Umbarger
Canyon, Randall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Umbarger In 1895, Civil War Veteran and farmer S.G. Umbarger established a wagon yard and sheds for travelers passing through this area. The area became known as Umbarger when the Pecos Valley Railroad, built in 1898, named a rail switch after him. By 1902, the community had a post office; in 1904, later citizens established a public school district. German-Catholic families, brought to the area by Pius Friemel, established St. Mary's Church, or Marienkirche, in 1908. During World War II, Italian prisoners of war were held in nearby Hereford. A group of them, trained in old world techniques, carved religious figures and painted the interior of the parish church, which remains a community center. (1968, 2003)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Umbarger began in 1895 as a humble wagon yard where a Civil War veteran turned farmer offered rest to travelers on the Texas plains, and it took his name when the Pecos Valley Railroad christened a switch after him in 1898. German-Catholic families gathered by Pius Friemel built St. Mary's Church in 1908, planting Old World faith in the Panhandle. Its most remarkable chapter came during World War II, when Italian prisoners of war held nearby at Hereford adorned the parish church with carved figures and painted interiors that survive to this day.
Why it matters
Umbarger captures how a railroad switch could seed a whole immigrant community, and how even wartime captivity left behind lasting art that still binds a small Texas town together.
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Related people
- · S.G. Umbarger
- · Pius Friemel
Related events
- · World War II
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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