Homes of

New D’Hanis came with the railroad in 1881. Old D’Hanis had been founded in 1847 by immigrants from Europe with other Castro colonists who settled in Castroville, Quihi and Vandenberg.

By 1880, a small village prospered in Old D’Hanis and the settlers built their homes, a Catholic church and school and several businesses. When the railroad planned to pass through this area, a loading station was built 1.5 miles west of town. The first train came through in 1882 and a depot was built in 1884, making it the center of activity and commerce. (Use of the depot was discontinued in 1962 and the building removed.)

Some of the earliest residences in New D’Hanis include the John B. Ney home and the Judson Fry home, later owned by Maurice Twomey, Ed Finger, John Zinsmeyer and Leon Pawvlik. One of the first businesses in New D’Hanis was the Andrew Carle Mercantile Store which was moved in 1883 from Old D’Hanis to a site across the street from the depot where the main business street later developed.

–  Koch, Connie, David Zinsmeyer, and Ethel Rothe. “Communities: History of New D’Hanis.” The History of Medina County, Texas, Rev. ed., vol. 1, Castro Colonies Heritage Association, Castroville, TX, 1994, pp. 86-87.