Have you ever heard the story of Chief Red Wing and how he became the first person to get the death penalty in Comal County? It’s a sad and terrible story. Here’s how it goes:

On Oct. 6, 1930, Henry Cavazos, proprietor of the Cuban Shows, pitched a large tent about five blocks east of Main Plaza on Seguin Street for his traveling show. These traveling shows were a common practice in the 1920s and 1930s. Cavazos rented a small house nearby where he, his wife (who was also in the show), his two small boys and a small 2-year-old girl named Evangelina lived while the show was going on.

The main star of the show was 38-year-old Chief Red Wing who performed an Indian war-dance stunt and attracted wide attention. The traveling show had been in New Braunfels for about a week and was scheduled to move on to Austin soon. But a terrible tragedy took place that October night.

Mrs. Cavazos put her children to sleep as she did routinely and rushed out to the tent to make a brief appearance in the show. Returning to the house, she discovered that little Evangelina was missing, as was her tiny suitcase.

The mother rushed back to the tent frantically telling her husband of her discovery. Chief of Police B.E. Merz and Constable W.A. Scholl, who were on the grounds, were notified and began a search. The search continued all night and revealed only the small suitcase with some of the child’s clothes inside. It was suspected that the child was kidnapped. But why? The Cavazos had no money.

No sign of the child was found and the show went on to Austin. Here Cavazos reported the missing child to the Texas Rangers. Everything possible was done to find Evangelina but no traces of her were found. Remember, there was no DNA or other help that law enforcement has today.

On Oct. 17, a small bundle was discovered behind a signboard near the railroad track where the tent had been. A child’s almost naked body was discovered and the sheriff’s office was notified. Immediately, the entire show was brought back from Austin. Henry Cavazos and his wife identified the body as their daughter, Evangelina. An autopsy was performed and it was concluded that the child had been criminally assaulted and that death had come as a result of a crushed skull.

Immediately, Red Wing was under suspicion mainly because he had disappeared when the child was first reported missing and hadn’t reappeared until 40 minutes later. There was only circumstantial evidence against him, but he had no alibi as to his whereabouts when the crime was committed. At last he confessed, but not before trying to implicate others, including Henry Cavazos, Evangelina’s father. Finally, Red Wing confessed to committing the crime himself with no others involved.

On Feb. 12, 1931, the State of Texas vs. Chief Red Wing was called, charging him with murder with malice aforethought of Evangelina Cavazos.

Appointed by the Court to represent the defendant were two well-known attorneys, Hon. J.H. Schleyer and Hon. H.A. Triesch. The prosecuting attorney was the Hon. Fred Blundell, District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District.

At noon on Feb. 13, the case went to the jury. The trial was held in a large room above Eiband and Fischer store.

The Herald stated that it was difficult to choose a jury and the writer said that it was due to the possibility of the death penalty. Nevertheless, a jury was chosen and in 20 minutes the verdict came back: Guilty of murder as charged and the punishment was death. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the verdict.

On Nov. 30, 1931, Chief Red Wing died in the electric chair in Huntsville. He was the first person ever to be given the death penalty in Comal County.

From left, Ben Faust, Justice of the Peace, August Knetch, Deputy, Chief Red Wing, Bill Salge, Deputy Marshal, Walter Scholl, Deputy Marshal and Bruno Merz, Marshal.

Education for all was one of the promises by the Adelsverein to the German immigrants who came to Texas 165 years ago. Just five months after the first immigrants arrived, this promise began.

Rev. Louis Ervendberg who was engaged by Prince Carl to tend to the religious needs of the settlers, found in Hermann Seele a willing and able teacher for that first class in August of 1845. Fifteen children were taught under a magnificent forest of elm trees at the foot of Sophienburg Hill. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught in both German and English.

Seele heard a joyous “Guten Morgen”early, early in the morning because by eight o’clock the children were already at recess tumbling on the grass and playing hide and seek. Dismissal was at 10 o’clock in the morning. Sounds good? Don’t think for one minute that these children went home to play the rest of the day; they went home to work.

When the German Protestant Church moved into its log church in 1846, the nondenominational school was conducted there. Rev. Ervendberg and Seele were the teachers and it operated until 1853.

