Discover 2016

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iscover LAVACA COUNTY O

HALLETSVILLE TRIBUNE-HERALD O MOULTON EAGLE O SHINER GAZETTE O YOAKUM HERALD TIMES LAVACACOUNTYTODAY.COM

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Henry Joe Jasek’s

CZECH GUIDEBOOK

It’s not uncommon to overhear a few snippets of conversation in Czech around the county. If you really want to impress a local, try to use a little of the local lingo. Resident Czechxpert Henry Joe Jasek provided us with a few of his favorite phrases for you to try out.

Welcome

Jak se mas? (yak shay maas)...................How are you?

Example: If you see Henry Joe Jasek, ask him ‘Jak se mas’?

Jo (yo).......................Yes. Example: If a Henry Joe offers you a beer, say ‘Jo’.

Ne (nay ).......................No. Example: If Henry Joe offers you a beer and you’re driving (or you’re not 21), say ‘Ne’.

Pozdrav pambu (poe-zdrav pawm-boo).............God bless you.

Example: If Henry Joe Jasek sneezes while y’all are chatting, say ‘Povdrav pambu’.

Jesto jedno pivo? (yesto yedno pee-vo)..................... Another beer?

Example: If you’re a quick drinker, you may have to employ this phrase right about here.

Drs hubu (dush who-bow)........................Shut up.

Example: If you and Henry Joe have had a beer or two, and he’s told you how he is, and you’ve blessed him after he sneezed, and you’ve impressed him so much with your Czech that he initiates a conversation beyond the linguistic skills of your limited lexicon, and you wish to extricate yourself from the potentially embarrassing situation before being outed as an imposter, use ‘Drs Hubu’.

Welcome to Lavaca County. It’s a special place in a special state. If you live here, you probably already know that. If not, we hope to show you just how special a place it is.

Discover is our opportunity to show off the best of the best in the county we call home, and we hope you enjoy.

Discover touches on a little bit of everything in the county. It touches on the county’s food and drink, its history and its legend, and the cast of eccentric folks that call it home. We hope to retell some of the county’s old legends in a new way, while adding new narratives to the collection of yarns and tales that are part of the county’s story.

Profiles of each of the major towns in the county give a brief account of what they’re like and who their people are. They tell the stories of the townships, what makes them distinct, and what there is to do there. Brief character sketches paint pictures of some of our favorite neighbors, both newcomers and lifelong residents. Some pieces touch on the county’s traditional businesses and pastimes, like barbecue. Others highlight new industries, like the county’s recently developed olive orchards, and its professional wineries. All of the articles are grounded in the rich heritage of the county, and they try to make that proud heritage shine through the pages.

Whether you’re a sixth generation resident or a johnny-come-lately from Timbuktu, welcome to Lavaca County. We hope you enjoy your stay.

Kristie M. Bludau, General Manager

Personal Service.

Professional Dedication.

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But there’s a lot more to Hallettsville than its courthouse. The town was founded in 1831 by Margaret Hallett, the pioneer wife of a veteran of the Texas Revolution. After her husband’s death, Hallett opened a trading post on the Lavaca that operated smoothly, aside from the occasional tussle with the backcountry’s Tonkawa Indians.

Hallett’s little trading post continued to thrive after her death and Czech and German migrants flooded the area after the Civil War, laying the foundation for much of Hallettsville’s present culture.

The oldest buildings in town make up the square, which surrounds the courthouse. While most of the buildings have left their rambunctious days as bars and saloons behind them, many still operate as businesses, barbershops, boutiques, and banks. The square even has its own cinema, the Cole Theatre. The Cole’s one screen and art deco marquee make it look like it just stepped out of the fifties.

Despite its antique appearance the theatre is clean and tidy. The only complaint about the Cole is how the smell of buttery popcorn wafting through the building makes you eat too much of it.

One of the square’s newest additions is the Hallet Oak Gallery, an art gallery housed in a completely restored building that was built in 1890. The two-story building’s light, airy rooms play host to intimate concerts, painting classes, and the occasional party. The gallery makes an effort to help the community that supports it, and takes pride in the town’s historic heritage.

The square also serves as a venue for some of the town’s events, most notably the Festival of Lights. Every November thousands of bright, white lights are draped across the walls of the courthouse and strung across the square.

Wreaths and ribbons ornament doors and lamp posts around the square. The square is illuminated on the final last Saturday in November, a celebration that features a parade, and usually,

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This carving of bison is in the Hallettsville park. Legend has it that the Lavaca River got its name when French explorer René La Salle passed through the area and saw a herd of buffalo graving on the edge of the stream. He supposedly christened it “Les Veches” (the cattle) which was later translated by the Spanish to La Vaca. Photo by Matt Wilson.

Hallettsville City of Hospitality

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Agriculture O

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Meeting Room Available For Rent

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Hours: Monday thru Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed for lunch on Fridays.

DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 5

y l L d i n t e tle City i r F e h T

Moulton

with a Heart as Big as Texas

- - - BY: MATT WILSON - - At a glance, there’s not much to the little town of Moulton. The little collection of homes and businesses sits astride a railroad track off the beaten path, south of Flatonia and north of Shiner on Highway 95. If you don’t slow down for its single set of flashing lights you might not notice the town at all.

If you did that, you’d miss out on one of the

greatest little gems rural Texas has to offer.

Moulton’s earliest history dates back to the Texas Revolution, when the town was little more than a few isolated log cabins spread around the area. The Teaxian army came right by Moulton during the Runaway Scrape, and Sam Houston chose the spot to camp his men for the night. Moulton

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continued to grow after the revolution and, like most towns in the county, really hit its stride when the Czechs and Germans moved in. The new settlers were helped out by a railroad branch coming through town, and soon the bustling little depot had saloons, barbershops, a hotel, and a newspaper. The town was incorporated in 1938.

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THE OLD MOULTON BANK

The Old Moulton Bank is one of Moulton’s most unique establishments. Photo by Matt Wilson.

The rowdy frontier city has left its pioneer days behind, but if you catch Moulton on the right day you’ll find its anything but boring.

The little town boasts 3 bars, a steak house, a barbecue joint, and the obligatory Mexican food joint. There’s also a dress shop and a duck pond, along with a fancy new hotel and several B&Bs tucked away in quaint historic houses, with front porches and tire swings.

To get the real measure of the town you should stop by the Ole Moulton Bank on a Thursday evening. Contrary to its name, the Ole Moulton Bank is a bar, and the only thing you’ll be withdrawing there is a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. The bar’s Luckenbach feel and friendly patrons make it a classic piece of Texicana. As the name suggests, the dive is housed in an old bank, in the middle of Moulton’s old downtown. The original vault now holds a couple boxes of beer, and the only treasure left in the place is the large collection of electric guitars that line the smoky saloon’s walls.

Thursdays are a special night for the bank. Every Thursday the bank holds a jam session and a potluck dinner. Hippies, cowboys, and any one that can carry a tune are invited to join a circle of musicians that spend the evening picking at guitars and mandolins. There’s another benefit to attending the free show: the food. In the late afternoon the town’s fire marshal lights a grill on the bank’s back porch and spends the rest of the evening cooking up a little feast.

The main course is usually complemented by some potatoes and a little homemade dessert. The meal’s free, but you’re encouraged to put a little in the tip jar, so they can buy some vittles for next week.

If you’ve got some energy left after the jam session, stop

Home of

SAUSAGE MAEKER’S H

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8 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

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by Scooter’s Dancehall, just a few doors down, and see who’s on stage. You’re liable to find someone to dance with, whether or not there’s a band. If smoky bars and dancehalls aren’t your thing come a little earlier and give Kloesel’s Steak House a shot. The old-timey restaurant sits in the middle of town, next to the railroad tracks. The inside is a study in Southern style. Oak trim with stars carved into the corners line the wallpapered dining room. Soft music and a carpeted floor contrast with the landmen and ranch hands that frequent the establishment.

The southern style fits perfectly with the southern cuisine. King Ranch chicken, fried catfish, and stuffed jalapeños abound, usually topped off with a scoop of ice cream or a slice of cheese cake. Kloesel’s real pride and joy, however, is its steak. The place offers all sorts of slices, cooked to a Texas T. The steaks bring in customers from all around the county. If you’re still not satisfied try eating al fresco, in Moulton’s park. Pick up some brisket from Alley Barbecue, or a couple of tacos, and have yourself a South Texas style picnic.

