Latium, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Latium
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 Latium
Location in Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Washington County |
| Settled | mid-1800s |
| Elevation | 377 ft (115 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 30 |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1378567 |
Latium (pronounced "Latcham" or "Lotzyum") is a small, unincorporated community in Washington County, Texas, United States. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city. In 2000, about 30 people lived there. It's part of the larger Greater Houston metropolitan area.
Contents
History
A New Home for Settlers
Latium was one of five "Latin colonies" started in Texas after 1848. These communities were founded by people from Germany who had to leave their home country because of political problems. They were looking for a new, peaceful place to live.
Some of the first German settlers were Hermann Rogalla von Bieberstein, who became a well-known surveyor in Texas. Another early settler was Rudolph Melchior, an artist who decorated the Winedale Inn.
Czech Immigrants and Community Life
In 1868, Czech people also began to settle in Latium. In 1873, Reverend Josef Chromik started a mission for Catholic Czech immigrants in Texas. A post office opened in Latium in 1884, but it closed in 1907.
By 1892, about 50 people lived in Latium. The Czech community grew strong and built the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in 1918. Church services continued there until the late 1980s.
Latium as a Supply Center
For most of the 1900s, Latium was an important place for the farms around it. It acted as a "supply hub," meaning farmers could get the things they needed there.
In 2000, the population was still around 30 people. Most residents were Czech, with a few German families. At that time, Latium had a general store that also served as a community center. It also had the Catholic church, a Czech Catholic cemetery, a gas station, and a volunteer fire department.
Latium was also known as a German Freethinking community. This meant that some people there had different ideas about religion and society.
Geography
Latium is located on Farm to Market Road 389 near Pond Creek. It is about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Brenham. It is also about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) south of Greenvine and 11 miles (18 km) east of Round Top. The community is in the southwestern part of Washington County.
Education
Latium had its own school for many years, from 1885 to 1948. Today, students from the Latium community attend schools in the Brenham Independent School District.
