around 4-15 Celsius). Snow is very rare in Flatonia.

People of Flatonia: Demographics

Flatonia is home to a diverse group of people. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,308 people living in the town. These people made up 496 households and 412 families.

Many different backgrounds are represented in Flatonia. In 2020, about 39.3% of the people were White (not Hispanic or Latino). About 4.51% were Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latino). A large part of the population, about 53.9%, identified as Hispanic or Latino. There were also smaller numbers of Native American, Asian, and mixed-race residents.

Fun Things to Do in Flatonia: Arts and Culture

Yearly Events and Festivals

Many people in Flatonia have roots in Central Europe, like Czech, Slovak, or German heritage. One of the town's special events is the "Czhilispiel" festival. The name "Czhilispiel" is a fun way to connect to the Czech heritage, and the festival celebrates chili!

Museums and Interesting Places

• Flatonia Railroad Tower: This old railroad tower was used from 1902 to 1996. It was one of the longest-running towers in Texas that was controlled by hand. It helped switch trains on both north-south and east-west tracks.
• E. A. Arnim Archives and Museum: This museum has a collection of old furniture, household items, clothes, and historical papers. These items were used by the early settlers of Flatonia. Behind the museum, there's a livery stable where you can see old wagons, buggies, and farm tools.

Learning in Flatonia: Education

The Flatonia Independent School District serves the town. This school district includes two main campuses:

• Flatonia Elementary School
• Flatonia Secondary School

Images for kids

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  Downtown Flatonia

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  Flatonia Tower No.3

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  Downtown Flatonia

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  William Stein Building

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  Downtown Flatonia

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  Flatonia Masonic Lodge

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  Miller Building

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  Olle Hotel

See also

In Spanish: Flatonia (Texas) para niños