Their first performances will take place in late summer of 2014.ĬCHA has and will continue to work with the City of Castroville to restore the historic “Biry House” with the long term goal of establishing the Castro Living History Center. After several years of inactivity, the dance group has recently been reactivated. The dance group traveled to New York in 1986 to help celebrate the re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Francis Chapel at Mico.ĬCHA sponsors the “Alsatian Dancers of Texas,” a folk dance group organized in 1980 with the help of the American Consulate in Strasbourg. Father Cyril Kuehne’s Ripples from Medina Lake was reissued through cooperation with St. Recovering a priceless account of history, the association reprinted August Santleben’s A Texas Pioneer, originally published in 1910. Originally published in 1934, Julia Nott Waugh’s book Castro-ville and Henry Castro has been reprinted. This new volume contains over one thousand new stories and family histories.ĬCHA has been instrumental in having other historic writings reproduced.

In 2014, CCHA took another important step in preserving the heritage of the Castro colonists by publishing the History of Medina County, Texas, Vol. This book tells of the founding of the county and includes over 700 family histories.

In 1983 the association completed a two-year project by publishing the 600-page History of Medina County, Texas, now in its fifth printing. Old Favorite Receipts, a collection of recipes and folklore is presently in its 10th printing. The folklore committee compiled Let’s Celebrate, a book of holidays and special days as celebrated in Medina County, Texas. This project has recognized over 120 historic homes and buildings and continues to look for more projects to acknowledge.ĬCHA has published four books over the years. In 1981, CCHA developed the Historic Preservation Award, given for distinguished contributions in preserving a landmark valuable to the history of Medina County. One of the early projects of the organization was to identify and honor the early homes of the colonists that had been preserved and renovated. It is their cultures and traditions that we strive to honor and preserve today. The majority of these pioneers came from Alsace (France), Germany and Switzerland. The organization was formed by a group of people “interested in the history, architecture and culture of Medina County, Texas, with special emphasis on the Castro Colonies.” A major emphasis of CCHA is to preserve the heritage of those brave souls who followed Henri Castro to Texas to create and settle the towns of Castroville (1844), Quihi (1845), Vandenburg (1846, later moved to New Fountain) and D’Hanis (1847). The first meeting was held at Landmark Inn in Castroville on September 21, 1975.

The Castro Colonies Heritage Association was chartered August 28, 1975, with Rodney Noonan as the first president.

A Texas Pioneer by August Santleben