Hedwig Village

 

The Spring Branch Memorial area was originally settled by German immigrants in the 19th century. Hedwig Village’s name originates from Hedwig Road, which was built on the property of Hedwig Jankowski Schroeder; Schroeder and her husband immigrated from Germany to Texas in 1906 so they could farm.

In the mid 1950’s, effort to form a Spring Branch municipality failed. Hedwig Village was incorporated on December 23, 1954 and established a zoning ordinance in 1955. Because of the 1955 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Hedwig Village’s territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporated. Hedwig Village incorporated because residents feared that Houston would annex them. Around 1963, residents of Hedwig Villages and other Memorial villages wanted what Gio Gustilo of the Houston Chronicle referred to as “a more country-like atmosphere within close proximity to Houston.” Laverne Coller, a resident quoted in the Houston Chronicle who moved to Hedwig Village in 1963, was paraphrased by Gustilo as “Hedwig Village is unique among villages in that it was the only municipality to accept the existing commercial sector, which was quite a bonus to the city’s revenues.

In 1960, the city had 1,182 residents. By 1966, the community had two schools, one library and two churches. By 1970, the city had 3,255 residents and in 1971 the city completed a park. The city had 3,994 residents in 1980 and 2,616 in 1990. Coller said in 2003 that many children of early Hedwig Village residents had begun to settle the Hedwig Village area. In 2003, Coller, as paraphrased by Gustilo, said “Despite the changes, several of her old neighbors remain and the camaraderie with new residents is good.”