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St. Roch's Church
TE photo, 2006
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History
in a Pecan Shell
Mentz' history is primarily based on its church and
post office.
The first settlers came in the 1840s with the Mainz Society - an organization
formed to oversee immigration issues and look after the welfare of
its members. Originally called Neu Mainz, after the city in
Germany, it was later corrupted into Mentz.
Most of the settlers were German Catholics from Büdesheim, in the
German provence of Hesse. In 1858 a church was built and named after
a chapel back in the old country. St. Roch's Catholic Church remains
the community's dominant stucture.
A Catholic school taught by the Sisters of Divine Providence was in
operation from 1872 to 1916.
A post office was opened in the 1850s and called San Bernard
- after the shallow river nearby. Renamed New Mainz in 1860,
it was closed after the Civil War. It reopened under the name Mentz
in the late 1880s and closed again in the mid 1890s. It opened yet
again in 1897 but in 1913 mail delivery went through the post office
at Alleyton.
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St. Roch's Church
Plaque
TE photo, 2006
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Mentz-Bernardo
Community Historical Marker
TE photo
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Mentz-Bernardo
Community
As early as the
1830s German immigrants had begun to settle in the general vicinity
of Cat Spring. They were
soon joined by others who preferred this region to the various sites
that had been designated formal colonization efforts. With the area's
continued growth, the settlements of
Bernado
(4 mi. E) and Mentz developed as early focal points of the surrounding
agricultural community.
The German settlers who founded Mentz named the pioneer community
for an area of their homeland. Predominately Roman Catholic, they
established St. Roch parish by 1858 under the leadership of priests
from Frelsburg. The church developed
as the religious, social and cultural center of the area.
Bernado
was begun about 1845 on an important early route from Houston
to inland settlements. Because of its location on the prairie land
of the San Bernard River, the rural community was first known as Bernardo
Prairie.
Once identified by separate schools and post offices, the two settlements
now share a common lifestyle and heritage, which reflect the continued
influence of the early German settlers. Their descendants still live
in the Mentz-Bernardo Community.
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Mentz
or Neu Mainz, Texas Forum
Subject:
Mentz, Texas
I happened upon your website one day and can’t get enough! I’ve
come to be quite a history buff to Texas history and love reading
about the rich stories in Texas Escapes.
My wife’s family is from the Mentz area with a Cat Spring address.
My wife’s Father had a band and played the Mentz Picnic for many
years. As his children got old enough to play an instrument they
were brought into the band. In the early 1960’s they were known
as The Sunset Playboys and as his daughters and sons learned their
instruments the name morphed into The Sunset Playboys and Girls.
As time changes things my wife’s brother took over the band and
called themselves The Country Pickers with some none family members,
but as fate would have it eventually it became an all family band
again and that’s when they became known as the The Family Tradition
Band. All the while playing for different events and yes, the Mentz
Picnic.
Through the years the band had opportunities to open for Legends
of country music like Willie Nelson in 1995. James Bonamy in 1996,
and David Allan Coe in 1997. The band finally retired in February
2005 with the last show being for the Danevang Volunteer Fire Department
in El Campo. Best Regards and Happy Trails, Barney Lee Douglas,
December 24, 2006
Anyone wishing to share history or photos of Mentz or Neu Mainz,
Texas, please contact
us.
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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