La Grange, Texas

After independence, Texas continued to have armed confrontations with Mexican forces over control of the territory between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River. In what is known as the 1842 Dawson Massacre, numerous Texas militia were killed by Mexican forces near San Antonio. Several years later, the remains of those dead and of those from the black bean death lottery (Mier Expedition), were exhumed and reinterred in La Grange in a large common tomb with a sandstone vault. This took place in a ceremony on September 18, 1848, at the location now known as Monument Hill; more than 1,000 people attended, including former president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston.

On January 17, 1849, Heinrich Ludwig Kreische, a recent German immigrant, purchased 172 acres (70 ha) of land which included the tomb. He built a three-story house and, in 1860, began building a brewery. By 1879, it was the third-largest brewing operation in Texas, with its flagship product being "Kreische's Bluff Beer". Kreische maintained the tomb for the rest of his life, but the tomb and Kreische Brewery began to deteriorate after his death in 1882. The brewery closed in 1884.

The Kreische family asked the city to remove the tomb from their property, as it was frequently vandalized. On April 15, 1905, the Texas Legislature passed a bill to authorize acquisition, by purchase or condemnation, of the 0.36 acres (0.15 ha) of land occupied by the tomb. The state acquired the land by condemnation on June 24, 1907.

In 1933, during the Great Depression, the State Highway Commission fenced the 0.36 acres and agreed to maintain it as a state park, as one of the infrastructure projects of this period. In the same year, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas purchased a new granite vault for the tomb. For the 1936 Texas Centennial, the Texas Centennial Commission erected a 48-foot (15 m) shellstone monument with an art deco mural to mark the mass grave.

In 1949 the state transferred authority for the site to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In 1956, the citizens of Fayette County purchased 3.54 acres (1.43 ha) around Monument Hill and deeded the land to the state for parkland. Another 36 acres (15 ha), including the Kreische Brewery and the Kreische Home, were added to the park site in 1977. The complete site, called Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites, opened to the public in 1983, after archaeological studies were completed.

Outside La Grange was a brothel known as the Chicken Ranch. It closed in 1973 after its operations were revealed, largely through the investigative and reporting efforts of Houston television journalist Marvin Zindler.

In 1974, a little league team from La Grange won the Texas state championship.

The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center is located at 250 Fair Grounds Road in La Grange.[11] The center constructed a new archives building, aided by a seed donation in 2007 from the estate of Adolph R. Hanslik of Lubbock. Hanslik was known as the "dean of West Texas cotton producers" and was a native of Hallettsville in Lavaca County.[12]

According to the census[2] of 2010, there were 4,641 people and 1,854 households residing in La Grange. The population density was 1,292.4 people per square mile. There were 2,064 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 56.6% non-Hispanic White, 8.7% Black or African American, 0% Native American, 0% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino persons were 35.6% of the population.

According to the census[2] of 2000, there were 4,478 people, 1,792 households, and 1,146 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,255.2 people per square mile (484.6 people/km²). There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 579.4 units per square mile (223.7 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.27% White, 10.36% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 12.19% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 20.81% of the population.

Of the city's 1,792 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. Individuals made up 32.8% of all households, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,392, and the median income for a family was $39,718. Males had a median income of $28,631 versus $21,023 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,288. About 9.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.