Among the many European immigrants arriving in Texas in the mid-19th century was a small group of Lithuanians who settled near Yorktown in DeWitt County. Because they eventually assimilated with the numerous German immigrants in the area, they and their contributions to the region’s history were overlooked for generations. Records indicate that the first Lithuanian family to settle there probably was David and Dora (Scholze) Stanchos, who arrived about 1852 and were among the earliest documented Lithuanian immigrants to America. By 1874, about 70 more immigrants had joined them, most from the province of Gumbinnen in what was then part of East Prussia. Leaving their homeland for various religious and political reasons, they came to Texas primarily through the ports of Galveston and Indianola. They established farms, became American citizens, and contributed to the history and culture of the area, and men from the community fought on both sides of the American Civil War. Many of these early settlers are buried in Jonischkies Cemetery, a small graveyard south of Yorktown.