The city’s park hosts most of the town’s largest celebrations, like Team ReJoyce’s annual Weekend of Hope and the

Moulton’s park hosts most of the town’s festivities. When there’s no festival, the park is usually quiet and peaceful. Pictured are some of the park’s ducks. Photo by Matt Wilson.

Moulton Town and Country Jamboree. Weekend of Hope is a picnic style affair with food, games, and music. The main attraction is the washer tournament, which draws in dozens of teams. All proceeds from the weekend go to the support of cancer patients. The Weekend of Hope is held in early May. Jamboree happens during the last full weekend in July.

The entire town turns out for the three days of concerts, cook-offs, and parades. Don’t be afraid to enter something in the pie baking contest or the chili cookoff- just don’t expect to take any leftovers home with you.

Looks can be deceiving, and that’s certainly the case with the Friendliest Little City

with a Heart as Big as Texas.

Moulton’s slight stature hides a big personality. Whether you’re looking for a quiet night in the country, a wild weekend, or just a friendly game of dominoes and a beer, give Moulton a shot. You won’t regret it.

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www.southtexasamishfurniture.com DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 9

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Shiner

CLEANEST LITTLE CITY IN TEXAS - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - Shiner Beer and the Spoetzl Brewery have turned Shiner, Texas into a little town with a big reputation. But, if you stop and talk with the good folks that call Shiner home, you’ll find

that the fame is a long way from getting to their heads. Shiner sits on Highway 90 A, between Hallettsville and Gonzales. With its brightly painted houses and bustling businesses the charming little city is the quintessential Texas

town, and it won’t take long around here to find that there’s plenty to discover in Shiner.

Shiner has its roots in the mid-1880s. It began as an outpost called Half Moon, but was renamed Shiner, after a man that donated

Shiner is surrounded by rolling green hills.

The Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church sits on a rise on the east side of town, visible from miles around. Photo by Matt Wilson.

Watzlavick, Inc. Insurance & Investments Susan J. Watzlavick Licensed Broker

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DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 11

a plot of land for a railroad depot. The railroad attracted people to the area, and the village grew quickly. The culture Czech and German migrants brought with them to the area created the foundation for the Shiner community you can visit today.

One thing early Eastern Europeans brought with them to the Cleanest Little City was a love of beer and a knack for brewing. Shiner’s famous brewery was founded in 1909 and was purchased by Kosmos Spoetzl in 1915. Spoetzl, a Bavarian brewmaster who had brewed everywhere from Cairo to Canada, renamed the brewery after himself and managed it for almost half a century. The

The Spoetzl Brewery holds many events throughout the year, including the Great Austin to Shiner Pedal. Pictured are bikers at the brewery after the 100 mile ride this May. Photo by Matt Wilson.

brewery survived prohibition and continued brewing through the end of the 1900s. In the last 20 years production has increased extensively, causing the brewery to explode in size. The now notso-little brewery ships beer to every state but Hawaii, and produces a wide range of flavors inspired by the brewery’s Czech, German, and Texan heritage.

The brewery is a fun stop for beer aficionado and alcohol abstainers alike (probably more fun for the first category, really).The hospitality room and gift shop is open from nine to five on weekdays and from eleven to three on Saturdays.

The hospitality room has all the Shiner Beer gear you could ever want, and (even better) free beer. Tours are offered from June to August at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., and from September to May at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tours are

RUNNERS - BIKERS - MUSIC AND BEER

12 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

also free.

If free beer and a brewery tour aren’t enough to wear you out, plan to come by town during one of the brewery’s annual events. The brewery holds a half marathon and 5k every November. It also serves as the terminus for the Great Austin to Shiner Pedal, a 100 mile bike ride from the capitol city to the brewery held every May. If you’d rather not have the biking and running distract you from your beer drinking, stop by in October for the Shiner Music Fest, a fun filled day of music, food, and beer. Whiskey Myers and Cody Canada and the Departed will headline this year’s Music Fest.

Another of Shiner’s Czech-German inspired landmarks is the Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. The romanesque chapel sits on a

SATURDAY Sat., Oct. 15thTH

O C T O B E R 15

Green Dickson Park, Shiner, TX GREEN DICKSON PARK ••• SHINER ••• Full day of music startingTEXAS at 1pm with 2 Stages

MU SIC B EHeadliner G I N S @Whiskey 1 P.M. Myers Featuring Main Stage

or, the s. Run by former dentist Howard Glo Plus is Howard’s is one of Shiner’s best dive general store, and music venue. Pictured bar, place is concurrently a gas station, k patio earlier in June. Photo by Matt Wilson.

April Hall performing on Howard’s bac

T WO S E S - T WO S TAG ES Cody Canada &TAG the Departed, Jackson Michelson, Radio Birds, Costello, Pauline Reese, & Raven Cliff

M A I N S TA G E

H E ASteel D LPenny, INE RKolaches & More!

2nd Stage acts including Los

whiskey myers

rise on the east side of town.

The building’s red brick facade and ornate spire give it a medieval Campfire Kickoff on Fri., Oct. 14th with performances by JD Wellfed, Jade appearance. The interior is just as grand, with bright paintings of Patek & Brian Catalani &S The JJ Garrett Band PLU heavenly scenes adorning the domed ceiling over the altar. Rich red carpet covers the church’s floors, while slender marble columns support Advance/$20 at Gate - VIP Tickets Available! All Ages Event a vaulted ceiling crisscrossed with gilded ribbings. Large stained glassTickets $10 JACKSON COSTELLO RV & Primitive Campsites available! windows make the entire place seem light and airy. The church was built MICHELSON PAULINE REESE & Complete details at ShinerMusicFest.com in 1920, and remains active today. The congregation of Saints Cyril and Presented by Shiner Lions Club RAVEN Produced by CLIFF Captiva Ent. Group Methodius host thousands of guests at their picnic every May. ND STEEL PENNY - LOS KOLACHES Another of the town’s biggest festivals takes place during the Fourth STAGE AND MORE! of July weekend. Half Moon Holidays is basically a three-day picnic at CAMPFIRE KICK-OFF • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14TH the city’s park. This year’s Half Moon Holidays will feature the usual mix PERF ORMA NCES BY of games, cook-offs, and music, along with a petting zoo and fireworks.

JD Wellfed • Jade Patek & Brian Catalani • The JJ Garrett Band The Emotions are headlining the 2016 festival.

Tickets - $10 Advance/$20 at Gate • VIP Tickets Available. All ages event.

RV and Primitive Campsites Available.

Shiner has picnics and parties, bars and breweries, and even its own Complete details @ ShinerMusicFest.com radio station (99.9 Texas Thunder Radio). One thing the little town lacks

CODY CANADA & THE DEPARTED RADIO BIRDS

2

PRESENTED BY SHINER LIONS CLUB • • • PRODUCED BY CAPTIVA ENT. GROUP

is a movie theatre. Fortunately, it doesn’t really need one, because it has its very own live action theatre. The Gaslight Theatre puts on three productions a year. The cast and crew for its plays are made up of volunteers from Shiner and the surrounding communities. The Gaslight is housed in the Shiner Opera House, an 1895 building that’s served as everything from a wedding hall to a political rallying point over the years.

Today you’ll find the inhabitants of the opera house sticking to more thespian pursuits, with show times and tickets

available on their website.

In a county filled with friendly people and smiling faces, Shiner’s inviting atmosphere stands out from the crowd.

Maybe the town’s rich culture and active community give it the easygoing attitude.

Maybe it’s the pretty countryside. Maybe it’s just all the beer. No matter what actually makes Shiner such a pleasant place to be, you’ll enjoy it when you get here.

Prosit!

The Spoetzl Brewery is one of Shiner’s most iconic landmarks. Photo by Matt Wilson.

RUN THE HILLS OF SHINER The fifth annual Shiner Beer Run will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. at the Spoetzl Brewery, located at 603 East Brewery Street in Shiner.

For the fifth year in a row people can see why nearly 2,100 Shiner residents love the Cleanest Little City in Texas. Routes begin together at the historic Spoetzl Brewery. The 5K is an outand-back course through the picturesque city, while the Half Marathon is a hilly, but scenic route through the Texas countryside, winding through Green Dickson Park and including a mile of loose gravel.

