Castroville, Texas
City in the United States in Medina County
About Castroville
Castroville is a city in Medina County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,954 at the 2020 census, up from 2,680 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio–New Braunfels, Texas Greater San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Castroville was founded by Alsatian-Texans, who came to Texas from Alsace France during a high emigration period of the mid-1800s. Most Alsatians who came to Castroville came due to economic hardships in the French border region with Germany and many of them spoke Alsatian dialect (a dialect of Germanic origin that borrows heavily from French). The Alsatian culture and language are still kept alive by the residents of Castroville. Prior to 1893, Castroville was the first county seat of Medina County.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Castroville is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
1 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Castroville
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
- Darrin Schroeder per Wikidata
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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Population over time
From 2,680 in 2010 to 2,954 in 2020 (+10.2%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,954 |
| 2010 | 2,680 |
History
Castroville was established in 1844 by Henri Castro, an empresario of the Republic of Texas, who brought several dozen German, and French families such as the Boheme, Haby, Burges, Hoog, and Mcmullen Families, to the area from Alsace, Switzerland, and adjoining Baden to populate his land grant along the Medina River 20 miles (32 km) west of San Antonio. The first colonists disembarked at Galveston on January 9, 1843. They were taken by ship to Lavaca Bay and traveled overland to San Antonio, where they took shelter in abandoned buildings until the Texas Rangers were prepared to escort them to their land and protect them from hostile Indians. On September 2, 1844, the first colonists arrived at Castro's land grant on the Medina River.
From 1849, Castroville, on the Medina River, was a water stop on the San Antonio-El Paso Road and a stagecoach station on the San Antonio-El Paso Mail Line and San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line.
After a few hard years, the town and surrounding farms flourished, but for generations, the residents remained insular. In Castroville's first century, a visitor would be more likely to hear Alsatian than English spoken in the town's homes, stores, and taverns. Modern Alsatian travelers noted that the dialect spoken in Castroville was more like that which was spoken in the 1840s. The descendants of the original settlers worked diligently to preserve their language, whose usage in Europe has been diminished by the political actions of France and Germany, especially since World War II.
The Steinbach Haus(originally built between 1618 and 1648 in Wahlbach, Alsace) was dismantled and reconstructed in Castroville in 1998. It was opened to the public in 2002.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.