Page 28 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2023 - Online Magazine
P. 28
Slaton
History
THE BEDNARZES
From the Beginning
by Kathleen Bednarz Weaver
hy would anyone want Several families from Neudek
to leave their home and and Bolten undertook the long
Wpossessions in beautiful perilous journey to Texas. Anton Bednarz, from Austria
Austria and risk a trip across the Among them were Anton and
stormy Atlantic Ocean to come to Anna Bednarz and their five their farming chores under the noses
a strange, sparsely settled area like children. On September 15, 1860, of the soldiers.
Fayette County, Texas? History the group boarded the ship Jeverlin
tells us that constant struggles for at Bremen, Germany for a 65- Franz Bednarz, Anton’s son,
religious and political freedom day voyage that finally docked at purchased land in Slaton in the
plagued Moravians. (Moravia was a Galveston, Texas on November 19, early 1900s. The families at High
province in Austria that is now part 1860. According to family tradition, Hill were growing, and there was
of the Czech Republic.) the group stopped at a small not enough farmland to support
settlement called Dubina. From everyone. Franz’s son, Rudolph,
Insufficient employment, high there, they traveled further west to bought 160 acres from his father in
taxes, and compulsory military High Hill, about three miles north of 1912. In 1920, Rudolph and his wife,
duty added to their dissatisfaction. Schulenburg, Texas. Adelheid, moved their young family
Service in the Austrian army often to Slaton. At the time, the property
lasted eight years. Many people Anton Bednarz became a was ranch land, and most of it was
started looking for more freedom naturalized U.S. citizen on January still unbroken. Rudolph and his two
and greater opportunities. 29, 1866. A tailor by trade, Anton older sons, Edwin and Alfons, along
became a farmer out of necessity. with Adelheid’s brother, Rudolph
The land was raw prairie when he Kahlich, traveled in a 1919 Dodge
arrived, and it called for a lot of hard Touring car to Slaton. Adelheid and
labor to clear the land for farming. the rest of their children (Robert,
When the Civil War broke out in Willie, Alvin, Lidwina, and Walter)
1861, it was difficult for the new arrived by train, along with the
settlers to understand the reasons for cattle, plows, and household
the war. Very few people of German goods. The big red barn was almost
ancestry owned slaves. Some of completed when they arrived. About
the men joined the Confederate that time, their last child, Evelyn,
Army, others escaped into Mexico was born.
to hide, while others traveled to Rudolph and Adelheid later
New Orleans to join the Union purchased 160 acres adjoining their
Army. Still others hid in the woods original property. Several years
among the moss-covered trees when later, they added another 125 acres
Confederate soldiers appeared in the three miles northeast of Wilson.
area to conscript additional men for
the army. Some men even dressed Rudolph was quite talented in music
in women’s clothing and continued and could play several instruments,
28 Lubbock Senior Link
