Editing Muenster, Texas (section)

==History==

In 1887, [[Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad]] constructed a line from [[Gainesville, Texas|Gainesville]] to [[Henrietta, Texas|Henrietta]] that passed through the site that would become Muenster. The town was subsequently founded in 1889 by [[German people|German]] [[Catholic]] [[German American|settlers]] Carl and Emil Flusche, who invited other German Catholics to join them.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-08 |title=Muenster, TX |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/muenster-tx |access-date=2024-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608110114/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/muenster-tx |archive-date=June 8, 2024 }}</ref> The town was originally to be called "[[Westphalia]]", but since the name [[Westphalia, Texas]], was already taken, Muenster was selected instead in honor of [[Münster]], the capital of Westphalia, but these cities are not sister-cities.

Many residents still spoke [[German language|German]] in day-to-day life up until the [[First World War]], after which the language was no longer taught in the schools and steadily declined in use.

With more than 90% of the population German and Catholic, the city has preserved many German customs, and still produces traditional foods at the local meat market and ''Bäckerei''. An annual festival in April, Germanfest, includes beer, BBQ, German food, music, and bike and footraces. A ''[[Christkindlmarkt]]'' is held each year on [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] weekend.

Catholicism was so important to the early settlers that they built a school before a church was ever established. That school, [[Sacred Heart Catholic School (Muenster, Texas)|Sacred Heart Catholic School]], still exists today (one of only three high schools in the Fort Worth Diocese), along with the public [[Muenster Independent School District]].