I discovered Czestochowa, Texas by accident ................

[Kelley (Texas)]

A few days ago when I rode the motorcycle to Karnes County, Texas to see the small town of Panna Maria and to explore the surrounding area, I accidentally discovered Czestochowa, Texas. As I was traveling south down State Highway 123, I spotted a sign stating Czestochowa. I thought to myself...a small town, lets take a look at it. Well, after driving a mile or two down a well maintained country road, I came to Czestochowa. It was not a small town, but instead was a large Polish Church and School. This is a beautiful church, much larger than the one at Panna Maria, Texas. I had a pleasant surprise when I read the historical marker and discovered that this church was related to the one in Panna Maria. The original church in Panna Maria had burned down and some of the original members built this new church before the church at Panna Maria had been rebuilt. For awhile there was some friction between the two church congregations, but they soon resolved their differences.

I was in hog heaven when I received another surprise at this church. There was a marker on the church property that told about an old fort that use to be nearby...it is now on private property. This area is so rich in history that I plan on making another motorcycle ride down here in the near future.

This is the first historical marker on the church property, may be a little difficult to read.
[attachment 92084 CzestochowaHistorySign_M2.jpg]

This is a picture of the Church. If you look carefully, you will see my motorcycle in the picture. As already mentioned, this is the second oldest Polish Church in Texas.
[attachment 92079 CzestochowaChurch_M1.jpg]

This is a marker located in front of the church, and like some of the other markers may be just a tab difficult to read...sorry. The cross on this marker came from Poland.
[attachment 92077 CzestochowaChurchMarker_M1.jpg]

This is the historical marker located on the church property that told me about Fort El Fuerte Del Cibolo which at one time was located near by on Cibolo Creek.
[attachment 92087 CzestochowaFortHistorySign_M2.jpg]

These statues were located on the church property...beautiful.
[attachment 92083 CzestochowaChurchStatueM.jpg]

I would like to mention that the country side in this area had corn crops on both sides of the road for many miles. The land was rolling hills and flat land, much different different than the Texas Hill Country of some of my prior trips, but in my opinion, just as beautiful.

One funny incident took place as I headed back north to San Antonio that I want to share. I was heading north on State Hwy. 80 and spotted a sign that stated a rest stop was one mile ahead. I was getting a little tired and thought to myself "wow," perfect timing for a break. As I approached the rest stop, I noticed that it was not very well maintained. The grass was in need of cutting and there were some small tree branches laying around, one was even laying on top of one of the two picnic tables. No problem, I needed a break and pulled into the rest stop. I parked the bike, grabbed the thermos of coffee, and sat down at the "clean" picnic table. After taking a few sips of coffee, I glanced over at the other picnic table. For some reason, I thought to myself, that is a strange looking tree branch on that table top. Just about this time, it moved and slid off the table...it was a medium size black colored snake, not a tree branch. I spilled coffee down my shirt as I grabbed the thermos and ran for the bike to get away. I did not know where that snake went and I really did not care to stay around to find out...I was out of there in a flash. I just have no desire to be around snakes and they always seem to find me. I have often wished that Noah had not loaded any snakes on the Ark when that big flood occurred...life would have been so much better.

I was a little tired when I arrived back home in San Antonio after riding just a tab over two hundred miles, but that was OK because I really had a great time. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[david(tx)]

i probably won't make it to those places in my life and i enjoy those photos.its those by ways off the beaten path that are interesting.

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

of these out of the way historical sites or other sites of interest. I bet there are some good sites up there in North Texas that you could visit that I may never see...have you ever thought about visiting some of those sites and taking some pictures? I kinda think that you would be good at it. Thanks for reading my stories. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Micheal_R]

Not a cloud in the sky and history so deep you can almost reach out and grasp it. I envy you Fred..

sunny skies

mikie

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

are within a day's round trip by motorcycle and that I am capable of riding the bike to the sites. So far I have only visited sites that are easily found and have not ventured onto private property. I suspect that when I reach the point of attempting to explore sites on private property, it may become difficult because country folks are distrustful of folks from the city and especially so of someone on a motorcycle. It will be even more difficult if I would want to go pass the realm of just taking pictures...like using a metal detector. Some sites would be off road and I might have a problem with my legs hiking long distances. I think that I could have some business cards made with my name and address, and maybe put one of those small Catholic type statues on the gas tank of the bike, and put on my John Deere hat just before pulling into someone's driveway, doing that might help me gain access to private property. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Dan-MO]

Thanks for sharing it with us, I really enjoyed the story and the pics. I don't blame you for not sticking around after seeing that snake!

