Rhineland is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Knox County

Knox County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,253 people, 1,690 households, and 1,166 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 2,129 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. According to the Handbook of Texas

Handbook of Texas

The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...

, the community had an estimated population of 100.

Geography

Rhineland is located at 33°31′47"N 99°39′18"W (33.5298164, -99.6550866). It is situated at the intersection of Farm Roads 267  and 2534 in southeastern Knox County, approximately six miles north of Munday

Munday, Texas

Munday is a city in Knox County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,527 at the 2000 census. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau placed the population at 1,300....

 and 85 miles (136.8 km) north of Abilene

Abilene, Texas

Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...

.

History

The community was officially established on February 1, 1895, when the land contract between J.C. League and German-born Catholics – Father Joseph R. Reisdorff and Hugh Herchenbach – was notarized. The 12000 acres (48.6 km²) plot was advertised as a colony for German Catholics and was named after the Rhineland

Rhineland

Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....

 region in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. The Rhineland Common School District was organized in 1898 with the first schoolhouse being built the following year. A larger, brick school building was constructed in 1926 that provided public education through high school. A number of students attended a local parochial school.

By 1950, Rhineland has approximately 75 residents. Over the years, the community experienced a slight rise in population, but the number of businesses declined. Rhineland's school district would later consolidate with nearby Munday. In 1980, the estimated number of inhabitants in Rhineland was 196. That figure had fallen to 100 by 2000.

Education

Public education in the community of Rhineland is provided by the Munday Consolidated Independent School District

Munday Consolidated Independent School District

Munday Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in Munday, Texas . In addition to Munday, the district also serves the city of Goree which had its own independent school district until 2003...

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