Today, La Grange’s Casino Hall has been restored to its 1881 grandeur. The La Grange Journal reported at the time, “When the Casino announces an entertainment, it must be a first class one and all who attend will find mirth, music and merriment ruling the hour.” By 1905, records listed 11 German “Casinos” scattered throughout the state. It was a venue for singing and theater performances … meetings of the Masons… the annual Fireman’s Ball…and even a school. Built in 1881 with $12,000 donated by residents, Casino Hall was not a gambling parlor. In La Grange, Casino Hall was the place Deutschtum could thrive. Celebration was central to their “Germanness” – or Deutschtum. They made time for dancing, singing, and for many, yes, drinking. But it tells us something, a basic truth about German-Texans: they valued work and fun. When the joyride was finished, the men rang in 1840 with an all-night feast of ham and egg nog. Going from farmhouse to farmhouse, a well-lubricated Gustav Dresel would fire his weapon, offer the startled farmer a shot of whiskey, and invite him to join the ride to the next house. While visiting a friend over Christmas in 1839, Gustav Dresel was appalled at how Texans observed the holiday – they didn’t! Determined to salvage New Year’s Eve, Dresel bought gallons of raw whiskey, grabbed his gun, and set out into the countryside.
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