Germany, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Germany, Texas
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 Germany, Texas
Location in Texas
Germany, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Houston County |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 43 |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| Zip code |
75835
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Germany is a small community located in Houston County, Texas, United States. It's called an unincorporated community because it doesn't have its own local government. In the year 2000, about 43 people lived there. This community is quite unique because it shares its name with the country of Germany.
Contents
Discovering Germany, Texas
This section will tell you more about the history and life in this small Texas community.
Early Settlers and Land
The first people to settle in the Germany area arrived a long time ago, around 1828. Jacob Masters Sr. came with his family and the people he enslaved from states like North Carolina and Alabama. In 1834, he and his son asked for land from the Mexican government, which ruled Texas at the time. They were each given a large piece of land in 1835.
Later, in 1841, Joseph Rice, who was married to Jacob Masters' daughter, also got land. He built a house that became known as the Rice Stagecoach Inn. Other families, like Thomas Jesse Duren's, moved to the area in the late 1830s or early 1840s.
How Germany Got Its Name
The name "Germany" for this community likely came from a German family named Grounds (sometimes spelled Grunt or Groundt). This family settled in the area between 1829 and 1833. There's even a cemetery nearby called The Grounds, which helps support this idea.
A very important event happened in 1865. People who had been enslaved in the region gathered near the old Cermark homestead. They were there to hear the Emancipation Proclamation read aloud. This important document declared that all enslaved people were free.
Building a Community
After the Emancipation Proclamation, many formerly enslaved people, known as freedmen, started to settle in Germany. John Burt was one of the first, arriving in 1871. He got his own land in 1877. Other freedmen like Lewis Hall and George Smith also settled and got land in the 1870s.
These families worked hard to build their community. In the 1880s, John Burt and his wife Jane gave land for a church and a cemetery. This church, the New Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, moved a few times but started right near the old Germany Cemetery.
Germany didn't have many businesses, but in the 1930s, George W. Allen opened a small candy shop. Farming was always the main way people made a living. Families grew corn and other vegetables for themselves and cotton to sell.
Changes Over Time
The community of Germany was once home to many close-knit Black families, who often married within the community. However, during World War II, many young men joined the military. Also, graduates from Crockett High School started moving to bigger cities for more opportunities.
Because of this, the number of families in Germany began to shrink. By the early 1990s, fewer than six families lived there. In 2000, the population was 43 people. Even today, descendants of these families travel from cities like Houston to attend church services and community reunions. They have special gatherings like the Berryman Reunion in July and the Church Homecoming in September.
Schools in Germany
Education was important to the community. The first school for Black children in Germany was built in 1883, and it was held in the church building. There was also a school for White children in the area with different names like Energy or Glover. The Black school sometimes used similar names, like Glover Colored School.
In 1921, land was bought to build the first official school for Black children in Germany. This school, called the Germany School, may have received money from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. This fund helped build many schools for African American children across the South. The Germany School closed in the early 1950s. Today, students in the Germany area attend schools in the Latexo Independent School District.
Where is Germany?
Germany is located in the eastern part of Houston County, Texas. It's about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northeast of Crockett. You can find it along Texas State Highway 21, which follows the historic Old San Antonio Road.