The Catholic congregation received a plot of land from the Adelsverein where the original campsite, Zinkenburg, had been. Schooling was sporadic and when their black walnut church was built in 1849, the earlier log chapel of 1847 became the school building for Catholic children. Father Gottfried Menzel functioned as teacher around 1850 and in1871 the Sisters of Divine Providence became teachers.

The City School of New Braunfels was established in 1853 with two teachers. Funds to run the school were through free-will donations and monthly tuition fees of 50 cents for older children and 25 cents for younger ones. They met in rented rooms. That same year the Texas Legislature ordered counties to create public school districts. Comal County was divided into eight districts and the NB area became District #1. Many small rural schools sprang up and by 1898 there were 24 school districts in the county with 31 schools.

An appointed committee petitioned the state legislature asking for a special law to give NB authority to assess and collect school taxes for public school purposes. This idea was unheard of in Texas at the time, but to Germans, who had been educated in state schools and universities in Germany, the idea of taxation as a means to provide instructional facilities for their children was not unique.

On January 29, 1858, the Texas Legislature granted NB an exclusive law to tax for public schools. It was approved unanimously by voters. (By 1875, the Legislature passed a statewide school tax bill patterned after the earlier NB tax.)

In 1858 the school district built an all-level school house for its Academy, as it came to be called, on the corner of Academy and Mill Sts. A two room rock building with 20 inch thick walls was built and added on to as necessary. Over the years the Academy survived hard financial times of the Civil War and Reconstruction as no state funds were forthcoming.

By 1910 the board faced over-crowded conditions and even rented a store building on the corner of San Antonio and Academy streets (Red Rooster) from Albert Penshorn for $20 a month. The school district separated from the city in 1913 and became the New Braunfels Independent School District. A new all-level brick building would be built eight feet behind the old Academy building. This building has survived change from all-level school, to high school, to junior high school and finally as the administration building. Good example of recycling!

District #1 of the New Braunfels schools went from Colonial school, to Parochial school, to Town School, to District School, to the New Braunfels Academy, to New Braunfels School, and finally to New Braunfels Independent School District. (Oscar Haas)

The Academy on the corner of Mill and Academy streets. This building was torn down and is not to be confused with the building across the street built in 1900 that became the tax office.

This photo with no date and no names must be before the Academy was torn down in 1914. The girls could have been in a school play or even a town play. Please call the Sophienburg if you have any information about the photo: 830-629-1572.

One of the most beautiful spots on the Guadalupe River is the area called “Waco Springs”. Generally, it lies between Slumber Falls Camp and the First Crossing of the Guadalupe, on both sides of River Road. Believed to be named after the Waco Indians who camped in the area, the spelling has changed from Huaco to Hueco to Wacoe to Waco. Since no one could pronounce it, “Waco” was used most often.

The area’s history is just as vibrant as its scenery. Way back in 1831 the state of Coahuila and Texas granted one league of land to Juan Martin Veramendi. The league fronted the Guadalupe River about five miles above the land that would later become New Braunfels. When Veramendi died, the upper third of the league went to his daughter Teresa and husband Jesus Cantu. It was sold to Francis Guilbeau in 1847 for $500.

Two years later the land was sold to Hermann Spiess, the last Commissioner General of the German Emigration Company.  Spiess built the first house in the location. He had a large garden near the springs and he erected a sawmill manufacturing cypress shingles on the banks of the Guadalupe.

An interesting story about Spiess was that he acquired his wife from the Indians who had stolen her as a baby. At the age of 12, she was purchased by Spiess for several cones of sugar; he sent her to school and then married her.

Spiess sold the property to John Meusebach who only lived there one year and moved back to his home in New Braunfels. The year that he moved back, his home was destroyed by a tornado. Meusebach eventually sold the Waco Springs property to the NB Woolen Mill that was looking for a permanent supply of wood to run their mill.

Changing hands several times and skipping about 75 years, the land was acquired by R.J. Gode in 1923. He planted orchards and harnessed the Waco Springs for his electric generator. He also cut a canal from the First Crossing of the Guadalupe to his turbine.