Participants will see what the 2,070 residents of Shiner love about this area of Texas. Both routes begin together at the historic Spoetzl Brewery and showcase the city that was begun with a 250-acre donation as a railroad right

of way. The 5K will be an out & back course throughout the “Cleanest Little City in Texas.” The Half Marathon will be a scenic route through the Texas countryside — it will again wind through Green-Dickson Park and include a mile of loose gravel, offering participants a true Texas country road experience.

Race participants will receive a technical tee. All half-marathon finishers will receive a one-of-a-kind bottle opener finisher’s medal. All runners in the half marathon and 5K will receive entry into the best after-party around with live music, brewery tours, food and Shiner beer.

Shiner Beer Run is thankful for the citizens of Shiner and everything they do to allow this run to happen. The run once again will benefit

THE TIN SHED Home decor • Jewelry • Gifts for all occasions Hours: Wednesday 10 am - 5 pm

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14 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

The Boot Campaign, a 501c3 non-profit that supports active military; raising awareness of the challenges they face upon return and supporting their transition home.

Last year’s event had over 2,000 runners participating in both races combined. Anyone with questions or concerns may e-mail shinerbeerrun@gmail.com.

For more information visit www.facebook. com/ShinerBeerRun/

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Yoakum LAND OF LEATHER - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - -

Yoakum, Texas is a town steeped in history. The town has found itself thrust in and out of the spotlight repeatedly in its 127 years. At various times the city has been the epicenter of the south Texas railway system, the capital of leather production in the state, and a tomato growing mecca. The town retains much of the spirit of its past enterprises, even though you’ll find just about as many meat packeries as saddle shops these days. Yoakum holds on to its history, and incorporates it into its modern community, creating the one of a kind Texas town you’ll find there today.

Yoakum has its roots in the cattle drives of the late 19th century. The Chisholm Trail Monument Yoakum sits in two counties. It’s bisected by the in Yoakum honors that industry and those that took part in it. Photo by Matt Wilson. line that divides DeWitt and Lavaca Counties, on 77 A between Cuero and Hallettsville. Yoakum constructed for cars switching directions Leather is still a major part of the was officially founded in 1889. It has its at Yoakum, giving it the nickname “Hub community. Several manufacturers still roots in one of the most classical Texan City”, and also its real name, after the operate in town, and Yoakum made saddles enterprises: the cattle drive. Yoakum manager of the railroad, Benjamin Yoakum. are highly regarded. The town’s royal was the first settlement on the Chisholm The town’s next industry took off after court wears sashes made of leather with Trail, the legendary route from Texas to the First World War. An energetic craftsman western themes tooled onto them. The Kansas. It’s easy to picture cowboys like named Welhausen bought a tannery in museum even has its own leather room, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call riding town, and transformed it into a humming which houses some of the companies more through the town’s old downtown, but factory that spit out belts, bridles, wallets, extravagantly made saddles and displays. the town wouldn’t really take root until and all sorts of leather goods. Other leather Leather belts and handbags aren’t the its next industry. The railroad came to workers flocked to the region, and the town only Western fashion pieces made around Yoakum in 1887. It transformed the city. A was deemed the “Leather Capital” of the town. Despite being off the beaten track, large yard and a railroad roundhouse were southwest.

Yoakum is home to several shops and

YOAKUM

TEXAS Yoakum

Area

Chamber of Commerce

www.yoakumareachamber.com

Downtown

Tom Tom Festival

Saddle Country

105 Huck • Yoakum • 361-293-2309 info@yoakumareachamber.com

DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 15

Yoakum’s history is a big part of its heritage. The Carl and Mary Welhausen Public Library is housed in the city’s 1931 electric plant. The library is beautiful, as well as historically significant. Photo by Kelly Petras.

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boutiques that sell clothes and accessories inspired by Yoakum’s wild west history. The most famous of these is Double D Ranch, a fashion company that designs and makes everything from $700 cowboy hats to Navajo print messenger bags. Double D also has its own store, in Yoakum’s downtown area.

Yoakum’s downtown is one of the best parts of the city. Old buildings with marble pillared facades and intricate brickwork line the streets. Many of the sidewalks still have small metal rings driven into the concrete at intervals, remnants from a bygone era where people rode their horses to town. Downtown isn’t perfectyears of neglect have tarnished many of the once beautiful businesses, and there’s rarely a very large crowd. But, that’s begun to change. Downtown is waxing: several new shops have opened in the area, with more on the way. New landscaping and banners decorate once shoddy street corners. Yoakum’s Grand Theatre, closed for years, is being completely remodeled, and is expected to open this summer.

Many of the improvements are the work of Yoakum’s Chamber of Commerce, which is also responsible for some of the town’s biggest parties. One of those is Christmas on the Grand, an early December event that features a 5k, a cook-off, and live music.

The highlight is the parade, which passes through downtown with floats covered in Christmas lights. Another is Yoakum’s Tom Tom Festival. A reference to old Yoakum’s tomato industry, Tom Tom happens the first weekend in June. The weekend is filled with cooking, concerts, and rodeo action.

Yoakum is a town with a proud history, and its people are happy to share it with you. Taking part in the city’s western culture is easy; it’s everywhere. Whether you go home with a new Yoakum made saddle or just leave with the memory of one of its festivals fine cooking and country crooning, the legacy of Yoakum is one that will stick with you.

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16 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

TOM TOM TIME

Yoakum’s 2015 royal court going through downtown during the Tom Tom parade.

Photo by Brittney Baker.

Texas Monthly

TERRIFIC

Kolacny Bar-B-Q & Catering - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - On the south side of Hallettsville, tucked in among some ordinary looking houses, is a bright pink metal building. On one side of the building is a painting of a grinning pig and a smiling chicken holding a link of sausage and a meat fork. Proudly painted above them is “Kolacny Bar-B-Q & Catering”, in font painted to look like logs. At a glance, on a weekday, you might think the place is shut down. The building’s certainly not new, and there’s no one around during the week. But drive by on a Saturday or Sunday morning and the building will tell a completely different story.

The pink barbecue house and Ervin and Carolyn Kolacny, the owners, were recently the subject of one of Texas Monthly’s barbecue pieces and was featured as a top 25 barbecue joint in the state by the magazine. The author was impressed by the place’s meat, and was even more impressed

by Kolacny’s subdued reputation.

“This barbecue joint does not exist,” the article begins. “Kolacny Bar-B-Q doesn’t exist online, and to most city-dwellers that is the equivalent of nonexistence.”

The author quickly found out that Kolacny is very much real, and in high demand around these parts. Ervin and Carolyn had run out of brisket the first time he visited, and he almost missed out again the second time, despite driving four and a half hours to get to town and calling an hour before the 11 a.m. serving time to reserve his food.

Calling ahead is a good move if you plan on dining on some of Kolacny’s barbecue.

On many Sunday mornings the line stretches out the front door. Townsfolk dressed in everything from their Sunday best to already soiled work clothes to sweatpants they probably slept in the night before wait patiently and gossip amongst themselves.

Many bring their own pots and pans to take their loot home in.

The wait is well worth it. The Texas Monthly review gave the meat 4/5, knocking off a point for tough brisket. Carolyn scoffs at this deduction; she says it would have been plenty tender if the reporter had gotten in early enough for a better piece.

Kolacny sells the usual barbecue farechicken, sausage, brisket, and pork steaks.

In the wintertime the Kolacnys make head sausage, a Czech dish similar to boudin that the Kolacnys consider a specialty.

Ervin and Carolyn have plenty of experience making their barbecue. Their place has been open for 27 years. Carolyn mans the counter, and wraps the meat. Ervin cooks it. His cooking career goes back a lot longer than their business.

“I’ve been doing this ever since I was a little kid,” Ervin says. Ervin’s father taught him his trade. He says there’s a lot of things that makes his food special. The meat is slow cooked on an open fire, with oak. He doesn’t

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use a firebox.

There’s another thing that makes Kolacny Bar-B-Q special: the people. Ervin and Carolyn were high school sweethearts; they’ve been married for 47 years. Ervin is a quiet man. Directing a question or comment toward him usually results in a few monosyllables and a polite half-smile that suggests he’d rather be doing something else. Carolyn is the opposite. The Kolacnys know their customers well, and Carolyn uses Saturday and Sunday mornings to catch up with them.

