Name: Nazareth, Texas
Address: Nazareth, TX

Nazareth, TX RoadyGoat

Nazareth, Texas, might look like just another quiet spot on the High Plains, but there's a certain spirit that runs deep here. It’s a place where faith and family are the cornerstones, a legacy left by those German Catholic settlers who arrived in 1902, drawn to this land and a promise of a better life. You can still feel that heritage in the town today, in the church bells and the community gatherings. While the rolling fields of wheat and sorghum define the landscape, and the occasional pronghorn antelope darts across the horizon, it’s the hard work and dedication that truly mark Nazareth. But it's the Nazareth Swiftettes basketball team that really put this town on the map. They're more than just a team; they're a dynasty. Generation after generation, these young women have brought home state titles, their victories echoing across the shortgrass prairie where blue grama grass sways in the wind. It’s a testament to the values instilled in Nazareth: discipline, teamwork, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. It's a story etched into the very fabric of this community, as unforgettable as the rare Nazareth meteorite that once fell near here, a reminder that even in the most unassuming places, something extraordinary can always be found.

Nazareth, TX RoadyGoat

Nazareth sits high on the Texas plains, higher than you might think, at almost 3,600 feet. It's a place where you can still find blue grama grass waving in the wind and pronghorn antelope darting across the horizon. But what makes Nazareth special isn’t just its location, it’s the story of the people who built it. In 1902, German Catholic settlers came to this part of the Panhandle, drawn by the promise of fertile land and the opportunity to build a community rooted in their faith. They named their new home Nazareth, a nod to the biblical town, hoping to create a place of peace and strong community. Life wasn’t easy, but these families persevered. They tilled the soil, raised cattle, and slowly transformed the shortgrass prairie into productive farmland. The town became a hub for the surrounding agricultural community, a place where neighbors helped neighbors and faith played a central role in everyday life. That spirit still resonates today. Farming and ranching remain the lifeblood of Nazareth, and the German Catholic heritage is alive in its traditions. And while it might be a quiet place, Nazareth has a way of making a big impact, especially when the Swiftettes basketball team takes to the court, bringing home state titles and a whole lot of pride.

Nazareth, TX RoadyGoat

Nazareth, Texas, sits high up on the plains, higher than you might think, and that altitude seems to suit the people here just fine. It’s a place deeply rooted in its German Catholic heritage. Back at the turn of the last century, folks came here looking for land, looking for a place to build a life centered on faith and family. They named it Nazareth, a nod to their shared beliefs, and started farming this shortgrass prairie, the same prairie where blue grama grass still sways in the wind and pronghorn antelope roam. You can still hear echoes of the old ways if you listen closely. While the old German dialects have mostly faded with time, the traditions haven't. The spirit of those early settlers lives on in the town's architecture, the food shared at community gatherings, and the celebrations that mark the seasons. Even the names on some of the streets whisper of the families who first broke ground here. And of course, there's the basketball team, the Nazareth Swiftettes, a source of incredible pride. Their legendary success, winning title after title, is just another example of the dedication and community spirit that defines this place. It's a town where the past isn't just remembered; it's lived.

Home Mercantile

1905

For 90 years, starting in 1905, Nazareth residents purchased goods here. The original wood-frame structure, built by Fred Heidgerken with living quarters above, opened its main floor to home shopping needs and the storing and selling of fresh meat and dairy products. In 1928, Ed Kern and Conrad Schulte built a new brick and concrete building, the first in town, that came to include the post office from 1937-1980. The building also hosted such social activities as weekly poker games, amateur boxing matches, a community bulletin board, and occasional liquor sales from the back door. While the store closed in 1995, social and cultural events of the community continue to be celebrated here. (2014)

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Holy Family Cemetery

1902

In 1902, Joseph Reisdorff, pastor and colonizer of Nazareth, devoted land donated by Wilhelmina Thier to be Holy Family Cemetery. First interment was the body of Anna Lackerman in August 1906. Reflecting Nazareth’s heritage, nine early tombstones bear German inscriptions. In the 1940s, additions included more property, the crucifixion statuary, pipe fencing, brick pillars, tree-lined walks, and an arched gateway. In 1985, the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed in the east, and in 1995, the Unborn Children’s Memorial in the west. In 2012, the New Jerusalem Oratory was dedicated for visitors’ devotion and cemetery information. Notable interments include three priests and the only World War II death casualty, R.T. Dirks. Historic Texas Cemetery – 2011

