The Klein Community

A farming community developed in this area after a group of German immigrants settled on the banks of Cypress Creek in 1845. The settlement was later named for Adam Klein, who left Germany in 1849 and joined the California gold rush before moving here with his wife Friederika (Klenk) in 1854. Farmers in this vicinity raised cotton, potatoes, and corn, and marketed their produce in Huston, a two-day trip by wagon.

Center of community life was Trinity Lutheran Church, organized in 1874 by the Bernshausen, Benfer, Brill, Kaiser, Klein, Lemm, Theiss, and Wunderlich families. The Klenk and Strack families joined soon after the charter was signed. The settlement was called Big Cypress until Klein Post Office was established Sept. 8, 1884.

William N. Blackshear, the first postmaster, operated the postal facility in his general store. It was replaced by rural free delivery in 1906. Although never platted or incorporated, the Klein community formed the nucleus of a school district. In 1928 five districts were consolidated to create Rural High School District Number One.

Many early schools had only one room and one teacher. In 1938 the district became Klein Independent School District.