“They’ll come get their barbecue and chat with me,” she says. “I’m kind of chatty.

I do all the yapping.”

For the couple, the business is a labor of love. In almost three decades of business they’ve never hired an employee. If they’re short staffed one of their relatives fills in, but the bulk of the work is done by Ervin and Carolyn.

“I’m about ready to go take a piece of plywood and put a for sale sign on the door,” Carolyn jokes, “but before I went two blocks someone would come over and

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take it down.”

In reality, the Kolacnys aren’t planning on hanging up their spurs any time soon.They’re teaching the trade to their grandchildren, and their youngest son has hopes to inherit the business. Till then you can find them at their pit at the corner of Russell and Main in Hallettsville, on Saturdays and Sundays until the meats all gone. Ervin and Carolyn’s business number is (361) 798-4400; their house number is (361) 798-5061. If you plan on eating, plan on giving them a call ahead of time.

THE RED ANT AND THE REBEL A Tale of Old Hallettsville

- - - BY: MATT WILSON - - Politically, Lavaca County is one of the most unabashedly red counties in one of the nation’s most unabashedly red states. Like most of rural America, the county is (with some exceptions) populated by god-fearing, Reagan-loving, salt of the earth country folk.

And for the most part, Lavacans are honest, upright citizens.

One hundred years ago the county was almost just as red, but in a much different way. Lavaca County in general, and Hallettsville in particular, were hotbeds of socialism in the early 1900s. The Socialist party in Hallettsville was an active bunch, and influential enough to prompt a visit from prominent Socialist Eugene Debs circa 1912. The small town was the home of the nation’s third largest socialist newspaper:

The Rebel. The belligerently socialist Rebel was read widely nationwide and had over 20,000 subscribers. “The great appear great to us only because we are on our knees,” the papers masthead read, “Let us arise.”

Edward Otto Meitzen was the publisher of The Rebel. Meitzen was a colorful character.

He was born near La Grange in 1855 to migrants from Breslau. His father had participated in the failed March Revolution in Germany. After a stint as a blacksmith and another as a farmer, Meitzen became involved in politics. Farmers left destitute by the Civil War were turning more radical, and Meitzen rode the populist wave to a place of political prominence in the movement.

Meitzen’s influence would later allow his son to run for governor as a Socialist. He would lose the race, but he did manage to garner

an impressive 10 percent of the vote.

Meitzen moved his family to Novohrad, near Hallettsville, in the early 1990s, and entered the world of journalism. The radical was a successful publisher, and soon had The Rebel, and the New Era humming along successfully in town. Meitzen developed a reputation as something of a muckraker.

He made it clear that his papers stood for change, and honesty, and he stood by his principals. By most accounts, Meitzen’s attitude earned him a level of respect, even from his ideological foes.

“Despite his Socialistic writings and his obnoxious behavior and their influence on the politics of the county which in effect reduced the county’s prestige and standing in the state, Meitzen was not all bad,” writes begrudging historian Paul C. Boethel. “He,

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in his paper, shook up the rank and file of the Old Guards in the town, especially the officials who had their hands in the till and coffers.”

Meitzen’s no nonsense attitude certainly earned him some enemies. After reporting on a man making shady land deals in the county Meitzen was badly beaten. “Red” Tom Hickey, the editor of Meitzen’s Rebel, would latter be arrested for his association with anti-conscription groups during World War One. Hickey claimed he was arrested at gun point by a Texas Ranger. The Rebel was shuttered by the federal government in 1917 under the Sedition Act, earning itself the distinction of being the first suppressed paper of the war.

But on July 13, 1914, Meitzen’s media enterprise was doing fine.

The almost 60-year-old former judge was still a man of influence, especially in Hallettsville. Meitzen paid a visit to the post office that morning. There he had the misfortune of encountering O.T. East, City Marshal.

East owned a hotel on Hallettsville’s town square, and was apparently a civic minded man. In addition to serving as city marshal, East was involved with the town’s fire brigade, which fought fires with horsedrawn carriages. History has not been kind to East: it preserves the nickname the “Little Red Ant” for the old marshal, supposedly given to him because of his slight stature and unpleasant demeanor. In 1906 East declared that anyone found loafing in the city would be arrested for vagrancy “as there was plenty of work to be found.” Boethel reports tales that East had but to walk across the square and clear his throat to make idlers suddenly remember they had some place to be.

Meitzen and East’s powerful personalities clashed the morning of the 13th. Several thousand dollars worth of funds had recently disappeared from the county’s coffers, and Meitzen had called for an independent audit. The irascible pair discussed the missing money as they descended the post office steps. The conversation grew heated; apparently, Meitzen implied that East may not be the straight laced bureaucrat he appeared to be.

Voices rose, accusations flew, and soon fists were flying. For a time, the former county judge and the current city marshal tussled in the street. Then East drew his pistol, firing one shot that flew across the square and lodged itself in a piece of lumber, and a second that lodged itself in Meitzen’s groin. Meitzen continued to fight, and was apparently a real scrapper. The bearded old socialist bit hard on East’s hand, drawing blood. Some accounts say he almost chomped the thumb off. The pair continued to struggle, and had to be pulled apart by onlookers.

East was promptly arrested. He paid his bail and was free that day. The tough old judge was treated for his wounds and recovered.

A hearing on the possible embezzlement was postponed and never rescheduled. Meitzen died in 1934 at the ripe old age of 79.

A lot has changed around town since Meitzen and his comrades.

You won’t find many socialists around, especially not the judge) and the city marshal won’t arrest you for dallying in the town square, but one thing remains the same: Lavaca County is still full of people that have just as much civic pride, conviction, and character as Meitzen and East. They have their differences and disagreements, but on the whole the citizenry is as upstanding now as they were 100 years ago. Fortunately, they aren’t dueling each other at the post office these days.

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The WINES and - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - When some one asks you to go out for a drink in Lavaca County, wine probably isn’t the first beverage that comes to mind.

Lots of the good folks of Lavaca County have a reputation for swilling Natural Light and Lone Star Beer, usually in generous proportions. While that stereotype isn’t necessarily false, there’s certainly more to the picture.

Wine has a long history in the county.

Czech and Bohemian immigrants brought

VINES

centuries old wine making techniques to the area, along with the presses and tools to make gallons of the sugary stuff. The tradition continues to this day, and you’ll still find old Jack Daniels bottles with the labels scraped off filled up with red wine.

The bottles might be labelled “Bludau ‘13” or Janak, 2012”, or they might not have a label at all. A good bottle of homemade wine from a reputable vintner will fetch a hefty sum at any church picnic. Unfortunately, most of these wine makers keep their methods to

themselves. When your humble author asked to interview one of the bootleggers about his craft he said, “No, if they knew how I made it, nobody would drink it.”

Fortunately, the winemaking tradition has begun to grow in the county. It now supports full-fledged wineries, and people that treat the pursuit as a profession rather than a hobby. Equally fortunate for your humble author, these vintners are much more willing to discuss their trade. These are the stories of some of the fanciest booze around.

Majek Vineyard and Winery Moravia, Texas is a long way from anywhere.

The little settlement is nestled in the rolling hills that make up the northern part of the county, on FM 957. A bar, a cemetery, and a Catholic church are the nucleus of the crossroads community, augmented by a couple of farms and businesses scattered about nearby. Its humble appearance makes Moravia an even more charming place to find some of the finest wine in the county.

Lynne previously worked for AT&T. Randy still works as a banker. They were inspired to plant their vineyard by others taking on the Majek offers a variety of different wines, and has more in the works. Photo by Matt Wilson.

same challenge. To that end they brought the property, built the tasting room, and planted the grapes. The Majeks made their first harvest last year. This summer they plan on making another big step. Majek wine is currently made in Lubbock. Randy hopes to make it on-site for the first time this year.

The Majeks offer nine different types of wines, with flavors that attempt to appeal to all palettes. Lynne says that all are made with careful attention to detail.

“My philosophy on wine is that if somebody’s going to drive 100 miles to see me, then they will have a damn good glass of wine when they get here,” she says emphatically. “So that’s my obligation, is to make sure we have great wine.”

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Majek has an acre and a half of Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish grapes.

