Founded in 1833, Hallettsville became the seat of Lavaca County in 1852. The town was named after Margaret Hallett, widow of John H. Hallett, one of Stephen F. Austin's 300, who donated the land for the townsite. The population of the town in the nineteenth century was dominated by Czech and German immigrants, who published newspapers in their native languages beginning in the 1890s. The arrival of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway in 1887 secured the town's position as the economic center of the county. Hallettsville has remained a small farming community. Situated equally between San Antonio and Houston, Hallettsville is a popular spot for hunters of deer, dove, turkey, and wild hogs. Retaining its Czech culture, radio station FM99.9 is “All Czech, All the Time,” filling the local airwaves with polka.
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