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HISTORY
RAILROAD TOWN Historical Flatonia, Texas
EXPLORING FLATONIA TODAY AND YESTERDAY, A TOWN WITH HISTORY DATING BACK TO 1841
Flatonia is very proud of their charming little town and its Czech and German heritage, beautiful landscapes, ranches and countryside surrounding their town.
There are several bed and breakfasts in country settings, a beautiful historic hotel located just one block from the downtown area, lovely cottages recently renovated just on the east end of town and three hotels conveniently located on I-10. There are a wide variety of antique and gift shops, pharmacy, and oldworld museum and more ... all located in our Historic downtown area.
Flatonia is a community of about 1,500, centrally located between four major Texas cities – Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Victoria. It was established in 1873 and named for the pioneer merchant F. W. Flato. It became a melting pot for English, German, Bohemian, Czech and Italian immigrants. Flatonia is still a well-known and scenic spot for train watchers, boasting one of Texas’ longest standing, manually operated railroad switching towers with North-South, East-West cross rails. Flatonia was a market town for rich agricultural area, on one of this state’s earliest railroads (chartered 1841 by the Republic of Texas). Situated on land granted in 1840s to rancher William A. Faires.
Germans began to settle here in 1860s, and soon needed a shipping point for their products. Sailing master Friedrich Wilhelm Flato (1820-1899) and his wife Sophie, of the German Colony, had a store about 2 miles south of here.
In the 1870s, Czech immigrants arrived, and the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad (delayed by Civil War, 1861-65) was built to this point. John Cline, F. W. Flato, John Lattimore, and railroad president T. W. Pierce founded Flatonia on Oct. 16, 1873, naming it for the Flato family.