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With that in mind, Lynne got a degree in viticulture ( g ra p e g row i n g ) and Randy got a degree in enology (wine making). In many ways, though, t h e M a j e k s a re just applying fancy words and a touch of science to an art that Randy’s family and the people of the area have practiced for generations.

“The people that moved here from Moravia, from Czechoslovakia, were wine makers, because that’s a wine making region,” Lynne says.

“The immigrants made homemade wine out of local fruit, wild fruit, and of course that tradition still continues with homemade wine that’s prevalent in the area. Now there’s commercial wineries in the area that are using wine grapes.”

One of the self-sufficient wine brewers that immigrated to the area was a man named Adolph Sassin, Randy’s grandfather. Sassin was a bit of a character. He was the barber at the Moravia store, and he had a habit of going to town in the evenings to have a brew or two. Once he’d had his fill he would lay down in the back of his wagon, cluck at his mules, and the team would drive him to his doorstep on their own accord. Sassin made plenty of wine, and stored it in barrels in the cellar beneath his home. The vineyard is located on Sassin’s old farm.

“I thought he’d always made wine with mustang grapes, but this customer came in the other day and said he used white grapes and made a rosé,” Lynne said. Sassin’s home was on a cousins property that neighbors the vineyard, and the Majeks quickly planned an expedition to look for any remnant of the vineyard.

“We thought the vines would be close to the well, and sure enough, the windmill is just covered with grapevines,” Lynne said.

The Majeks took cuttings from the plants, and planted them in pots in their tasting room. Lynne is in the process of growing the cuttings.

“We hope that those are his,” Majek says. “I’m praying that they’re not Mustang Grapes.”

lavacacountytoday.com DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 23

Sam is probably the closest thing to a bouncer you’ll find in Moravia. Photo by Matt Wilson.

The Majeks take pains to honor their history, but they’re also looking to the future.

The winery’s tasting room is a chic, metal building with large windows that face a patio filled with benches and picnic tables, with a view of the acre and a half of grape vines.

Inside are a few tables and a tasting bar, as well as shelves stocked with local snacks and condiments. The walls serve as a display

Majek Vineyard and Winery’s tasting room serves as both an art gallery and an event center. Photo by Matt Wilson.

place for local artists. Every first Saturday the winery has live music, that ranges from Americana to country to motown. Twice a year the Majeks host catered dinners under the stars.

“We’ve made so many great friends in the area, and there’s so many great artisans in the area,” Lynne says. “So that’s what we like to do, is show other peoples art, and craft,

24 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

Lynne Majek watering clippings she believes descended from grape vines her husband’s grandfather planted.

Photo by Matt Wilson.

and have local music. I’m fascinated by the wealth of talented people in the area.”

Majek wines are available at some stores locally. The vineyard is located at 12508 County Road 957 and is open from four to seven Friday afternoons and from noon to six on Saturdays and Sundays. Info on special events is posted on its website and Facebook page.

Moravia Vineyard and Winery Moravia Vineyard & Winery is located a mile north of the town it borrows its name from, neighboring Majek’s vineyard. The winery is owned and operated by Luca Suschitz, a native of Treviso, in northern Italy, who moved to the U.S. in 2000. Moravia was originally a hobby for Suschitz, who also runs an engineering consultancy firm in Houston. “ I j o ke w i t h p e o p l e , I say ‘Initially it was a small virus,’” Luca laughs. “Now it’s a spread disease. I think it’s incurable now. It’s terminal.”

The enterprise has certainly turned into more than a hobby.

Moravia has 5 acres of vines, where Luca grows Spanish and Blanc du Bois grapes.

He also purchases g rapes from other local producers.

He makes and bottles four types of wines on-site, and has a fully furnished tasting room. The room sits on a hill, overlooking Luca’s vineyard.

It is housed in a simple looking building, with a sensible metal roof and subdued stone trim. The inside explodes with life- exposed wood beams and a stone wall frame a clean, well-lighted room, with chairs and couches scattered about casually. Racks of bottled wine line the walls of the Tuscan tasting room, with a more private tasting room off to the side. Moravia wines and other Texan wines are sold on site, along with local cheese, sausage, and bread. Luca says

Luca Suschitz, in the far back, with volunteers at harvest time. Contributed photo.

the place is a popular destination, drawing in customers from across the U.S. and abroad.

In many ways, Luca’s success is only natural. The Italian comes from a family of vinters, whose recipes Luca emulates in his wines, which are primarily dry and bitter (although he

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Moravia’s 2015 harvest. Contributed photo.

does have some semi-sweet varieties to satisfy the local Czech sweet tooth). Despite his heritage, Luca wasn’t always meant to join the family trade.

“They wanted all the children to go to study, and not to do any agriculture,” Luca acknowledged. “I’d been pushed aside to do engineering, my cousins were to do architecture and other things, no one was supposed to follow up with the wine

business.”

Ultimately, Luca defied their wishes, and he’s glad he did it.

“I, in Italy, grew up in the hills, in the pre-mountain area of the dolomites, all hills, grapes everywhere,” he says. “It gave me an area that recreated, kind of, my countryside upbringing, and when I look out the window, I’m still in Italy.”

The tight knit community around Moravia makes the winery seem even more like home. Growing grapes is hard work. A year’s worth of work culminates in a few of days to quickly pick the ripe crop. Luca relied on the support from neighbors and volunteers. He says their efforts were exceptional.

“The community has reacted well above my expectations.

They really have a love for community things, like harvest,” says the Italian migrant. He and his wife, Priscilla, were fully adopted by the little Moravian community. “In Houston I don’t even know who’s living three houses down the road, but in the countryside everybody knows each other; it’s a more social community.”

Luca’s pretty content with the way his winery turned out, and so are most of the people that visit it. His success has allowed the little vineyard to grow considerably. Moravian wines are retailed in Victoria, Hallettsville, Flatonia, Shiner,

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Luca mixes a few flowering plants in among his vines. Some say it helps with pollination; it definitely looks good. Photo by Matt Wilson.

Schulenburg, Sealy, and Houston. Luca is even a little short on grapes. He’s looking for more growers, and willing to pay well for their grapes. Despite his success, he intends to keep the business grounded.

“In America there is the attitude in businesses, sometimes, that they always need to grow a little too fast,” Luca says. “My big desire would be that the business consolidates slowly.”

Moravia Vineyard and Winery is located at 12564 FM 957, a mile north of Moravia. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

San Ducerro Vineyards

From left, Rachel, Keith, and Joyce Foster in their tasting room. Photo by Matt Wilson.

San Ducerro Vineyards sits on a quiet country road west of Yoakum. Opened in May 2015, it is operated by Keith and Joyce Foster, and their daughter, Rachel. The three were previously employed in IT, medical billing, and management in Houston, respectively. They came to Yoakum and took up wine making as a retreat from their corporate lifestyles.

Getting out of white-collar jobs in Houston doesn’t mean the Foster’s lives have slowed down. Managing a winery is a lot of work, especially at the beginning. The Fosters built their winery from the ground up. The wine is made at the rear of the building.

A partition separates the workshop from San Ducerro’s tasting room, a large, open space with tables, a record player, and a humidor. The back porch is one of the tasting room’s best features.

It overlooks a steep slope behind the winery, with a view of miles of green texas hill country.

The Fosters split the duties at San Ducerro among themselves; Joyce is in charge of the vineyard.

“My jobs have always been inside, but my passion has always been gardening,” she said. “Now I have two and a half acres of grape vines. It can be kind of overwhelming.”

The vineyard aspect of the proposition has been a challenge at San Ducero. They grow Black Spanish grapes and Blanc du Bois. Their four-year-old vines have yet to produce a usable crop, largely because of the weather. An overabundance of rain last year weakened the Fosters vines, and prevented them from making a harvest. If everything goes well, they’ll have their first successful harvest this year.

One of the best parts of San Ducerro is the view of the winery’s back porch. Photo by Matt Wilson.

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Keith is in charge of turning the grapes into wine. He says that San Giovese is their premium product.

“Sangiovese is an Italian grape,” Keith said. “It is a very spicy grape, it has hints of pepper and spice in it. It goes great with Tex-Mex, goes great with any type of spicy grape, and it goes pretty well with steak. It’s a dry red.”

“It’s like Tex-Mex in a bottle,” Joyce added.

San Ducerro offers a number of other wines as well; flavors include Blanc du Bois, Moscato, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Keith has more varieities in the works, including a peach Chardonnay and a green apple Riesling. After those he plans to make a watermelon white Merlot.

