Notre Dame in St. Joseph County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Rockne, Texas
Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024
1. Rockne, Texas Marker
Rockne began as a small farming community. Phillip Goertz (1825-1900), considered to be the first German Catholic settler of the area, arrived from Germany in 1856 and purchased land along Walnut Creek. He was soon joined by more German Catholic immigrants who established family farms.
The first church built by the settlers, Ascension of Christ Church, was erected on Walnut Creek in 1876 but was destroyed by an arsonist's fire in 1891. A new structure was completed in 1892 and named Sacred Heart Church.
Rockne has been known by several names. First called Walnut Creek because of its proximity to the stream, it was known as Lehmanville when the Lehman Post Office was established in 1900, and a Hilbigville after William Hilbig opened a store here.
In 1931 the children of Sacred Heart School were given the opportunity to permanently name their town. A vote was taken, with the children electing to name the community Rockne in honor of Knute Rockne, the famous Notre Dame University
this page online
Rockne continues to be a rural community, with Sacred Heart Catholic Church at its center.
It is the only town anywhere named after Knute Rockne, and this marker is presented by the People of Rockne to the University of Notre Dame during the centenary year of his birth.
Erected 1988 by the people of Rockne, Texas.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 41° 42.011′ N, 86° 14.613′ W. Marker is in Notre Dame, Indiana, in St. Joseph County. It can be reached from Holy Cross Drive 0.8 miles north of North Notre Dame Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The stone is in front of the Rockne Memorial building, on the western end of the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 54600 Holy Cross Dr, South Bend IN 46637, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024
2. Rockne, Texas Marker and Rockne Memorial
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana and in Greater South Bend. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old College (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); From a Letter of The Rev. Edward Sorin, CSC (about 700 feet away); Chaplain Corby of Gettysburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); Edward Sorin (approx. Ό mile away); Thomas A. Dooley, M.D. '48 (approx. Ό mile away); The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes (approx. Ό mile away); St. Mary's Island (approx. Ό mile away); World War I Memorial (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Notre Dame.
More about this marker. A nearly identical marker can be found in Rockne, Texas, a small town 30 miles east of Austin and about 1,200 miles southwest of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. That 2006 marker is officially titled "Rockne" and is marker #9223 from the Texas Historical Commission. The only text difference between that marker and the one in South Bend, other than that title, is that the final line has been removed from the Texas version.
Photographed by Sean Flynn, July 27, 2024
3. Rockne, Texas Marker Reverse
The area to the south and east of Rockne Memorial was under construction during the summer of 2024 as Notre Dame razed Pangborn and Fisher halls, to be replaced by two new residence halls.
The Notre Dame version dates to 1988; while it follows the typical style of Texas historical markers, it does not appear to have been officially issued by the Texas Historical Commission and is not on its official database. Additionally, instead of a Texas Historical Commission logo at the top, it has a seal of the state of Texas.
This marker on Notre Dame's campus sits in front of Rockne Memorial, a student recreation building erected in 1939 in honor of the school's famed football coach, who died in a plane crash in eastern Kansas on March 31, 1931, at age 43. Rockne is also honored on Notre Dame's campus with a statue in front of the tunnel entrance into Notre Dame Stadium, the school's football field; another statue of Rockne can be found in downtown South Bend, a few miles south of here. In 2024, Rockne's remains, as well as those of wife, son and grandson, were exhumed from South Bend's Highland Cemetery and reburied
Library of Congress, Bain News Service photograph collection
4. Knute Rockne (1888-1931)
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. The nearly identical marker in Rockne, Texas
Also see . . .
1. Early History of Rockne, Texas. A history of Rockne, Texas, from its first German settlers in 1846 to its christening as Rockne, about 85 years later.
Excerpt: "In August of 1931, Fr. Francis Strobel proposed that Sacred Heart Parish community have an official name. School children were given the choice to vote on the names Knute Rockne or Joyce Kilmer. The boys voted for the football coach and the girls voted for the poet resulting in a tie. The next day Edith Goertz changed her vote giving the community its name, 'Rockne'."(Submitted on July 28, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Rockne Memorial. A short history and description of Rockne Memorial, a recreation building on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. (Submitted on July 28, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Larry D. Moore, June 7, 2018
5. "Rockne" Marker in Rockne, Texas
A picture of the nearly identical marker in front of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rockne, Texas, about 1,200 miles southwest of the University of Notre Dame.
3. Welcome to Rockne, a Texas town named after the coaching icon. (Submitted on July 28, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Photographed by Lou Donkle, May 21, 2024
6. Knute Rockne statue in lobby of the Knute Rockne Memorial Building
Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 380 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 28, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on June 7, 2018, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. 6. submitted on August 19, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana.
