FAYETTEVILLE — Who knew that Fayetteville was once known as Lick Skillet?
Back in the early 1800s, after Sam Houston, on his way to San Jacinto, burned the Jesse Burnam ferry across the Colorado River near what is now Fayetteville.
From the area came a man who had fought in the Texas Revolution, Jerome B. Alexander, had a community named after him called Alexander’s Voting Place. It was also known as Lick Skillet, such as the name implied to those who came late, all the food was gone and was told to lick the skillet.
By 1837, Fayette County was established and the community of Fayetteville was officially started in 1844. It had a large Czech population and became known as the “cradle of Czech immigration to Texas.”
By the 1880s, Fayetteville was mainly Czech and German. Two of its citizens founded the KJT and SPJST.
Fayetteville is also the area of the first Czech Texas band, the Baca Family Band.