Rachel manages the winery’s public relations.

“The parties and everything else, the events, poker tournaments are on me,” Rachel says.

San Ducerro’s events are in high demand. It hosts concerts, book signings, holiday cook-outs, and cigar nights. It can also be rented out for events like wedding rehearsal dinners and birthday parties. It’s nearly impossible to get a seat at the winery’s steak night, but if you can, It’s well worth it.

“Our steak night is our most popular event,” Rachel said. “You purchase the steak, you bring it to us, we cook it for you, we provide the sides, you buy the wine.”

The Fosters have big plans for the future. Long-term goals include a stage out back, and maybe even a bistro. Short-term goals

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include a little more landscaping, and continuing to spruce up the property.They also plan on producing more wines, in order to increase distribution locally. “ We ’ v e g o t enough projects to last us far beyond when we’d think about retiring,” Keith said.

San Ducerro is located at 500 Dagg Road, and is open from t h re e t o e i g h t p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from noon to six on Saturdays and Sundays.

Information on S a n D u c e r r o ’s events are available on i t s Fa c e b o o k page and in i t s n e w s l e t t e r.

Their wines are available at the w i n e ry a n d a t Hodgepodge in Hallettsville.

Unripened Black Spanish grapes at San Ducerro.

Contributed photo.

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The

Olive View Ranch - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - -

Lavaca County has been a farming and ranching community for over a hundred years, and it’s still one today. But it’s not necessarily the same kind of agriculture you’d find 100 years ago, or even 10 years ago. New ideas are being formed about the region, and crops and industries that were previously unheard of are beginning to thrive. One of these new industries is

A blossom on one of the olive trees this spring. Photo by Matt Wilson.

the olive orchard. The county has four of them; its newest is the Olive View Ranch.

The Olive View Ranch is on County Road 240, just northeast of the community of Breslau and about ten miles north of Hallettsville. The Olive View is owned and operated by Bill and Mary Goerner.

Bill previously worked in the oil service business; Mary did purchasing for ship

management firms. The Goerner’s bought their place in 2000, initially as a refuge from the big city.

“We were just trying to get out of the rat race of Houston,” Mary said.

After retiring, Mary and Bill hoped to find a way they could work together, at a slower pace than the one demanded by their old lifestyles. A documentary first

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Bill and Mary Goerner in theri orchard. Photo by Matt Wilson. Bill Goerner working in the Olive View orchard. Photo by Matt Wilson.

piqued their interest in olives, and a few seminars later they were sold. The Goerners are hoping to make their first harvest this year.

There’s a steep learning curve, but the Goerners are catching on “It’s an industry that’s in its infancy, and I think everybody is learning,” Bill said. “It’s a lot of work.”

As with any farm, the chief challenge of growing olives is the weather. Despite the difficulties of farm life, the Goerners piece is prospering. They have 4,440 olive trees, on 23 acres. The orchard grows on the rise behind the Goerner’s home, rows of hundreds of leafy trees separated by lanes filled with flowers. The trees are four years old, and the Goerners have two types: a mild, Spanish variety

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called Arbequinas, and a slower growing Italian tree.

“It’ll be fun to blend the varieties to see what kind of flavors we can produce,”says Mary.

In addition to the olive trees, the couple have an Eden-like array of beehives, gardens, grape vines and animals. The Goerners have cats and dogs, a herd of miniature donkeys, and a big red mule named Clyde that was formerly part of the Parsons Mounted Cavalry at Texas A&M. There’s even a couple of whitetail deer that were unintentionally caught in the orchard when it was fenced of, but they don’t seem to be doing much harm.

The Olive View Ranch is at the cutting edge of a developing industry.

They hope to set high standards for it.

Bill and Mary are especially proud of the organic, sustainable methods they adhere to at the orchard.

“If I’m going to raise a crop and make something that’s going to be consumed by the public, I want to make sure it doesn’t have any chemicals that are going to cause anyone harm,” says Mary.

“Plus, it’s good for the environment,” Bill added.

Eventually, the couple hope to bring their product to a store near you.

“My dream is to have the extra virgin olive oil on the shelves of store,s like Whole Foods, maybe Central Market,” Mary said.

Until then, the Goerners will be doing what farmers in Lavaca County have done for generations: working hard and hoping for a little bit of luck.

Bill Goerner with one of the ranch’s minature donkeys. Photo by Matt Wilson.

Dr. John C. Braden, D.D.S. Family Dentistry

“Come see us for a great smile”

1104 W. Grand Ave. Yoakum, TX 77995 Give us a call (361)594-4336 • 305 N. Avenue C, Shiner, TX www.oldkasperhouse.com • email: oldkasperhouse@yahoo.com

30 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

Office: (361)293-6042 Fax: (361)293-2904

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Hanging out at Hodgepodge

- - - BY: MATT WILSON - - There’s no place like grandma’s house. Which is exactly what Jennifer Hagen and Verna Brunner had in mind when they opened shop in Hallettsville last fall.

The Ladies’ business, Hodgepodge Fair Trade Market and Gathering Co., is tucked away in an idyllic neighborhood north of the Lavaca County Courthouse, across a creek from the Dairy Queen and just down the road from the city’s park. Hodgepodge’s name is an accurate description for the variety of ventures that make up the businessBrunner, Hagen, and their staff serve lunches, offer a selection of local wines and beers, and sell unique gifts and curios. Their back deck also serves as a venue for local musicians.

Hodgepodge is lodged in a historic gin house, built in the late 1800s. The interior’s mismatched furniture and cluttered shelves give it the feel of a cozy kitchen.

A spacious back yard and a tire swing complete the homey picture. There’s a good reason the building feels like an authentic home- until recently, it was an authentic home.

The building has been i n H a g e n ’s f a m i ly fo r decades, and belonged to her grandparents.

“My dad grew up here.

MINDY’S Caramel Iced Coffee Mindy’s iced coffees are quickly becoming one of Hodge Podge’s signature culinary creations. Mindy uses frozen coffee ice cubes to keep the drinks from becoming watered-down, and switches flavors of coffees and creamers to make each iced coffee unique. Caramel is her most frequently requested flavor.

INGREDIENTS -Artisan Roasted Coffee, available at the Podge -Frozen coffee ice cubes -Caramel creamer -Half and half -Whipped cream -Caramel syrup

One of Hodgepodge’s signature meals is its grilled white cheese sandwich.

It goes great with a glass of wine.

My aunts grew up here.Grandpa still hangs around,” Hagen says with a wistful grin.

Hagen’s family has by no means been booted out. On a busy day you might find her mother in the kitchen doing dishes, or her father, Hallettsville’s fire chief, doling out his opinion on the landscaping. The familial atmosphere is intentional.

“That’s kind of the feel we wanted to get,” Hagen said. “People laughing and gathering, hanging out. It’s their happy place.”

Hodgepodge’s menu is equally homespun. Patrons have a choice of the day’s soup, salad, or sandwich,

DIRECTIONS 1) Fill cup with coffee ice cubes 2) Add a quarter cup of half and half and a quarter cup of coffee creamer 3) Fill cup with cold coffee 4) Add a couple squirts of caramel syrup 5) Top with whipped cream and caramel syrup 6) Enjoy

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open

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TUESDAY thru FRIDAY Hours: 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

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400 N. La Grange St. Hallettsville ••• 361 772 7378 ••• H

H

DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 31

Hanging out at Hodgepodge or any combination of the three. The week’s menu is announced Tuesday morning. Meals can be as ordinary as chicken noodle soup and a ham sandwich, or as unusual as tater tot soup (adapted from one of Hagen’s grandmother’s recipes) and a white grilled cheese sandwich made with garlic bread. The folks at Hodgepodge always try to accommodate their customers tastes, but the restaurant’s sparse menu is part of its rustic charm, and Hagen and her staff take pride in it.

“You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit,” she says.

Dessert, which is hardly optional, is usually a slice of homemade cheesecake or a stuffed cupcake prepared by Hodgepodge’s Bobbie-Rae Burnes. The cupcakes usually pair best with another one to go.

The next time you’re in Hallettsville be sure to stop by Jennifer Hagen and Verna Brunner’s little slice of heaven.

You won’t regret it.