Senior District Judge Robert Pfeuffer, grandson of R.J. Gode, now owns the land on each side of the road, the east side of which is called Camp Huaco Springs. His ranch is on the west side of River Road. On the ranch property is the spring referred to as Spring A. It flows under a small bridge on its way to the Guadalupe and cannot be seen from the road. It is on this property that Spiess built his home. On the east side of the road is Spring B, which dries more quickly due to its higher elevation than Spring A.  It is from this site half way between the bridge and the First Crossing that one may view the famous Waco Falls, a place where the river narrows and drops forming a deep pool. This is the area that requires skill in maneuvering that makes this river a challenge even for experienced swimmers and boaters.

In 1930 Gode lived on the ranch but leased the river frontage to Philip Rawson who developed a vacation resort. Rawson put up cottages, picnic tables and stone fireplaces. Later after WWII Gode went into partnership with NBHS coach Weldon Bynum  forming Camp Huaco for Boys. Coach Bynum trained his Unicorn football team there each August. Many of those buildings are still standing on the side of the hill by the First Crossing.

Bob Pfeuffer says that River Road was a trail to Sattler from NB and in 1929 Comal County built the road. When the Corps of Engineers was deciding where to put Canyon Dam, they considered the River Road area for the dam location.  The discovery of underground caves, however, nixed that location and instead they went 16 miles up the Guadalupe.

There is something almost magical about the Waco Springs.

Rawson’s Camp Waco in the 1930s.

At 12 noon on October 12, 1920, an airplane crashed into the New Braunfels Brewing Company, one of four breweries in New Braunfels at the time. The NB Brewing Co. was located at the end of N. Guenther St. (NB Smokehouse).

Two pilots from Kelly Field in San Antonio had landed in NB, eaten lunch, and taken off again. Suddenly the pilot seemed to lose control of the plane and was heading straight towards the brewery. When it seemed certain that the plane was going to crash, one of the pilots unfastened his safety belt and jumped out, landing safely on the galvanized roof. The other pilot perished when the plane hit the third floor of the brewery. The impact created a large hole and the heavy motor dropped to the cement floor in a blaze of blue flame.

As if the NB Brewery didn’t have enough problems! In January the federal Prohibition Amendment (18th) made the manufacturing and sale of alcoholic beverages illegal and this brewery resorted to making a weak beer called “Busto” just to stay afloat and not drown.

The question of Prohibition had been in politics for a long time. Drinking alcohol was thought to be one of the main reasons for wide-spread social problems.

When Texas was a Republic, Prohibition was dealt with by “local option”. (Decisions of law would be left to towns, counties, even neighborhoods.) I have read that Texas banned saloons in 1845. I don’t think the Germans knew that here. Obviously the law was never enforced.

The state constitution of 1876 had required the legislature to enact a local option law. Eleven years later the “drys” (those in favor of Prohibition) presented a state Prohibition referendum, but lost. Add another eight years and 53 counties were dry. Can you guess which category Comal County fell into? A very strong push by the Anti Saloon League in 1908 to put all of Texas under Prohibition failed, but slowly the number of dry counties was increasing.

Locally in 1908 the Republican Club of Comal County organized for the purpose of fighting Prohibition in Comal County and Texas. They would send delegates to the next Republican State Convention and demand a straight-out anti-Prohibition plank “to protect personal rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States”. (Source: Sesquicentennial Minutes, Roger Nuhn )The NB photo from 1908 with the message, “Farewell to our Local Self Government” appears to be bearing a casket.

Then in 1916 under the leadership of Texas Senator Morris Sheppard the campaign in favor of national Prohibition successfully passed the 18th Amendment. The Texas legislature ratified the federal Amendment in 1918 and Texas voters approved the state Prohibition Amendment in 1919.

Organized crime sprang up, especially in large cities and the controversy continued in Texas about how to use the amendment. Did it mean strict enforcement or not? In 1925 Prohibition opponents were in control of Texas and refused to support enforcement measures. When the Great Depression of 1929 happened, the federal government, needing liquor tax money, repealed Prohibition with the 21st Amendment. Texas reverted to local option where it is today. Presently there are 51 dry counties.

