Early settlers from Spain and Mexico were the first to claim the tribal lands of Native Americans along the Cibolo.  The Republic days of Texas in the 1840s witnessed the creation of settlements in the area.  The first wave of settlers came from the Old South, followed closely by immigrants from the Prussian Empire, including Germans and Poles.  One of those settlements was given the name, “Post Oak.”  In 1859, when it was discovered another town already had the name, it was officially changed to “Lavernia.”

Inspired by descriptions of St. Francis of Assisi’s mountaintop retreat in the Tuscan Apennines, on Monte del Alvernia in Italy, our founding fathers believed their Texas home was as beautiful and inspirational as St. Francis' “green and shaded, wild and sequestered” sacred Mt. Lavernia hermitage. Over the years the story evolved and was repeated to their children in a simple homespun tale — the groves of shade trees at the Cibolo are green; the Spanish word for green is “verde.” Thus, the Anglicized choice became the beautiful name ….  Lavernia.