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Therapy & Rehabilitation Services Physical-Occupational-Aquatic-Wound Care-Pre/Post Surgery -Sports Injuries

Health & Wellness Center Cardio Machines-Weight Equipment-Free Weight-Group Fitness– Pool

LMC Health Rock Cafe Open to the public Monday - Friday for breakfast and lunch

LMC Auxiliary Gift Shop 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Monday - Friday

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32 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

Old Yella’ and Kemo Sabe - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - -

In cities, tow truck drivers don’t have the best reputation.

Wreckers are regarded as mean-spirited thugs that will tow you for the slightest parking infraction, and charge you an arm and a leg to get your car back. That stereotype doesn’t hold up in this county. With the Lavaca County’s miles of dark county roads and lonely highways, a tow truck can be the very image of salvation for a stranded motorist. Around here the tow truck happens to be yellow and they call the driver Kemo Sabe.

Billy Hrncir struck out to open his own bodyshop and wrecker business two decades ago. He started the business on a shoestring budget, with five kids and a house payment.

“We bought a wrecker in San Antonio with a blown engine, fixed it up and started out,” Billy said. “Bright yella’” The ‘79 Chevrolet was the color of a legal pad. People assumed Billy would paint it. He never did. Over the years he painted three other trucks to match the original Old Yella’.

He said it even sort of started a trend in the area, with other wreckers opting yellow trucks, including a driver out of Edna.

“He says when he comes to Hallettsville everybody waves at him,” Billy chuckled.

Over the years Billy and his yellow rig have become a fixture of the community. He and his truck have helped a lot of people out of some tight spots, and it’s earned the affable man more friends than he can keep track of. On occasion someone will ask him what he’s running for.

“I’m not running for,” Billy jokes, “I’m running from.

Some time ago the tow truck driver started calling his friends ‘Kemo Sabe’ when he addresed them. They usually called him the same, and he’s pretty well known throughout the county by the Lone Ranger nickname.

It hasn’t all been happy memories. Over the years, he’s been cussed by drunks and stolen from by repo men. He’s driven his truck through roads so flooded he steered by watching the fence posts and he’s hauled just about every kind of vehicle you can imagine. On one occasion he towed a car belonging to someone from out of the country, who evidently wasn’t familiar with the practice.

“He said ‘In my country we’d cut your arm off,” Billy remembered.

By and large, those types of situations are uncommon, and he gets more thank you notes than threats. So if you’re driving through Hallettsville and see a man driving a big yellow tow truck your way, give him a wave. He’ll probably give you one back.

Ode to an old cowboy. . .

By the Late Myra Lampley The Shiner Gazette Our dear friend Myra passed away in 2014. Myra is dearly missed by her friends, family, and co-workers. We hope to keep her memory alive through the writing she loved. This story by Myra first appeared in the last edition of Discover, eight years ago.

Anyone who ever saw him, knew that he was a cowboy. He had the look, the talk, the walk and he kinda smelled like a sweaty ole horse.

The walk, I’m sure came from many hours in the saddle. And, you could hear him coming because he always had his spurs on. The look came from Benny and Cinch at the N.C.H.A. competition in Fort Worth in 1979. hard work in a round pen and time on a horse that had his nose close to was just Benny. And, the smell, that was from the ground as they tried to keep the calf from hard, honest work. The smile and jokes, they getting back to the herd. The talk, well, that were an added bonus.

Sundown, to this man, did not mean it was quittin’ time. I know for a fact that it would be in the wee hours in the morning when the final lights were cut off on the arena and in the old barn near Yoakum.

Benny Lange was a cowboy like no other. He was old-school and knew what it meant to put in a full days work, even if the days sort of ran together. After all, time doesn’t mean anything to a horse.

Although he passed away two years ago this July, there isn’t a horseman in this area that did not know him.

Benny broke and trained horses for more than 40 years according to his long-time friend and fellow horseman, Tom Benbow, also of Yoakum.

“He was a mighty good man,” Benbow said.

DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 33

Flashy Banjo Girl and Benny work a calf at the Yoakum arena.

“We had lotsa good times. We were good friends for many years.

After I retired from business, I went to his place nearly every day and we would ride horse. He was training his horses for cutting and I was training mine to be good cow horses by turning the Lending a hand to a young rider, Benny was calves back for him. We helped each other out. I wasn’t paid to quick to share his love of horses. do it. I wanted to do it.”

Mr. Benbow said he was with Benny when he took first place at the National Cutting Horse Association competition on Cinch. “Me and Walter Sternadel were his turn back men. We knew when he cut that calf that we needed to help push him [the calf] and we did and he won.

That was a pretty good one,” he said smiling.

He called Benny a “going Jesse” saying that he was always doing something, whether it be riding horses, playing music or being a carpenter. “He was good at all of it. He just never got that lucky break to get into the big money with his cutting horses.”

Benny may have never “made it big” and he wasn’t a cowboy or rancher. But he was the one Associates: who broke the horses that the Steven Cuellar Owner Operator cowboys and ranchers rode.

Blake McCracken In addition to winning first 510 Kent St. • Yoakum, TX 77995 place, he also took third place on Eric Mercer Yoakum_granddad@hotmail.com a horse named Flashy Banjo Girl.

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34 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

All of these awards didn’t make Benny Lange. It was the way he treated people. That was one reason a Shiner man got into the horse business.

Herb Adkins said he moved to Shiner to live in the country. And country boys hang out at rodeos and so did Benny. This is where the friendship was made.

“I learned more by watching Benny ride than I ever did anywhere else. I would sit and watch him ride for hours and hours.”

He also rode with Benny as he trained his horses. “We made a few road trips together. We went to some small cutting events here and there and even went to Ft. Worth in 1979 to the National Cutting Horse Association competition. Benny made the second go round that year.

“There’s one thing special about Benny. He loved people. When he trained a horse for someone he always wanted to make sure they were happy with how he turned out. He always found a way to laugh, too. No matter what you were talking about, he knew a joke,” Adkins added. “He was a great guy and great friend.”

Even when Benny was breaking and training cutting horses, he was still working horses for other people.

Back in the late 70s and 80s, horses were a big thing in Texas. Everyone had one. He would often break or sometimes “straighten up” a horse for a person who just wanted a horse to ride.

Benny was more than a horseman, he was a country gentleman, a Korean War veteran, he played drums for the Southeraires Band and was the drummer for the Country Music USA band. He was also a master cabinet maker.

Some say that he never mastered anything. I say they are wrong. He knew what made him happy and in my books that means he mastered life.

Benny passed away on July 31, 2006, at the age of 78.

Shiner Music Fest 2016: Music and Fun under the Sun

BY BRANDI IRVIN The third annual Shiner Music Fest at Green-Dickson Park, presented by the Shiner Lions Club, is set for October 15, 2016. Doors open at 1 p.m. with music performances from noon to 11 p.m.

“The Shiner Lions Club was chartered in 2012 and as an organization we were wanting to have a big yearly fundraiser and since music is such an important part of Shiner’s history, we wanted to bring back a music festival,” said Shiner Music Fest Chairman Tracey Jalufka.

“We also wanted to provide a venue for our nonprofits to raise money for their causes,” said Jalufka.

Many organizations host booths at the Music Fest and are able to raise funds individually.

The Lions Club also wanted to keep the general admission free so that everyone in Shiner is able to attend and enjoy the fun.

VIP tickets (21+ ONLY) are available and include complimentary snacks & beverages (1p.m. - 11p.m.),VIP Parking,VIP Only Bar & Facilities, Meet and Greets with Main Stage Performers, Premium Cigar, chances to win Prize Packs that include band merchandise & more!

A wide range of food vendors and activities will be provided throughout the event including a cigar experience that will include complimentary liquor samplings.

The Republic Cigar Lounge from Gruene will be hosting the cigar tent. Premium cigars and accessories will be available for purchase with proceeds going to the Shiner Lions Club and Cigars for Warriors.

This festival is hosted by Shiner Lions Club and produced by Captiva Entertainment Group and the Rooftop Bar on 6th, which work together to bring a lineup of artists to Shiner that all will enjoy.

“We want to keep the music representative

of our values and of what Shiner is all about,” said Jalufka.

This year’s main stage lineup includes Whiskey Myers (Headliner), Cody Canada & The Departed, Jackson Michelson, Radio Birds, Costello, Pauline Reese, and Raven Cliff.

