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About Texas Polka News

Thu, 09/01/2022 - 12:00am

The Texas Polka News was started by Julius Tupa of Houston in 1987 with the mission to preserve and promote polka music and dance. When Julius passed away in 2002, his wife, Marie, continued as publisher, and Julius' friend, John Rivard, took the reins as volunteer editor. John stepped down as editor in June 2014, and Marie sold the paper to Theresa Cernoch Parker, who resumed publishing in September 2014. In addition to polka, the paper covers other dance hall music including Country, Western Swing, and Cajun, and celebrates live music, such as Opry, across the state.

These halls
These halls
These halls
These halls
These halls
These halls
These halls

These halls

Mon, 08/01/2022 - 12:00am

These halls are no longer with us and have disappeared from storms, fire, and negligence. There are many more that have been stricken from the roles of a great place to go.

Ammannsville KJT Society No. 4
Ammannsville KJT Society No. 4
Ammannsville KJT Society No. 4

Ammannsville KJT Society No. 4

Mon, 08/01/2022 - 12:00am

Ammannsville KJT Society No. 4: This hall, with its curvy architecture, still stands today in the tiny village of Ammannsville in Fayette County, Texas. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ammannsville holds its picnic here every year on Father's Day. The photographs above and to the right were taken by Roger Kolar in 1975. The image below shows the hall as it appeared in 2021. Here's some history of the dancehalls in Ammannsville:

Fayetteville SPJST #1
Fayetteville SPJST #1
Fayetteville SPJST #1
Fayetteville SPJST #1

Fayetteville SPJST #1

Mon, 08/01/2022 - 12:00am

Fayetteville SPJST #1: The hall was dedicated in 1910. The photograph below, left, was taken at the dedication ceremony. This hall was not the first, but a hall built for the first SPJST Lodge in the town where the organization was founded. The hall was refurbished in 2021-2022, with assistance from Texas Dance Hall Preservation and available for rent. The hall was also referred to as Shady Grove. The 1975 image (above, left) shows Mr. Kolar’s daughter, Susan, in the foreground.

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