Was NB affected? Yes and no. Some of the liquor production went underground. I’ve heard some crazy stories, including chases by the “feds” and underground tunnels, but none substantiated. It wasn’t illegal to drink liquor, only to manufacture and sell it. It was ok to ferment fruit (wine?); ok to provide communion wine; and ok for doctors to prescribe liquor for medicinal purposes.

Headlines in the Herald August 19, 1933: “Comal County Lays Plans to Dance Prohibition ‘Out’ in Monster Street Demonstration on Plaza August 19th”. A giant dance with Judge Klingeman and Mayor Fischer leading the grand march. Prohibition was over and so was Busto Beer.

A 1908 anti-Prohibition parade. State wide Prohibition would mean the end of local option legislation.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

A very important agreement has been reached between the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and First Protestant Church, one of extreme historic significance. The church will allow the Sophienburg to copy all early church records, including minutes, birth records, death records, and many more papers of significance.

The First Protestant Church has been the caretaker of the earliest records of New Braunfels. All original records will remain stored in a vault at the church. This will allow individuals to do family research at the Sophienburg using all their resources. The project is estimated to take two years.

One of the promises that Prince Carl made on behalf of the Adelsverein was that the religious needs of the emigrants would be addressed. When the Prince was on the Texas coast in 1844, he met Rev. Louis Ervendberg who was preaching at Cat Springs, Industry, Blumenthal, and other small settlements going from one to another. The Prince offered Ervendberg the job of being the pastor for all the first emigrants and to then minister to the Protestants. Prince Carl was unable to secure a priest immediately, so the first Catholic Mass was celebrated under an oak tree on March, 1846, on the site where Sts. Peter and Paul church now stands. The site was given to the church by the Adelsverein in November of 1846.

When the first emigrants arrived on the coast, Ervendberg greeted them and on December 23, 1844, he conducted the first religious service there. He then accompanied them as they made their way to what would later be called New Braunfels.

Upon arrival inland, Ervendberg established the German Protestant Church (now First Protestant Church) whose first official meeting was October 5, 1845. Established while Texas was the Republic of Texas, it is the oldest corporation in New Braunfels. The church has that original charter.

In order to construct what came to be known as the log church, all members who were able were asked to bring hand-cut cedar logs. The floors would be of caliche and clay. The Adelsverein would finance the building. This original church and the original Sophienburg building on the hill were the only buildings in New Braunfels that were financed by the Adelsverein.

In 1879 the church decided to tear down the log church and build a stone building. The logs of this old church were bought by a church member at that time to be used to build a barn. So it remained for many years until recently the barn was purchased and stored temporarily, waiting for the right time to reconstruct it properly. The Heritage Society has taken on the project of reconstruction.

Rev. Ervendberg was originally responsible for the hand-written records. These records, written in German (Fraktur) contain church minutes, birth and death records. The third pastor, Rev. August Schuchard, elected in 1858, began a 19 year pastorage in which his long-term plan was to complete a compilation of a family register of church members, plus all members of the community. He began compiling this three volume register in the spring of 1859 and when he died in 1876, he had recorded 539 families, including approximately 20,000 individual births and baptisms. (Source: “Journey in Faith” by Rosemarie Leissner Gregory and Myra Lee Adams Goff. This book is available at the Sophienburg and First Protestant Church)

In First Protestant’s collection are the original hand-written German records, the transcribed typewritten records, and the translated typewritten records. These records were mostly transcribed and translated by Gene Mornhinweg, son of long time pastor, Gottleib Mornhinweg. Historian Oscar Haas has added to the original records.

The project of copying the records will be time-consuming but when complete, all people will have easy access to them at the Sophienburg. This is a real step forward in family research and something to look forward to.

Rev. Louis and Luise Ervendberg in front of the log church, 1840s. Artist - Patricia S. Arnold

Tune in to KGNB - AM 1420 or KNBT - FM 92.1 for weather announcements for the parade and program.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

Guess you think we’re going to celebrate the Fourth of July on the fourth of July. Well, you’re wrong. We’re going to show our independence by celebrating on the third of July, and we have the freedom to do just that. Why? Because the fourth is on Sunday. So, on Saturday, July 3^rd, the Sophienburg will again sponsor a parade and program in downtown New Braunfels.

