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Throughout the entire 1800's for the most part. As best as I can tell most of them were German Catholics and there was heavy advertising in Catholic newsletters in Germany. If I had to guess I suspected it was a real estate thing. Some German had a bunch of land and needed a market. Just a guess.

There's one advertising flyer that's been floating around and it's a hoot. Firstly it said that Texas wasn't as hot in the summer as Minnesota. Uh huh.

Secondly there's this bit that struck me as so funny I had to cut and paste and still have saved:

"Texas is a democratic, free state, and there is no danger at all that fanatic, slippery hypocrites can take power and throw the state into servitude as has unfortunately has happened in many a state of the North. A German can without exception, freely and openly drink his glass of beer. He is welcomed everywhere and his work and services are properly appreciated. As a result of this, Texas can show more immigration, more German communities than most other states; indeed there are entire counties which are almost purely German."

Maybe not then...

For some reason, perhaps simply because of isolation, the German colonies in Texas didn't dilute as fast as they did in other areas of the US.

For whatever reason they held their culture visiting was my first experience of "culture shock" as a Baptist kid coming from a dry county in east Texas.

I think I remember those times with great fondness. Certainly as a bit hungover.