Jalufka said that the Lions Club is all about service and giving back to the community. Everyone is invited to attend this family friendly event and support local organizations while enjoying music.

“We just wanted to bring the music back and give our nonprofits a chance to raise money for their causes,” said Jalufka. “The first year was a success and hopefully it will continue to grow.”

Experience the local Shiner hospitality and spend the day supporting Texas music while enjoying your favorite Shiner beverage.

For more information visit www. shinermusicfest.com.

Eddy Packing Co.

404 Airport Rd. • 361-293-2361 DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 35

The cannon is rumored to lay at the bottom of a Lavaca County river. Photo by Matt Wilson.

Mystery of Lavaca River Cannon Remains Unsolved

BY MURRAY MONTGOMERY The story goes that the old cannon was discovered by a group of kids searching for a good place to swim in the Lavaca River – at least that’s the way I heard it shortly after moving to Gonzales in 1984.

I’ve written about the cannon more than once, the first time being some 14 years ago when I was working for The Gonzales Inquirer – that original column brought folks out of the woodwork providing me with more information than I could ever have imagined. People from Gonzales and Lavaca counties c o n t a c t e d m e w i t h t h e i r ve rs i o n s of the tale – information that had been passed down to them by their parents, grandparents, and various acquaintances over the years.

Also, I would like to note that after my original column was published, I faxed a copy to the Texas Historical Commission – evidently the THC wasn’t interested because I never heard from them.

Most folks are of the opinion that this cannon belonged to Mexican Gen. Santa Anna’s army. Legend has it that the cannon was dumped into the Lavaca River or some nearby stream because it was becoming a burden on the Mexican army. After the fall of the Alamo, Santa Anna was attempting to move swiftly and catch the retreating Texas army being led by Gen. Sam Houston.

What stirred me to write about the cannon again, is that; first of all, there is no doubt in my mind that it exists, somewhere, and secondly because I’ve recently found another article about

36 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

people who were searching for it in March of 1971.

The report from the March 30, 1971, issue of the Hallettsville New EraHerald contained information about a group using metal detectors that would register things below the water as deep as 27 feet. They were searching in a location known as Sycamore Pool; the article implied that there may have been two cannons in that vicinity. To make a long story short, however, they were either unsuccessful in their search or somebody has it and is not going to give it up.

I am going to share a bit of information from that very first article that I wrote years ago. While researching Gonzales I n q u i re r n ew s p a p e rs f ro m 1 9 3 2 , I came across three different articles

from October and November of that year which mentioned the old cannon in Lavaca County. The articles had originated in the San Antonio ExpressNews and were picked up by the Inquirer.

One fellow named W.G. Leazer of Kerrville responded to the article, published in 1932, and was quoted as saying: “… I know there is an old brass cannon in a large creek some 30 miles east of Gonzales. This cannon was found by boys in swimming. They tried to pull it out with a horse, but could not.”

Another man responded to the ExpressNews article; Eric Brunkenhoefer, of San Antonio, wrote, “I knew a man at Moulton, Jacob Tomasko, now dead, who had knowledge of a buried cannon in that part of the state. In 1923 or 1924 he wanted myself to go with him to this place and try to recover this cannon, but I don’t think it was ever attempted.”

Jacob Tomasko’s son, W.J. Tomasco of Shiner, wrote a letter saying that his father lived in the town of Moravia and had found a cannon on a small creek known as North Fork which empties into the Lavaca River. Tomasco also said his father (Jacob) told him the cannon was protruding from a sand bar. Jacob Tomasco told his son that he sat on the barrel of the cannon to eat his lunch.

Phil Hemmi, of Hallettsville, said that his dad, Urban Hemmi, told him that his (Urban’s) father, Jahannes John Hemmi, came to Lavaca County in 1885 at the age of 16; it seems that Jahannes also talked about this cannon and how he used it as a diving board.

He said it was about 100 yards from an old iron bridge.

Another article from the Inquirer in 1932 stated that some Hallettsville b u s i n e s s m e n w e re i n t e re s t e d i n retrieving the cannon. Once again it was mentioned that the weapon was located at Sycamore Pool two miles above Hallettsville on the Lavaca River. There was another report that a cannon had been seen at a place known as Santa Anna crossing about one mile southeast of Breslau on the Lavaca.

In my research, so many locations are mentioned that we might possibly

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surmise that there is more than one cannon out there. Let’s see, there’s Sycamore Pool, North Fork, Robber’s Hole, Santa Anna crossing, Cotton Grove, Witting, Breslau, and Moravia, just to name a few, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if there aren’t more family stories out there that have the cannon or cannons in other locations.

But of one thing I’m certain, the cannon does exist – perhaps it has already been found and just kept secret – maybe we’ll never know for sure, but too many people have seen it for the story not to be true.

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DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016 • • • 37

Mark and Kim Baylis moved to the countryside to enjoy its wide open spaces and relaxed pace of life. Photo by Matt Wilson.

A county full of characters - - - BY: MATT WILSON - - You never know who you’ll bump into in Lavaca County. Its population is a rogues’ gallery of colorful characters from all walks of life. The oil boom and the pretty countryside have drawn in a new wave of immigrants to mix with the old Czech and German stock that call the county home.

Nowadays, the old Bohemians mingle with rich oilmen and rough-spoken cowpokes, and the occasional band of hippies out to start an organic farm. Most all of the newcomers have a good story about how they got to the county.

Two of the county’s more interesting migrants are Mark and Kim Baylis, who relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to the small community of Ezzell in 2010. The Baylis’ story is anything but straightforward, although it certainly is entertaining.

Mark is originally from Cape Town, South Africa; Kim was an army brat, but eventually settled in Baltimore. Both worked in the computer industry, and met at a training seminar, after which they lost contact with each other. Ironically, both soon found themselves in the teaching field.

“I opened up a charter school in the middle of Sweden,” Mark says, “I was the school principal and there was no computer science teacher, so I did that too.”

Kim was teaching the same subject in

Baltimore.

“I started teaching computer science and didn’t like any of the textbooks I could find,” she said. “I was writing my own materials for the class and I got tired of making Xerox copies, so I self published this book.”

Mark was having the same problem across the Atlantic. He opted to purchase his students a textbook off Amazon. It just happened to be Kim’s. He recognized her name, got her email from the publisher, and married her within a year, abandoning his Swedish school and joining her in Baltimore. They’ve been happily married ever since.

The Baylis’ had a single goal in mind after the wedding: getting out of Baltimore.

“We did not like a lot of the values of East Coast life,” Kim says.

They longed to live somewhere away from the crowds and the traffic, where they could get closer to nature, and have their own garden. They settled on Lavaca County, and made the move in 2010.

“We found land we liked in Ezzell, and we fell in love with Hallettsville,” says Kim. “The minute, the minute my youngest graduated high school we were on the way down.”

“When we decided to do something, we don’t hang around, we just do it,” Mark added.

38 • • • DISCOVER Lavaca County 2016

The transition wasn’t completely smooth.

Mark and Kim had trouble adjusting to the relaxed pace of life that their new neighbors were accustomed to, and they struggled to find a job where they could apply decades of experience in the technology industry. After some time spent commuting to Austin, the South African that once installed Nelson Mandela’s computer system started working at a Hallettsville body shop, and the Baltimore school teacher that published her own book got a gig at Walmart.

They couldn’t have been happier. Instead of traffic and noise, the couple found themselves contending with stray cows and hatching out their own chickens. Mark likes the big Texas weather, and thunderstorms.

Kim finds their road washing out to be more rustically charming than troublesome.

“It’s just delightful,” Kim says about their new life.

Mark eventually discovered that there’s a pretty steady market for cracked phone screens and broken computers around the county, so the pair struck out on their own and opened LavacaTech, an electronics repair business in Hallettsville. In true Texas style, the Baylis’ business is next door to a gun shop.

The Baylis’ odd, winding saga just goes to show that you never can tell who you’ll meet in this neck of the woods.

BB &

AUTO WORX • • • • •

H A L L E T T S V I L L E,

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o f S e r v ing L av ac a a n d SU R ROUNDING

T E X A S

361.798.4212 S E R V I C E S

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- AU TO PA I N T and B O DY - AU TO GL A S S R E P L AC E M E N T and TOW I N G

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