The parade will begin at 9:15 am and head towards the Plaza. If you want to enter, call the Sophienburg at 629-1572 and reserve your spot. All the traditional elements of an old-fashioned Fourth of July will be there – people, music, speeches by dignitaries, heat, and especially good fellowship. The City of New Braunfels will continue their fireworks display the next day on the Fourth of July.

Our outstanding Community Band under the direction of Al Tapia will again be playing on the Plaza. Band President Barry Irwin says that one of the traditional songs they will play will be “Yankee Doodle”. Listen for it and think of this strange, interesting story behind the song.

Although there are many accounts of the history of “Yankee Doodle”, most agree that the words and pattern, but not the tune, goes back to the 1600s. One source says that the tune was Spanish in origin; some say it is German, English, and who knows? One source claims that the Puritans were ridiculed by being called “Naukeys” (hence, Yankees) in a stanza adapted to this same tune.

How did it get to the Fourth of July? Most accounts agree that it was a song written by the English to insult the Americans before the Revolutionary War. Think about the pictures you have seen of the English in their military red snappy-looking uniforms and then look at the colonists’ “ragamuffin” group, as the English called them.

Here’s the insult, as one line goes: “He stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni”. The term “macaroni” was a slang word referring to an English dandy who affected foreign mannerisms and fashion. A macaroni believed that he was stylishly attired as he “stuck a feather in his cap” when, in fact, he was outlandishly comical. The British had a superior attitude towards the colonists, but you know that old saying, “He who laughs last, lasts the loudest”.

If you are of a certain, shall we say “mature age”, you will remember the Golden Song Book used at Carl Schurz and Lamar Elementary schools here. It was first published in 1915 and used as late as the 1960s. “Yankee Doodle” was one of those songs belted out across New Braunfels every Friday. According to the history in the song book, Dr. Richard Shackburg derisively provided the song to the colonists, telling them it was a fine military song. When they played it, the British were greatly amused. Nevertheless, the colonists loved the tune that was intended to be an insult. It turned out to be a song of celebration.

In 1942 a movie about the life of musician George M. Cohan made its debut. James Cagney starred in the movie called “Yankee Doodle Dandy”. The song by that name actually has a line or two in it from the other Yankee Doodle song.

In New Braunfels the first Fourth of July celebration was in 1846, shortly after Texas became a state of the United States. For more on that first July 4th celebration see the Sophienburg Web site www.sophienburg.com, June 24, 2009.

From what I have read, the word “Yankee” and “American” were used interchangeably here in NB, but “Doodle”? Was ist das? (What is that?)

Come join the Sophienburg for its celebration and sing:

“I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy,
A Yankee Doodle do or die.
A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam
Born on the THIRD of July.”

Leading the parade will be the Sophienburg’s 1926 Model T Ford Coupe. The picture shows George House, who restored the auto, on the driver’s side and Carroll Hoffmann sitting next to him.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

“So, Indianola, has it been with thee,
Thou once fair city by the moonlit sea!
Thy fame is ended and thy beauty fled-
Bleak memory calls them from the silent dead.”

(Excerpts from “Indianola” by Jeff McLemore from the book, “Indianola” by Brownson Malsch)

The Adelsverein encouraged emigration to the Republic of Texas to relieve social and economic turmoil in Germany. The emigrants were to pay $240 per head of a household or $120 for individual passengers. For this amount they were to receive transportation to the colony, land, housing, food upon arrival and intangible services.

Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels was appointed Commissioner General of the whole operation. It was he that was to purchase the land and make all the arrangements.  Prince Carl was one of the empresarios authorized by Republic of Texas President Sam Houston to bring as many settlers as he could in as short a time as possible. The Prince had barely landed in Texas when the first group of emigrants was embarking from Bremen in Germany on their way to Texas.

Prince Carl chose a port to land at Indian Point, later called Indianola. Prince Carl renamed it Carlshafen after himself and some members of the Adelsverein. (The name did not stick) There they were to wait for their trek inland.

