The Jewish citizens who helped make Corsicana
By Matt Adams Corsicana Explore
You drive that busy stretch of 15th Street between Second and Seventh Avenues , and it ’ s nearly impossible not to at least glance in admiration at Temple Beth-El as you pass . A white clapboard masterpiece of Moorish Revival architecture , with twin onion-domed turrets , the historic Jewish temple , one of the oldest in Texas , is so pleasantly incongruous with the surrounding shopping centers that it demands attention , even as the people who built it – who helped build Corsicana – fade into memory .
The first Jewish settlers arrived in Corsicana in the early 1870s , at a time when the railroad had transformed the town into a bustling trade hub . Most were emigrants from Europe , and nearly all were merchants , operating dry goods stores , groceries , and saloons .
Faith was important to Corsicana ’ s Jewish pioneers , with members gathering privately to observe High Holidays , but there wouldn ’ t be a full-time congregation until
8 Explore Corsicana | Summer 2022