TEXAS NEIGHBORS | SPRING 2018 8 By Jennifer Dorsett Field Editor Polka music. Model airplanes. Churches. Schulenburg proclaims itself to be “halfway to everywhere,” but the beauty of its churches and rich small-town historical charm may have you forgetting just which “where” you’re headed to. Marcia Hrncir, director of the Schulenburg Chamber of Com-merce, said Schulenburg—pop-ulation 2,852—has more than 8,000 officially registered visitors a year and estimates probably an-other 12,000 more visit annually. The friendly atmosphere, inter-esting museums and, of course, the churches all combine to make this tiny town a great place for tourists. Schulenburg, translated from German, means “school town,” but the name didn’t originate from the school system. The town has a strong mixed Czech and German heritage and is proud of both. Several small communities ex-isted in Fayette County in the late 1800s, and when the opportunity for a railroad arose, local mer-chants answered the call by do-nating and selling land for tracks. They called the new town Schulen-burg after the biggest land donor. The small communities outlying the railroad town were not deso-late pit stops, however. In fact, each one was a group of residents cen-tered around one meeting place: the church. Early immigrants to the area depended on the church for not only spiritual guidance but aid, news and fellowship. “The church was the CNN of its day,” said Diana Zimmermann, a docent for the Schulenburg Cham-ber of Commerce who gives guid-ed church tours. “People might be working out in their fields and know that someone was expecting a baby pretty soon, and hear the bells ringing and think ‘Oh, Maria had her baby!’” The tall church spire also served as a beacon to travelers, Zimmer-mann said, guiding them into town where they could rest and pur-chase supplies. The church was so important to these communities that it was rst public pu ublic buildings building gs t o one of the first to be built in the township. The im-migrants often used all the money they raised in constructing their church buildings, so they used paint to replicate the ornate style of churches in the Old Country. Pillars in several of the church-es are painted to look like veined marble. The trompe-l’oiel tech-nique was used to create the look of ornately carved wall paneling, and golden paint was used freely to make wooden items look like precious metals. Each of the four churches avail-able for public tours is uniquely beautiful. The church in Ammannsville is known as the “pink church,” be-cause the entire interior is done in a dusky rose hue. Another church, this one in Dubina, has a collection of whimsical gold stars sprinkled across its blue ceiling. The church in Praha is painted in more subdued tones of pale green and earthy neutrals, while the church in High Hill is awash with white paint but has many de-tailed statues of saints and intri-c te stained-glass ca stained glass windows w ind ws that cate give the interior a multi-hued glow. The picturesque drives to each church are filled with wildflow-ers at this time of year. Each site is within a 15-minute drive from Schulenburg. Back in town, three different museums await. The Schulenburg Historical Mu-seum tells the story of the town’s history and includes many arti-facts, from a prehistoric mam-moth tooth to a more recent collection of uniforms worn by Schulenburg natives during times of war. Historical curiosities, such as the story of the Baumgarten Allison cotton flour mill, abound here. The Texas Polka Music Museum is right next door and is dedicated to honoring the Czech, German and Polish musicians who created and honed that style of music. The Stanzel Model Airplane Museum, located just a few blocks away, offers a glimpse into what the Stanzel model airplane facto-ry, located in Schulenburg, looked like in the mid-20th century. The museum also tells the story of the Stanzel brothers’ in-genuity and lasting impact on the town. Residents and visitors alike celebrate Schulenburg’s heri-tage and history each year with an annual festival dubbed “Sau-sagefest” in April. It features sau-sage-making contests, a sausage cook-off, polka music, interactive displays from the Schulenburg Historical Museum and many other activities. With so much to see and learn, Schulenburg may be somewhat town” of a “school school tow n after after all a ll. WWW.TEXASFAR RM MBUREAU.ORG