After landing in Galveston, the emigrants were put on schooners. Going through the Paso Caballo, then entering Matagorda Bay, and then moving to the area where it joins Lavaca Bay, the town of Indian Point furnished a perfect landing point for the schooners.

Writer Larry Bozka in an article in January 2008 for “Texas Parks and Wildlife” states that Indian Point was “cruelly indifferent to the settlers”. Due to a shortage of wood, they were forced to camp in crude shelters on the beach. Although these first emigrants had tents, soon supplies ran out for subsequent arrivals.

Even though the Adelsverein money ran out, the emigrants still kept coming. Soon they were without shelter and medical care.  Spinal meningitis, typhoid, cholera, and yellow fever took their toll at the coast. In order to get away from this horrible situation, some left on foot. There were no longer any wagons for transportation. For the rest of the story see the sophienburg.com Web site Feb. 6, 2007.

Bozka says that by late 1846, 3,000 emigrants had stepped ashore at Indian Point. He says that within a few miles of the wharves, roughly a thousand of the 1846 arrivals died of disease, overexposure, and starvation.

By 1848 the port had become second only to Galveston. Indianola became a thriving, prosperous community. Even Charles Morgan (shipping magnate from New York) added Indianola as the endpoint for his steamship line

But all this prosperity and success passed when Indianola was hit by a massive hurricane in 1875. When ships arrived, they saw only ruin and devastation and immense piles of debris. Terrible stories of destruction can be found in the book “Indianola” available at Sophie’s Shop. Many left but many stayed and rebuilt.

In 1886 another hurricane totally wiped Indianola off the map. That year after a severe drought in Texas, an unusual wind became the subject of discussion. It was reported that a hurricane had passed south of Key West and into the Gulf.  By the time the fast-moving hurricane reached Indianola, it was too late for residents to take steps to save lives and property. A fire broke out after the storm, destroying everything except two buildings. Water inundated the town once again. Even as far inland as San Antonio, the wind registered 72 mph.

In New Braunfels during the 1886 hurricane, the run-down log building of the Sophienburg, the once proud headquarters of the Adelsverein and Prince Carl, fell in on itself, perhaps a last reminder of its ties to Indianola.

Christian Klinger stands in front of the Sophienburg in which he lived and operated a store until it was destroyed by the hurricane of 1886.

A young German count, Arnold-Henkel von Donnersmark, came to the New Braunfels settlement in 1845 with Prince Carl. He built a large frame building where he lived and conducted his hotel and saloon business. In less than a year he had accumulated several thousand dollars.

This is how he did it: he bought a barrel of whiskey in San Antonio, set up a tent in New Braunfels, and sold it to emigrants that had money. These early emigrants, having just arrived and not yet established homes, stayed in Donnersmark’s hotel, for it provided a comfortable place to stay. Besides, they liked the idea of being served by a member of the aristocracy. This would never have happened in Germany. (Source: Roemer’s “Texas”)

Donnersmark’s house, hotel, saloon, was located on the corner of Castell and Mill Sts. which is now a parking lot across the street from McAdoo’s Restaurant. Donnersmark’s house itself served a very important role in early New Braunfels because it was designated as the first post office. It was dismantled in 1904 by Louis Henne who then used the lot for a customer camp yard for his lumber, hardware, and tinning business.

C.W. Thomae was the first postmaster in 1846 and then Donnersmark took over in 1847.

In 1851 the post offices moved to the Adolphus Benner store. Benner was the postmaster and when he died, Mrs. Benner took her husband’s place, thereby having the distinction of being the first woman postmaster. She served until after the Civil War, when she was replaced due to the fact that she served under the Confederacy. (All of those positions were replaced if they had served during the Confederacy). Next, post offices were in the bus station, Courthouse, Hermann Seele residence, and Pfeuffer store. Then in 1915 President Woodrow Wilson signed a law appropriating $50,000 to build a post office building in New Braunfels. This is the building that now houses McAdoo’s Restaurant. Guess who the U.S. Secretary of Treasury was at that time? William G. McAdoo! The present post office on Seguin Ave. was built in 1984.

