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La Vernia's History
Published: 01/01/1937 by Anonymous
"La Vernia, on the west bank of the Cibolo River in northern Wilson County was settled about 1850. "W. R. Wiseman of Mississippi, who moved at the site in 1851, is said to have named the place for the live oak grove found at the spot. "Brahan Masonic Lodge was established in 1859. German and Polish immigration brought population to 110 by 1885, when the village had three churches, a school, a steam gristmill, and a cotton gin.
"H. Suhre, owner of the general store, was first postmaster. In 1890 La Vernia had a population of two hundred. Construction of the San Antonio and Gulf Railroad across the area in 1893 brought population to 343 by 1900. "In 1915 the town had two gins, a bank, four churches, a pottery plant, a brick works, and a population of five hundred. In 1947 seventeen businesses and a population of five hundred were reported."
Among the first land grants given in the area of La Vernia was the one granted Ireneus Smith, better known in history as "Deaf" Smith on December 25, 1833. The grant consisted of one league of land and was situated at least twenty-eight miles from the northeast side of the Sebolol (now spelled Cibolo) both above and below the road leading from San Antonio to Gonzales. The grant, surveyed by Byrd Lochart, consisted of twenty-three labors of pasture land and two labors of arable land for which Ireneus Smith paid "Thirty-two dollars, four real grains, the ultimate value of the twenty-five labors at the prices stated." In conformity with the provisions of the colonization law of March 24, 1835 Smith had erect permanent landmarks, and settle and cultivated the land. The land adjoining belonged to Vincent Duran. The first settler in the territory later to be known as La Vernia was Pendleton Rector, who with his family moved from San Marcos in 1848 and settled a few miles below the present location of La Vernia. In 1851 W. R. Wiseman, W. D. Scull, J. T. Montgomery, J. F. Tiner, G. J. Houston, Ross Houston, J. M. McAllister, and Levi Humphreys settled in the area, where natures building was plentiful.
The Wiseman family consisting of William P., his wife, Elizabeth Bell, and his two sons, Hugh W. and James O., settled to the north of present day La Vernia. The Wiseman land included the league granted to Ireneus Smith in 1833. Wiseman stated that he settled where he did because he found one faithful Presbyterian in the area, with whom he set to work and organized a Presbyterian Church which was then called Cibolo Church. Wiseman named the location Live Oak Grove because of the grove of live oak trees found there. J. G. Houston, a doctor, built his house to the east of the Wiseman location, just below present-day La Vernia. The Polley House served as the boarding place for these families until their own homes were erected. The Samuel Mavericks of San Antonio were frequent visitors of Houston and his family. Rena Maverick Green visited in Houston's Home, writing of one visit, she says that in August of 1855 the Samuel Maverick family visited the Houstons, and partook of a birthday dinner given Joby Thompson. While there, a party of some twenty-five or thirty Commanches made a raid down the Cibolo River. The Indians on this raid crossed the San Antonio River at the Conquista fort some forty-five miles below San Antonio, and on their march to the mountains they killed two persons and stole and killed horses. A several hundred warriors had been seen not many miles from the Houston house, which was filled with people who had come from miles around. They fortified the house, and most of them kept awake the whole night.
James Newton, another early settler in La Vernia, owned a plantation to the north of the Cibolo River. The plantation was run by Negros, and their cabins extended from Newton's home, located on a hill beyond the Cibolo River, all the way down the fence row to the river. The lumber as well as other supplies to build the houses were hauled from Port Lavaca with ox teams. Lumber was so scarce and hard to get that most of the homes of the first settlers were built of logs and some of the floors were built of flat rocks. The settlers would send their harvested cotton to Port Lavaca by negro foreman, and they would then buy large supplies of groceries for the plantations.
"H. Suhre, owner of the general store, was first postmaster. In 1890 La Vernia had a population of two hundred. Construction of the San Antonio and Gulf Railroad across the area in 1893 brought population to 343 by 1900. "In 1915 the town had two gins, a bank, four churches, a pottery plant, a brick works, and a population of five hundred. In 1947 seventeen businesses and a population of five hundred were reported."
Among the first land grants given in the area of La Vernia was the one granted Ireneus Smith, better known in history as "Deaf" Smith on December 25, 1833. The grant consisted of one league of land and was situated at least twenty-eight miles from the northeast side of the Sebolol (now spelled Cibolo) both above and below the road leading from San Antonio to Gonzales. The grant, surveyed by Byrd Lochart, consisted of twenty-three labors of pasture land and two labors of arable land for which Ireneus Smith paid "Thirty-two dollars, four real grains, the ultimate value of the twenty-five labors at the prices stated." In conformity with the provisions of the colonization law of March 24, 1835 Smith had erect permanent landmarks, and settle and cultivated the land. The land adjoining belonged to Vincent Duran. The first settler in the territory later to be known as La Vernia was Pendleton Rector, who with his family moved from San Marcos in 1848 and settled a few miles below the present location of La Vernia. In 1851 W. R. Wiseman, W. D. Scull, J. T. Montgomery, J. F. Tiner, G. J. Houston, Ross Houston, J. M. McAllister, and Levi Humphreys settled in the area, where natures building was plentiful.
The Wiseman family consisting of William P., his wife, Elizabeth Bell, and his two sons, Hugh W. and James O., settled to the north of present day La Vernia. The Wiseman land included the league granted to Ireneus Smith in 1833. Wiseman stated that he settled where he did because he found one faithful Presbyterian in the area, with whom he set to work and organized a Presbyterian Church which was then called Cibolo Church. Wiseman named the location Live Oak Grove because of the grove of live oak trees found there. J. G. Houston, a doctor, built his house to the east of the Wiseman location, just below present-day La Vernia. The Polley House served as the boarding place for these families until their own homes were erected. The Samuel Mavericks of San Antonio were frequent visitors of Houston and his family. Rena Maverick Green visited in Houston's Home, writing of one visit, she says that in August of 1855 the Samuel Maverick family visited the Houstons, and partook of a birthday dinner given Joby Thompson. While there, a party of some twenty-five or thirty Commanches made a raid down the Cibolo River. The Indians on this raid crossed the San Antonio River at the Conquista fort some forty-five miles below San Antonio, and on their march to the mountains they killed two persons and stole and killed horses. A several hundred warriors had been seen not many miles from the Houston house, which was filled with people who had come from miles around. They fortified the house, and most of them kept awake the whole night.
James Newton, another early settler in La Vernia, owned a plantation to the north of the Cibolo River. The plantation was run by Negros, and their cabins extended from Newton's home, located on a hill beyond the Cibolo River, all the way down the fence row to the river. The lumber as well as other supplies to build the houses were hauled from Port Lavaca with ox teams. Lumber was so scarce and hard to get that most of the homes of the first settlers were built of logs and some of the floors were built of flat rocks. The settlers would send their harvested cotton to Port Lavaca by negro foreman, and they would then buy large supplies of groceries for the plantations.
