Saint Hedwig

St. Hedwig is near the junction of Farm roads 1346 and 1518, sixteen miles east of downtown San Antonio in eastern Bexar County. The site was first settled by John Demmer, a native Silesian, in 1852. In 1856 four other emigrants from Silesia settled in the area and constructed a log cabin to serve as the first church for the community. A post office called Cottage Hill opened in 1860, but the name was changed in 1877 to St. Hedwig for the duchess and patron saint of Silesia. A stone church was built in 1868. In 1897 the population included 200 families of Polish and German stock-primarily immigrants from Gross Strehlitz in Upper Silesia-and their black tenants. In 1945 a general merchandise store served a population of 100. The number of residents grew steadily after World War II , reaching 200 in 1956, 589 in 1965, and 650 in 1970. The town incorporated in the 1970s and in 1990 had 1,443 inhabitants. In 2000 the population was 1,875.