By Myra Lee Adams Goff

There was a time when women and alligators and catfish and perhaps a man or two sat side by side in the Phoenix Saloon and Beer Garden. Why is this such a big deal, you ask. It’s because it just wasn’t socially acceptable for women to frequent saloons and alligators were even less welcome. New Braunfels in the late 1800s and early 1900s had many, many saloons but they were the domain of men. The Phoenix Saloon and Beer Garden was different- it welcomed women. Of course, I’m not talking about the Miss Kitty of Gunsmoke kind of woman, but every day respectable women..

Located behind the regular saloon (where Color Express is now), the Garden was a social gathering place.In the center of the Garden, under beautiful shade trees, was a pond and fountain with big catfish and small alligators. That’s not too unusual because alligators had been seen in the Comal many times.

Meanwhile, men and women sat together at tables and if they wanted anything to eat or drink, they simply pushed the button on the nearest tree to summon a waiter. Some of these people that enjoyed the Garden could have looked across the street at Prince Carl’s greater-than-life mural (if it had been painted 100 years ago) and said, “I remember him.”

Inside, saloon owner Heinrich Ludwig employed a man named Willie Gebhardt to cook hamburgers and his famous stew which he seasoned with ancho chili peppers

from Mexico. Spices were ground and mixed three times and then mixed with the peppers that he ran through a home meat grinder. Yes, you guessed it! Gebhardt’s Chili Powder was born in the saloon at the lunch counter.

Soon Gebhardt realized that he had a good thing going, so he moved to San Antonio to produce his chili powder and expand his business. Do you remember Gebhardt’s potted chili meat? A favorite of children’s lunches, this little can looked like cat food but mixed with mayo and put on bread, it was right tasty. Just last week I bought Gebhardt’s Chili Powder but they no longer make the potted chili meat. Too bad.

By 1922 Albert Ludwig owned the Phoenix and then had contractor A.C. Moeller remodel the building. A third floor was added, becoming the home of the local Masonic Lodge.

In 1928 a man named Jacob Schmidt bought the building and he and his wife would develop the property into a successful mercantile business.

Jacob Schmidt has an interesting background. He was born in the German speaking section of Hungary to successful parents. The family made their fortune by having the exclusive rights to sell beer in the taverns where they lived. Young Schmidt dreamed of America and in 1897 he sailed to New York. Heading towards Seguin, Texas, he sold dry goods and household wares along the way out of a wagon hitched to a mule. He opened his first store in Seguin with his brother-in-law. Eventually he moved to NB because of the predominant German language.

The couple’s son Max joined his parents in the store, while son Jeremiah became an architect with his name on many buildings in and around town.

The Sophienburg has lots of info on what became known as the Schmidt building. In the collection room, there is a hatbox, a hat, dress patterns and paper bags with the Jacob Schmidt & Son logo. There are many brand name dresses, hats and shoes that have labels in them that some of the collection ladies recognize as coming from the store.

Da hast es! (There you have it) We have gone from saloon alligators to chili powder to Masons to mercantile store all in one location.

Phoenix Saloon and Restaurant

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

One of my favorite historical places to go is the middle of the Faust Street Bridge and look upstream to where the first settlers crossed the Guadalupe on their way into NB. I have walked Nacogdoches St. on the east side of Seguin Ave. towards the river, crossed over a barrier at the end of the road, and gone down to the river. By so doing, I have walked on the Old King’s Highway, or Camino Real. Blazed in 1691 as a direct route from Monclova, Mexico to the Spanish missions in East Texas, this crossing was shallow, even when it was at flood stage. Since this coming Sunday is Easter, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about that first Good Friday in the area in 1845. A little background:

One of the provisions of the contract that the settlers had with the Adelsverein was that schools and churches would be established immediately. Prince Carl was a devout Roman Catholic and was aware that the immigrants were both Catholic and Protestant. He had requested from the Right Rev. Father Alexander of the Redemptionists of Baltimore that a priest be sent to the settlement, but this wouldn’t happen until 1846.The Prince did sign on Rev. Louis Cachand Ervendburg who would tend to the religious needs of both Protestants and Catholics that first year.

After leaving Germany six months earlier, the immigrants finally crossed the Guadalupe on Good Friday, March 21, 1845. The first two womento cross were Mrs. George Ullrich who rode with her wagonmaster husband, and Mrs. Frederick George Holekamp who rode on horseback. The story was that Prince Carl plunged across the crossing on a white horse. Mrs. Holekamp followed him, to the amazement of the other settlers.(If this story is true, she must have been a “spirited” lady and I wonder if Frederick was taken aback by his bride of oneyear).

They pitched their tents where Sts. Peter and Paul Church is located now, prepared the evening meal, and prepared to spend the nights on the steep bank above Comal Creek. A three-sided stockade was built and a cannon was fired morning and night to ward off Indians. Prince Carl assigned a militia of twenty single men to protect the group. Poet Fritz Goldbeck was in that first group of settlers and recorded his memories of these soldiers:

“For added protection, there were two bastions with loaded cannon, and Prince Solm’s armed company, in boots reaching above the knee, dark grey uniforms smart and pleasing to the eye, broad brimmed plumed hats suited perfectly the bebloused riders, with shining spurs and swords dangling at the sides”.

Rev. Ervendberg conducted the first church service a short distance away under the towering elms at the foot of what would later be called Sophienburg Hill. In the late afternoon, a rustic table was set up, covered by a white cloth which was embroidered with a simple black cross. Ervendberg’s wife, Louisa, gathered colorful wild flowers which she placed on the makeshift altar. A wagon seat was taken from its accustomed spot and placed near the altar to be used as a bench for the dignitaries of the Adelsverein. A Good Friday service was held here, and no doubt, an Easter service as well. (See the drawing)

The first group of settlers had arrived. The area was to be a way-station only, as the settlers thought that they would be going to the Llano River area, but that’s a long story for another time. A month later the prince set up his headquarters in a hut on Sophienburg Hill. Having no German flag, he hoisted an Austrian flag at the site and at the same time a group of immigrants downtown hoisted a Republic of Texas flag. The message was clear.

Good Friday, 1845. Drawing by Patricia Arnold.from Journey in Faith. Artwork