 

[George-CT]

Fort, 2.5 miles north caught my interest as it did yours. Be pretty neat if you could get permission to detect around there. Often I try to get on private property and at times its pretty hard. I made a sheet of paper up I would hand out or put in the mail box. I called myself the Penny hunter as your find a lot of Indian Head penny's here and the larger One cent penny's. This seemed to put them at ease that I was not finding Black beards lost treasure in their yard. Yet, others would walk along next to me and take what I found on the spot. I would hunt a few more, and then politely excuse myself for another time. No point in that to me.... Sharing sure, watching them take it all, no way. I have in spots found lots of Indian heads and made a little presentation of them to the owner's on doubles or stuff I had. That gets me back or to friends of theirs.

That old fort containing stuff from the 1700's is real interesting. We have a lot 1700 sites around these parts,but again, hard to get at when it comes to permission from the owners of the land. Often its on big tracts of land here that they let hunters on. I go out looking for old cellar holes, and quite often they never even knew they were there. Usually I get to detect them.

Your sure in the center of some interesting history Fred. If you have and extra detector, often thats the ticket in. Many always wanted to try it but would never spring for one. Some do it for a 1/2 hour and give and back and say have fun. Its not for them. Others get right into it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Your getting in some great riding also. Fred to give you and idea how small it is up here. I can jump on the bike and hit, Ct, RI, Mass, Maine, NH, VT and NY all in one day and be back home in the evening. 5 hours, I can be on the Canada border at the crossings.

George

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

It seems that here lately if there is a snake in the area, I seem to find it...I do not really like snakes. The snake on the picnic table was evidently enjoying laying in the sun until I arrived...it might have pizzed him off, who knows. I just know that I was not going to stay around to find out where he had gone and whether or not he was pizzed off at me...I flew out of that rest stop in well under a minute. While this was not a big snake, and was not a rattlesnake, you have to remember that it did have a mouth which means it was capable of biting. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I have always wanted to see Canada. We always have some Canadian cowboys in some of the rodeos down here...they are tough to compete against, but are always gentlemen and fun to be around. I use to spend lots of time asking them about Canada. They are good folks.

George, you might try to wear a John Deere hat when you approach the land owner...it might just break the ice.

One problem that we have down here in Texas is that many of the historical sites are protected by what is known as an historical easement. This prevents anyone from disturbing any historical site on private land. The farmer or rancher will often be granted tax benefits when agreeing to letting the government place the historical easement on the property. The historical easement is permanent and can never be removed. Anything found on public land that is older than fifty years is the property of the government. The historical easement is treated under the same laws.

George, will you be riding this holiday weekend? I wonder if Ron will go for a ride and take some boat history pictures this weekend? Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Wayne in BC]

doing trips with that Bike that many of us can only dream about! Beautiful weather and pics, WTG! Are you going to get a sidecar for Debbie? It would hold your Detector too

 

[Royal]

able to ride year round. Up here it is just summer and fall. On good days.

We just got off the river and it was just a beautiful day.

We have old ghost towns in Michigan but many are now farm fields. Jerome found one, Deanville its name was and we had a ball detecting it. I have not seen or heard from him in a long time

 

[Royal]

We were down to the river yesterday and I saw a couple eastern water snakes, they are harmless. A woman was fishing later and saw the big one and yelled to us to watch out for it. I told her it was harmless and if she wanted to see how nice it was to grab it and tenderly stroke its belly. I told her that the thing will purr like a kitten and she can hear it if she held its head close to her ear and listened carefully.

I didn't crack a smile and she just stood there looking at me like she thought I was nuts

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

In the first place, if that snake had wanted to lay out in the sun, he should have done it out in the field, not on that picnic table. In any event, I was not going to take issue with it...I just got out of there. I would not be a bit surprised if it watched me leave and then went back to the picnic table and waited for the next victim. I just do not like to be around snakes, especially ones that are bold enough to sun themselves on top of a picnic table...that snake was up to no good. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Royal]

n/t

 

[Royal]

n/t

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

that you are to be nice on Memorial Day. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

historical era is only less than two hundred years old...your area is hundreds of years old. Still, I would think that you would still have some small towns to photograph. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

When Debbie goes somewhere with me, we always have to stop and eat, or make potty stops. When we lived at the home place, when Debbie wanted to go with me to the feed store, a normal 45 minute round trip would turn into a several hour trip...had to stop and eat, then had to stop at the grocery store, then we would have to stop somewhere else. She does not need to know about a side car for the motorcycle. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Wayne in BC]

i won't tell her if you don't

 

[Royal]

up here in Roscommon it still is not settled You ought to check out the people at the local bars