Cologne Community

Until the railroad came, Cologne excluded White settlers. When the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific arrived in 1889, Jim Hall traded land for the depot in exchange for a lifetime job as station agent and a promise that the railroad would never abandon the stop. The town became a cattle slaughtering and shipping center, with a permanent racetrack and a baseball team, and its post office closed in 1925. Part of the old town now lies under a large power plant. In June 1963 President John F. Kennedy, speaking in Cologne, Germany, brought greetings from 'even Cologne, Texas.'

What the plaque says

Cologne Community Former slaves established the community of Cologne in an effort to provide safety and refuge from the general lawlessness and violence committed -- particularly against African Americans -- during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. Freedmen Joseph Smith and George Washington had opened a freight and passenger business in Victoria after the Civil War. Their business was a success and they were able to live in relative prosperity in Victoria, along with other African American families. As Reconstruction ended and Texas Democrats regained control of local and state government, the prosperity and security gained by emancipated slaves was threatened. In 1877, Washington and Smith purchased more than five hundred acres on Perdido Creek between Victoria and Goliad. They sold portions of this land to other African Americans, and still others purchased adjacent property. A cemetery, churches and a one-room school were soon built, and a post office opened in 1898. The community was first known simply as "The Colony" but was later known as Perdido, Centerville and Ira Station. The name "Cologne" may have derived from the wishful thinking of residents who wanted to distract from the scent of the local rendering plant. Initially, the community's economy was based largely on agriculture, but the arrival of the Gulf, Western Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1889 allowed shipping to become a major commercial activity. Unusual for the time was an integrated depot built in the 1890s. As with many rural communities, two world wars, the Depression and urbanization caused the gradual decline of Cologne. (2008)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Site of Battle of El Perdido — 3.2 mi
• Battle of Coleto and Goliad Massacre — 3.4 mi
• First Baptist Church of Goliad — 13 mi
• Grave of Colonel J. W. Fannin and His Men — 13 mi