Lavaca County has deep Czech and German roots

After the Civil War, large numbers of German and Czech immigrants moved to Lavaca County. The 1890 census counted nearly 1,900 foreign-born residents from Germany. It also counted about 1,750 from Austria — which at that time included Czech-speaking Bohemia. These settlers farmed the land, built churches, and formed close communities.

Shiner is a small city in Lavaca County. It is home to the Spoetzl Brewery, which Czech and German settlers founded. The Handbook of Texas records how these groups shaped the county's farming, trade, and culture into the early 1900s. Visitors today still find German and Czech family names, kolache bakeries, and old churches across the county.