In addition to the post offices in New Braunfels, there were about 20 rural post offices, two of which are at the bottom of Canyon Lake (Cranes Mill and Hancock). Each of these post offices had an individual postmark signifying that the letter had been mailed from there. Eventually all small sites were closed except New Braunfels, Spring Branch, Fischer, and Canyon Lake.

Originally stamps on letters were postmarked by the postmaster writing the cancellation date and place. Then cancellation progressed to hand stamping. Can you imagine the post office doing either one of those methods now? Cancellation then moved to digital postmarks.

These postmarked letters have become collector’s items, as everything does when it becomes obsolete. One can learn a lot about history by collecting these cancelled letters. Collectors look for old hand-cancelled letters and specific postmarks. I have seen a 28^th Wurstfest postmark dated Nov 4, 1988, and a New Braunfels Sesquicentennial postmark of April 14, 1995, with the Sesquicentennial seal. A most interesting one to me is a New Braunfels Centennial celebration envelope which says “mailed from Landa Park.” It has a picture of the old Sophienburg, Las Fontanas, with the message “Because of these, the now famous Comal Springs, the German emigrants chose the site of New Braunfels.” The official postmark is New Braunfels. Permission for special postmarks have been granted, like the commerative Pony Express rider in 2006. I have seen two stop stations, one in Gruene and one at the Schmidt Hotel.

Growing up in New Braunfels, I remember the socializing that took place on the post office steps on Castell St., especially on Saturday. Maybe this form of socializing had its roots in Arnold-Henkel von Donnersmark’s hotel and saloon across the street.

The first post office in New Braunfels, the home, hotel, and saloon of Arnold-Henkel von Donnersmark. 1847.

Safety and protection of citizens and property have always been foremost in the minds of anyone involved in law enforcement in New Braunfels and Comal County and it goes way back.

Law enforcement began with Prince Carl who was responsible for the safety of the German emigrants as they made their way inland from the coast. He organized a group of 20 young men to protect them against hostile Indians. This unknown land had been the home of the Indian tribes and Solms knew nothing about them. While in San Antonio Ranger Jack Hays told Solms that it would not be safe to move in the direction of the Llano and challenge the Comanches so New Braunfels was chosen. See Sophienburg.com web-site for more info. (1-26-2010)

The Prince chose only Germans to form this group of 20 (some say 22) to protect the colonists on their journey to the colonization site and after they arrived. They received a salary and there were strict behavior rules – no drinking or gambling. Punishment was inflicted by thrashing, exile and shame in the colony. Prince Carl also organized another group of volunteers able to bear arms. The third group consisted of the rest of the men in camp, inexperienced in shooting, but trainable.

Prince Carl received criticism from Americans and Germans alike: from Americans for enlisting only German men in the military, and from Germans for promoting aristocracy. (One of the issues that made many emigrate to begin with)

Prince Carl returned to Germany in May 1845 and the Troop of 20 no longer had a commander. When Comal County was created on July 13, 1846, the election of county officials was held and Henry Gerwin was elected sheriff.

The state of Texas had been organized into three departments - Bexar, Brazos, and Nacogdoches. The battle of San Jacinto in 1836 culminated the revolution against Mexico and Texas became a Republic for the next ten years. Comal County had originally been part of Bexar County so in 1845 before Texas became a state, the Texas Congress created new counties and Comal County was formed.

Local retired Texas Ranger and author, Ray Martinez, in his latest book, “Creating the Professional Lawman”, has quite a bit of information about law enforcement in New Braunfels and Texas. (Book available at the Sophienburg) He says that from 1900 to 1930, the sheriff was the only paid member on staff. That changed in 1932. Here’s an example: Sheriff August Knetsch was paid $150 a month, Chief Deputy Ed Schleyer Jr. was paid $90 a month and jailor Charles Marion got $50 a month and 50 cents a day for two meals for each prisoner. They used their own cars, and paid their own expenses.

The advent of the automobile brought big changes to law enforcement. In 1907 the State of Texas passed its first traffic laws. Here are a few: the speed limit on the highway was 18 mph and no more than 8 mph in cities. Horses had the right-of-way, the car had to have a sound device that could be heard 300 feet away and had to have headlights. A problem existed with this in that actual light bulbs were used and bumpy roads caused the bulbs to loosen and lights go out. The Comal County Commissioners Court authorized a headlight inspection station, probably a forerunner to car inspection.

