Schroeder, Texas is located at the intersection of Farm roads 622 and 2987, fifteen miles from Goliad in northeastern Goliad County. The first settlers in the area were Germans who arrived in the 1840s. Since supplies were available in nearby towns, the first store was not built until 1887. This establishment, which became a combination shoe store, grocery, and saloon by 1892, still supplied groceries, gasoline, and hardware in 1986.

A school was built in 1870, a blacksmith shop in 1889, and a cotton gin and gristmill in 1895. Schroeder Hall, the second-oldest dance hall in Texas, was constructed and opened for business in 1890. When a new school was established in 1892, residents named it Germantown School to denote their heritage. Thereafter, the community, which received a post office in 1890, was also Germantown. Itinerant clergy used the school for services until St. Luke's Lutheran Church was organized in 1893 by Theodore Ander, the pastor from nearby Hanover. A new church building was built in 1905 with Rev. J. Schroeder as pastor. St Luke's Ladies Aid Society, organized in 1900, was still active in the community in 1986, as was the Sons of Herman Lodge, chartered in 1894.

In 1918, as a result of anti-German sentiments aroused by World War I, the thirty-five residents of Germantown renamed the community Schroeder, in honor of the first townsman killed in the war, Paul Schroeder. The population decreased to twenty-five by the 1920s. In 1925, a fire destroyed most of the business district, although the community center and dance hall were not damaged. Schroeder rebuilt and reported 150 residents from the 1940s until the late 1960s, when 208 residents were listed. The post office continued until 1944. The school became Schroeder Community Center in 1950. Thereafter children were bussed to Goliad for their education. In 1988, Schroeder still served as a center for a well-populated ranching and farming area and recorded an increase in population to 350.

Little known facts

1. The hall began as a combination store and hall in Germantown, TX

2. built in the late 1880’s and completed in 1890 along with a post office.

3. Germantown changed its name to Schroeder due to World War 1 creating Anti-German sentiments

4. After a fire destroyed most of the business district in 1925, the old dance hall was torn down and replaced by a more modern building, known to this day as Schroeder Hall.

5. The current establishment was built in 1935 and consists of a total of 14,000 square feet, including a 6,000-square-foot oak dance floor.

6. The first dance in the new space was held on July 16, 1935

7. The Dance floor is oak and was imported from a mill in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

8. men paid an admission fee of fifty cents, and women and children received free admission.

9. The dance hall and bar were separate structures because at this that alcohol was not allowed in Dance halls

10. The Hoffs allowed beer inside the dance hall in 1960; that same year they added tables.

11. In 1969 air-conditioning was installed.

Owners of the Hall

1. Ed Scherlen 1890 -???

2. F. F. Post ???-1950

3. Byron and Helen Hoff 1950-2000’s

4. Jack and Sharon Kleinecke 2000-2014

5. Doug Guller 2014-2017

6. Linda Krause 2017-2020

7. Aric and Christine Krause 2020 – Present

HISTORY BIBLIOGRAPHY: Goliad County Historical Commission, The History and Heritage of Goliad County, ed. Jakie L. Pruett and Everett B. Cole (Austin: Eakin, 1983). History Courtesy of Craig H. Roell.

The current hall was reconstructed in 1935 using oak shipped from Fort Smith, Arkansas for the dance floor. The dancehall and bar were separate structures keeping patrons who wanted to drink beer and watch the dance for free behind a chicken wire fence. Men paid an admission fee of fifty cents while women and children received free admission. The dance floors were lined with benches and guests were kept warm with a wood-burning stove. In 1950 the hall welcomed new owners and gradually began to see changes and improvements. Beer was allowed inside the hall in 1960, the same year tables and chairs were added. Air conditioning was installed in 1969 and was run by a diesel generator. The hall has seen a number of new owners through the years. In 2017, the most recent owner has updated the hall with hopes of keeping the history of Schroeder alive.

Music Legends at Schroeder Hall

Some of the legends of music that have graced the stage at the historic Schroeder Hall include:

• Merle Haggard

• Mel Tillis

• Conway Twitty

• Hank Thompson

• Willie Nelson

• Ray Price

• Earl Thomas Conley

• John Conlee

• Gene Watson

• George Jones

• Tammy Wynette

• Charley Pride

• Steve Wariner

• Tracy Byrd

• Randy Rogers Band

• Cross Canadian Ragweed

• Stoney LaRue

• Kyle Park

• Aaron Watson

• Cody Johnson Band

• Casey Donahue Band

• Midland

• Kevin Fowler

• And Many More!

Where we are Going

Linda Krause bought the Hall out of a deep passion for her late husband Bill in 2017. The Hall held very fond memories for her. She wanted to provide a place where families and couples could come and enjoy themselves and create lasting memories.  We lost Linda in June of 2020. Her son Aric and his wife Christine took over full ownership.

Aric is a former Air Force Captain, farmer, and entrepreneur with an MBA. Christine is a former Nurse Practitioner with a Master of Science in Nursing. Both are avid music lovers. Aric is known to be very passionate about audiophile quality sound and the dance floor. He performs all maintenance on the floor himself. Christine is very passionate about people enjoying themselves and bringing out some of the best artists available. She is the heart and soul of Schroeder Hall.

Since their taking of the reins, they have begun to make the Hall into a venue that artists and fans want to come to. They have made vast improvements to the Hall, including a complete kitchen and menu renovation, and adding modern conveniences to the rustic charm of the Hall.

Schroeder Hall has become a live music and dance venue destination that is a must for artists to play at. Our sound system already rivals the top venues of our size in the nation.

We invite you to share in our historic Texas tradition of great music, delicious food, fun times and the most amazing dance floor this side of the Pecos!