Schulenburg is a city in Fayette County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,633 at the 2020 census.[4] Known for its German culture, Schulenburg is home of the Texas Polka Music Museum. It is in a rural, agricultural area settled by German and Czech emigrants in the 1800s.[5]
History
In 1831, the Mexican government granted 4,428 acres (1,792 ha) of land to Kesiah Crier. Crier's family and the James Lyons family were the first European-American settlers in the area. The town of Schulenburg developed from two nearby communities: Lyons, founded in 1842, and High Hill, settled in 1842 and later named in 1858.
In 1873, the Galveston, Harris and San Antonio Railroad bought land in the area. They built a depot on the portion formerly owned by Louis Schulenburg, and named it after him.[6][7] The first train arrived on New Year's Eve of 1873, and the town was formally incorporated on May 24, 1875.
City in 1881
Many of the early settlers to Schulenburg and the surrounding area were immigrants of German, Austrian, and Czech descent, who came after the revolutions of 1848 in Europe. The area still shows evidence of their cultures.[6] For instance, local bakeries are noted for their kolaches, a Czech pastry.
Jewish immigrants also made Schulenburg their home, and many of them became merchants. Initially from Germany in the mid-19th century, they were later joined by immigrants from Eastern Europe.[8]
The town is the home of Stanzel Flying Models, makers of wire-controlled and free-flight model airplanes for nearly 70 years. Schulenburg is also home to Shaller Go-Karts manufacturing, for use in many tracks around the country.[9]
As of the 2020 United States census, 2,633 people, 964 households, and 600 families resided in the city.
As of the census[2] of 2000, 2,699 people, 1,052 households, and 655 families lived in the city. The population density was 427.1/km2 (1,107.8/mi2). The 1,226 housing units had an average density of 194.0/km2 (503.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the city was 76.29% White, 15.45% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 6.08% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 13.56% of the population.
Of the 1,052 households, 26.8% had children under 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were not families. About 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city, the age distribution was 21.7% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,619, and for a family was $36,326. Males had a median income of $26,111 versus $20,549 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,784. About 6.9% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
Schulenburg is served by one local newspaper, The Schulenburg Sticker, which was founded by German immigrant Ernst Goeth and has been in continuous publication since 1894.[15]
Infrastructure
Schulenburg is located at the general convergence of three major US highways: Interstate 10, U.S. Route 77 and U.S. Route 90. The two US routes form the central intersection of the street, and I-10 flows just north of the city center.
^Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[12]
