Danevang
- The Danish Capital of Texas |
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Danevang, a small community ten miles south of El
Campo, was founded by Danish settlers in the late nineteenth century.
However, this area of southeast Texas was not the first place
these Danish immigrants settled. Many of the founding families
first lived in northern stats such as Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
These families hired a land company called the Danish Folkesamfund,
or the Danish Folk Society of America, to find land that was suitable
for farming. They had heard tales of the fertile land that was
available in Texas. The company selected two areas of land on
the Texas coast to survey. The first was the area along Lavaca
Bay. This land looked very appealing to them since much of Denmark
is surrounded by water. However, the land was not suitable for
farming. The second area was along the present-day Wharton and
Matagorda County line. They believed that this area would prove
to be a prosperous farming area.
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1894, the first settlers, consisting of eleven families began
to buy land in what was soon to become Danevang. The land was
$9.00 an acre. Even though this was more than most could afford,
many people bought between forty and eighty acres. As the land
was bought, it was surveyed and fenced off into sections, A
section consists of 640 acres. |
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The Olson family was among the first settlers in
this area. When they left their home in the north, they put all
of their belongings, including, cattle and horses, into the same
box-car.
The family also had to tolerate the long journey to Danevang
in that car! When the Olsons arrived, like many other families,
they had to fence off their own land in order to protect it
from the longhorn steer that ran loose on the land.
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Once the settlers arrived, they constructed small
two-room houses. These houses had walls, a roof, and a floor -
nothing fancy. Using the same farming techniques they had acquired
in the north, the crops they planted failed. They soon adapted
these techniques to suit the southern climate. The Danes didn't
farm cotton; instead they tried farming grains. However, they
ended up farming cotton because the environment of south Texas
was not able to support the type of grain crops they had planted.
Before the land could be farmed, it had to be broken. Then
it had to sit for several months so that it would be soft enough
to plow. Only then could crops be planted. All of the farming
had to be done with a one-furrow plow, which was pulled by two
to four horses. The planting had to be done one plant at a time.
There was only a trail between Danevang and El Campo, no paved
roads. Whenever it rained, communications between the two towns
were cut. It was not until 1924 that paved a road ran through
Danevang. 1895 was a busy year for the growing community of
Danevang. The St. Ansgar congregation was organized with the
services being held in Mads Andersen's home. They were conducted
by Pastor F.L. Grundtvig. The community center was built to
serve as a church and as a meeting house. The first death occured,
therefore a cemetary had to be founded.
In 1908, the cornerstone was laid for the church, which was
completed in early 1909. In the summer of 1909, the settlers
got to see that the weather in Texas was not always wonderful.
On July 21, a hurricane hit, but no major damage was done.
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| The Danevang Farmer's Co-Op was organized in 1920
and incorporated the next year. This company coordinated the marketing
of local crops and bought supplies needed by the members at better
prices. This organization led to the purchasing of feed in 1922,
farm equipment in 1923, a cooperative gin in 1932, and a gasoline
station in 1932.
In 1944, the people of Danevang celebrated the fiftieth anniversary
of their town. The following year a hurricane swept over the
area, demolishing the church and moving the community center
twenty feet off its foundation. The Army Chapel from Camp Hulen
in Palacios was used as the new church building.
The people of Danevang have survived through many ordeals that
would have caused ordinary people to turn back towards home,
but the perseverence of the Danes has produced a successful
community. The prosperity of this small town is evident even
as you drive through.
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