AUSTIN, Texas — A road less travelled: FM 672 in Caldwell County is where St. John Colony can be found, in the rolling prairie land southeast of Austin.
This is where, in the 1870s, 14 families fled racial violence after the Civil War to settle on 2,200 acres in what they called “God’s country.” At St John Colony, families built their homes, farmed the land and educated their children.
The colony reached prominence in the 1910s when it had stores, a cotton gin, a post office and a grist mill. A school was built that served as a centerpiece of the colony, where hundreds of children were educated over the years.
But as the decades have passed, many of the descendants of the founding families have moved away. Now only a few homes remain. But those who grew up there, who are now in their 70s and 80s, still celebrate the memory and spirit of the community.
Austin documentary filmmaker Bob Karstens has been recording interviews with some of the people who lived in the colony to capture their memories of life at St. John, in hopes of creating a film to share with libraries and museums.
“The stories from St. John are remarkable and need to be heard by all people: white, Black, brown,” Karstens said. “It’s a great testament to what has truly made America great.”
Even though the old schoolhouse has been converted into a museum, there’s concern that perhaps one day, the colony may live only in the history books – something Karstens fears.
“They’re fading out. They’re in their 70s and 80s, and even though their memories remain and their stories remain, the people themselves are fading away, as we all are.”
Karstens said he hopes his film will spread the story of the colony’s remarkable history and save St. John from the passage of time.