Driving through the state of Texas, it is not uncommon to see many small towns decorating the countryside. Many of them are farming communities established in the mid-19th century that have not grown much since. One such place is the town of St. Hedwig. With a population of 1,443, St. Hedwig has stood in east Bexar County since 1855. St. Hedwig is a Polish settlement founded much to the efforts of Father Leopold Moczgemba. He was responsible for the first organized group of Poles immigrating to Texas in 1854. Father Moczygemba wrote letters to families and friends in Silesia, then controlled by Prussia, to inform them of the opportunities existing in Texas. Soon after a group of Polish “farmers and small businessmen fleeing poverty, cultural harassment, and religious persecution by the Prussians, Austrians, and Russians” moved to Texas. It was this group of people who had the greatest Polish influence in Texas. They settled first in the town of Panna Maria and from there, numerous other Polish communities began developing in South Texas.
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