According to the City of New Braunfels web-site, the city is comprised of over 42 square miles. The Police Department is under the jurisdiction of the City government with the early law enforcers being city marshals. In 1930 Bruno Merz was elected the first chief of police.

In 165 years much has changed in law enforcement, but the basic principle of “serve and protect” is still the same.

Comal County Sheriff and Deputies, 1937. L-R ?, Walter Heitkamp, ?, Lonnie Dietert, Elmo Arnold, Charles Marion, Sr., Ottmar Kraft, ? Louis Marion. If you can fill in the blanks, call Sophienburg at 629-1572. Then check our website for the names.

Twenty-six-year-old Ernst Gruene applied for his passport to emigrate to Texas from Germany. He is described in his passport as a very tall, (over 6’2”) blond, handsome man. Later family accounts describe him as not only good-looking, but very charming. In Germany he was a flax farmer and planned for his move to Texas by bringing linen fabric made from the flax that would be used for clothing and other linens. We have several pieces at the Sophienburg and even a skein of raw flax.

Ernst sailed on the Margaretha from Bremen, along with his 19 year old wife, Antoinette nee Kloepper, as well as his mother, Marie Engel Gruene.

Ernst’s wife, Antoinette, was not remembered by family in such a fond way as her husband. She was a little over five feet tall, inclined to be “pudgy”, could not read or write, never learned English, and was definitely the boss. On the flip side of this little lady, family praised her homemaking abilities, and especially her cooking. She wouldn’t allow anyone else in her kitchen and she was fastidiously clean, not allowing dust to settle. One favorite family story went like this: The couple slept in twin beds, but on cold nights, Ernst would crawl into Antoinette’s bed to warm it up for her. Then when she went to bed it would be warm and he retired to his cold, cold bed. (Now, that’s the boss!)

Originally intending to go to Fredericksburg, the family stopped in New Braunfels because Ernst had contracted cholera on the trip from the coast inland. In New Braunfels the women nursed him back to health with dirt-dauber nest tea and the family never left New Braunfels.

An interesting story about Ernst has to do with a visit that he made to a nearby Indian camp on the Guadalupe River. He wanted to buy a quarter of venison but the chief refused to sell it to him. Ernst reached into his pocket for his snuff, sniffed, and then sneezed. Offering the chief a sniff, he too sniffed and sneezed. Then all the warriors sniffed and sneezed. The peace pipe was brought out and after that the chief gifted Ernst with half a deer.

The couple rented a little log house on Comal Street where Ernst, Jr. was born. That house is on display at the Witte Museum in San Antonio. Next, Ernst bought farmland in Comaltown where Heinrich was born .Then he bought 10 acres on what is now Rock St. where Johanna was born. This is the house that Anna Lisa and Danny Tamez have renovated beautifully and turned into a vacation rental. How fortunate that we have this early 1850s home preserved. The original barn on the property that the Gruenes lived in while the house was being built is at Conservation Plaza and is known as the Welsch Barn because it was given by the Welsch family who later owned it.

Recently the Ferdinand Lindheimer Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas was treated to a morning at this renovated Gruene Farm home. A program was given by Roxolin Bose Krueger who is, incidentally, a g-g-granddaughter of Ernst and Antoinette Gruene. Recollections of the family were based on memories of her aunt, Roberta Posey Mueller and put into a book called “Oma, tell me about olden times” which is for sale at the Sophienburg.

You’re wondering if Gruene, Texas is the same family? Yes, Heinrich Gruene developed the Gruene community and he was the second son. He lived in the famous Gruene Mansion and he built his parents a retirement home nearby.

The family says that Ernst Gruene was really a good dancer. I’ll bet he could “Waltz Across Texas” at the oldest dance hall in Texas – Gruene Hall!

Seated – Antoinette Kloepper Gruene and Ernst Gruene Sr. with two of their children, Johanna Gruene Sippel and H.D. Gruene.

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