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Holy Family Catholic Church

1890

The history of Holy Family Catholic Church parallels that of the town of Nazareth. The families of brothers V. A., J. A., and T. P. McCormick and other Irish families came to this area from New York in the early 1890s. The Rev. Joseph Reisdorff arrived in 1902 to establish a Catholic parish. Advertising in German-language newspapers in the U.S. Midwest, he induced many German Catholic families to settle here. Reisdorff named the new town Nazareth. An important part of the area's development, the church remains a focal point of community activities. (1987)

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Sunnyside, TX (Castro County)

1960

Sunnyside is on U.S. Highway 385 fifteen miles south of Dimmitt in Castro County. It was founded in 1912 when two rural schools, Axtell and Roush (both named after area settlers), were merged at a central location. The site originally was included in the XIT Ranch lands and later in the William E. Halsell survey. Another area resident, Jeff Gilbreath, named the school Sunnyside because of the climate and also because he had lived near Sunnyside, Tennessee. The Sunnyside Baptist Church was organized in this school in 1921. Four years later a new brick facility replaced the original building, and a church was constructed on the other side of the road. A store was built in 1930. Lack of water was a frequent problem, and Sunnyside suffered badly during the Dust Bowl . In 1935 R. E. Cade drilled the area's first deep irrigation well two miles east of Sunnyside. Other farmers soon followed suit; by 1971 at least one deep well was to be found on every area farm. In 1941 the Rural Electrification Administration assisted in bringing electric power to the area. The Sunnyside school ceased operations in 1942, and in 1945 the Sunnyside School District was partitioned among Dimmitt, Springlake, and Hart. Nevertheless, the community lived on. In 1951 a cotton gin was built, and El Paso Natural Gas established a booster plant and a ten-family housing unit just south of the county line. On April 12, 1960, a tornado demolished several buildings, killed three, and injured sixty. However, the residents, with help from neighboring towns and churches, soon built back. The Lions Club turned a store building into a community center in 1972 and in 1979 provided the community with fire-fighting equipment. Since then the club has hosted an annual Fourth of July celebration, complete with fireworks. With a new church and a gin and five other businesses, Sunnyside reported a population of 106 in 1980 and 1990. The population dropped to eighty by 2000.

Tsha Handbook → · 8.5 mi away

Easter, TX

1901

Easter is on Farm Road 2397 two miles east of Farm Road 1055 in northwestern Castro County. It was named for William Frank Easter, who settled there in the early 1900s. In 1901 he donated the land on which a one-room schoolhouse was built. This school was disbanded in 1912 but then reopened in 1915. Church services and Sunday school classes were held there. A new two-room school was built across the road north of the first structure in 1919 and 1920 and was subsequently enlarged. After the building burned in 1940, the Easter school district was consolidated with the Dimmitt schools, twenty miles southeast. A combination church and community center was built on the site but was later moved away and remodeled into a private residence. During the 1950s a grain elevator, a fertilizer shop, and a cotton gin were built at the townsite. Community spirit was revived with the organization of the Easter Lion's Club in 1965; in 1967 the club built a new community building two miles west on Farm Road 1055. Since then the annual Easter "Oprey," along with other special events, has been held there. A grocery store near the gin also operated a hamburger stand. Mail was delivered to the community from Hereford. In 1984 and 1990 Easter reported a population of ninety-one. The population dropped to thirty in 2000.

Tsha Handbook → · 8.5 mi away

Nazareth, Texas

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Nazareth, TX RoadyGoat

Nazareth, TX RoadyGoat

Nazareth, TX RoadyGoat

Home Mercantile

Holy Family Cemetery

Holy Family Catholic Church

Sunnyside, TX (Castro County)

Easter, TX

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