Polish Settlers of White Deer
White Deer, Carson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1854, 100 Polish families (800 persons) came to America in one small sailing ship--a voyage of 9 weeks. None spoke English. From Galveston they walked 200 miles to Panna Maria in South Texas, arriving for Christmas Eve Mass. There they toiled at manual labor. In 1909, in response to White Deer Land Co. offers, they migrated here. Later the colony had additions from Washington State, Nebraska, Wisconsin. Their first Catholic church, completed May 13, 1913, was on this site. Today their descendants include some of the most outstanding citizens of Texas.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1854 some 800 Poles crossed the Atlantic in a single small ship and, unable to speak English, walked two hundred miles from Galveston to found Panna Maria, the oldest permanent Polish settlement in America. Half a century later, drawn by land offers from the White Deer Land Company, their descendants migrated to the Panhandle and, joined by Polish families from other states, built their first Catholic church on this site in 1913.
Why it matters
This marker traces one of the country's earliest and most enduring Polish communities from a grueling immigrant landing to a thriving Panhandle farm colony, a testament to how ethnic settlements shaped the American heartland.
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Nearby & related markers
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