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History in
a Pecan Shell
The town is named
after Captain John York, who died defending the town against Indians
in the autumn of 1848. York had helped settle the town two years before
with business partner Charles Eckhardt. The men saw an immense opportunity
by founding a town here since it would create a shorter route from
the busy port of Indianola
to San Antonio.
Known as the Old Indianola Trail, it was well-traveled by German
immigrants on their way inland. Many settled here as well as survivors
from Indianola’s
storms which turned that prosperous city into Texas’ most famous ghost
town.
Eckhardt built the town’s first house in May of 1848 and two years
later he established the Charles Eckhardt and Sons store. In 1854
the town was named after the late Captain York.
In 1871 the town was granted a post office and incorporated. The Aransas
Pass Railway was built a mile south of town in 1886 and the town relocated
to the rails. The old site continued on for several years as “Upper
Yorktown.”
In 1898 Yorktown had an estimated population of 850 people and every
essential business as well as a few non-essential businesses. At its
peak, Yorktown’s population hit nearly 2,500 but had declined to 2,207
by 1990. It has since risen to 2,271, although many downtown businesses
have closed, including the feed
store – once the center of the area economy. The 1871 Eckhardt
store now contains the town’s history museum and is listed on the
National Register. |
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Longhorns pulled
cotton wagons, Yorktown, TX
Postmarked Nov. 1, 1909
Click on image to enlarge |
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Main Street,
Yorktown, Texas, Postmarked 1908
Click
on image to enlarge
Vintage photo courtesy Dan
Whatley Collection
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Main Street,
Yorktown, Texas, Postmarked 1910
Click
on image to enlarge
Vintage photo courtesy Dan
Whatley Collection
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Gonzales Street
South, Yorktown, Texas
Click
on image to enlarge
Vintage photo courtesy Dan
Whatley Collection
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Yorktown, Texas Landmarks
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C.
Eckhardt Building
Yorktown Historical Museum
144 W. Main St.
On the National Register
TE photo,
July 2008 |
Historical Marker:
144 W. Main St.
C. Eckhardt
& Sons Building
Erected 1876. Had
iron shutters, elevator, walls 25 inches thick. Housed general mercantile
store begun by pioneer Caesar Eckhardt family in 1848, soon after
founding of Yorktown. Wagons brought in goods from seaport of Indianola.
Gold and silver hidden under potatoes were sent to San
Antonio to purchase other supplies. During the Civil War, wife
ran the business while the husband and two sons served the South.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965 |
A keystone building
in downtown Yorktown
Photo courtesy Stephen
Michaels, July 2008 |
The 1909 Nau
Brothers Building
TE photo, July 2008 |
Nau Building
Threshhold
TE photo, July 2008 |
The former Yorktown
Bakery
TE photo, July 2008 |
Former Chevrolet
Dealership with Deco Signage
Photo courtesy Stephen
Michaels, July 2008 |
Chevrolet Signage
Detail
TE photo, July 2008
More Texas
Eagles |
The former Feed
Store.
TE photo, July 2008
More Texas Stores |
Yorktown's Hospital
(circa 1950)
TE photo, July 2008 |
The Main Entrance
of the Yorktown Hospital
Photo courtesy Stephen
Michaels, July 2008 |
A cold-war relic
TE photo, July 2008 |
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Historical Marker:
1214 Zorn Rd., Yorktown
Holy Cross
Catholic Church
This church was
established by Polish families who first came to Texas in the 1850s
and settled in Panna
Maria, then migrated to this area. A group of Polish Catholics
split from the primarily German Catholic Church in Meyersville
and joined the Catholic Church in Yorktown. By 1867, there were 13
Polish households as members of the Yorktown congregation, and the
time had come to build a new church facility. In 1867, Anton and Lucyia
Koszielsky deeded land at this site to the church, and the building
that was constructed was dedicated to St. Mary. After it burned in
1915, the parish hired architect F. B. Gaenslen to design their new
building. Completed in 1916, the building utilized the cross from
the steeple on the former church and thus came to be called Holy Cross.
Construction work was overseen by Falbo Contractors of San Antonio,
with much of the labor supplied by parishioners. Gaenslen's design
for a simplified Romanesque style church was carried out in red brick,
with polychrome brick detailing on the tower. Its Romanesque features
are evident in its tower, semi-circular arched windows and corbelled
parapet. Since 1916, Holy Cross Catholic Church has served Catholics
in Yorktown and the surrounding area. The building stands as an architectural
landmark in the region, as it houses the parish's ongoing ministries
of worship, education and outreach.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001 |
Historical Marker:
Intersection of Old FM 237 and Zorn Rd., Yorktown.
Holy Cross
Catholic Cemetery
In 1867, Anton
(1815-1889) and Lucyia (1830-1912) Koszielsky deeded land to the Roman
Catholic Church for a graveyard to serve the parishioners of the growing
Catholic community of Yorktown. In 1916, Jesse H. (1866-1943) and
Constantine (1866-1941) Kozelski donated additional acreage to enlarge
the cemetery. In 1937, an extensive landscaping project was completed
and crucifixion monument, donated by Frank and Florentyna Jendrzey,
became the focal point of the cemetery. Elizabeth Wollny donated the
statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1979. The cemetery chronicles
the diverse heritage of the Yorktown area.
Historic Texas Cemetery – 2001 |
Historical Marker:
east off FM 240 on edge of Yorktown.
Upper
Yorktown Cemetery
In 1872, Ann Friar (1802-1899) formally established Upper Yorktown
(Friar) Cemetery, where her husband, rancher-businessman Daniel Boone
Friar (1800-1858), local masons and others were interred. In 1949,
Barbara Respondek (1882-1949) donated one acre to the east for African-American
residents, adding to its diverse Anglo, German and Hispanic origins.
Noted burials include: Friar family members; 1876 feud victims Dr.
Philip Brassell (b. 1827) and son, George (b.1855); settlers Gotlieb
(1790-1867) and Marie (1790-1869) Heissig; Union sailor Timothy Sullivan
(1836-1909); and numerous war veterans and local pioneers.
Historic Texas Cemetery-2001 |
| 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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