By Myra Lee Adams Goff

When the United States was getting ready to celebrate its bi-centennial in 1976, Herb Skoog had an idea to do something locally that would commemorate this event. Little did he know that he would be starting a compilation of local history that would be on-going even to this day.

Skoog’s brainchild was the beginning of the Reflections program housed and conducted at the Sophienburg. The Reflections program records interviews of people of all ages and walks of life about the historic events and people of NB. Since its inception, 2041 interviewshave been recorded. And with the exception of a two year lapse when the Archives were being moved to the present location, this programhas aired on radio station KGNB on Sunday mornings ever since.

The first of the Reflections interviews was with newspaper editor Fred Oheim. Oheim wrote many articles about history. Also joining Oheim was Valeska Startz, Oscar Haas, Paul Jahn, and Pete Nowotny.

Interviewing people was nothing new to Skoog for he became manager of radio station KGNB in 1962 and then KNBT in 1968. His Saturday morning “Comment” program interviewing people about public affairs was followed by “Orchids and Onions” where he asked for controversial opinions. The first Reflections program was recorded on a reel-to-reel tape in the studio and later in the basement of the old City Hall when the Archives were located there. In time, recordings were put on audio cassettes, then digital audio tapes, and finally as they are now, on CDs. When the Sophienburg moved to its present location, a new studio was included by a donation from Joel Erben, honoring his mother, Joline Erben.

Over the years Skoog has shared the interviewer spot with Bob Pfeuffer, J.C. Reagan, Doyle and Roxolin Krueger, Iris Schumann, and occasionally others.

When asked about his favorite interviews, Skoog admitted that a few stood out in his mind. For example, when he interviewed Charlie Duke, he felt it was unusual to actually talk to someone who had walked on the moon. (All of you that have walked on the moon hold up your hand).

He said that he had talked to several people over 100 years old and for several years, he interviewed Myron Floren when he came for Wurstfest. Those interviews are even more irreplaceable since Floren is now deceased. One program was with Floren and Rocky Rodriguez, Milton Kaderli, Gus Kaderli and Maj. Gen. Walter Richardson. All were in the same area in different military units during the Battle of the Bulge during WWII. Floren, on the other hand, was there at the same time entertaining the troops with the USO. He had been classified 4F, meaning he was not eligible to be drafted.

Skoog said that people from the rural areas around the county liked to talk about when they got their first big appliances and the Model T cars. City dwellers talked more about events that happened in town and about holidays and festivals. He remembers talking to NB’s first woman mayor, Margaret Naegelin, and Councilwoman Laverne Eberhard.

There are many interviews covering the German and Hispanic cultures. One program paired Frances Tays and Hortense Hernandez together to discuss differences in the two cultural groups.

Alfred Liebscher’s interview was of particular interest to Skoog. As a young man, Liebscher was working in Chicago selling German artificial flowers when he met Bruno Dittlinger who was going to school there. Dittlinger invited Liebscher to come to NB, which he did. He began working for Hippolyt Dittlinger in the flour mill, married the boss’s daughter, and eventually became a very successful president of the company.

This year, Dr. Fred Willard has taken over the chairmanship of the Reflections committee at the Archives and he is now transferringinterviews that are on tape to CDs. They may be purchased there. If you are interested in being interviewed, call the Sophienburg and keep on listening!

Herb Skoog and Fred Willard in the Sophienburg Reflections recording studio.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

The fact is that New Braunfels was never ever intended to be the final destination of the German emigrants in 1845! It’s a rather complicated story, but let’s give it a try.

Indian tribes had lived in the Texas area for 37,000 or more years followed by Spanish and French explorers in the 1500s, claiming land for their countries. The Texas area became “New Spain” after Cortes conquered Mexico City from the Aztecs. Before the end of the 17^th century, France challenged Spain’s right to Texas, founded a colony in east Texas which ultimately failed.

While Texas was still under Spanish control in 1807, a land speculator named Baron de Bastrop purchased four leagues of land on the Guadalupe which included the Comal Springs. This land would later be referred to as the Veramendi Tract (later called the Comal Tract).

Mexican independence from Spain came in 1821 and consequently the Mexican flag flew over Texas. Then in 1825, the vice-governor of Texas and Coahuila, Juan de Veramendi, petitioned the Mexican government for 11 leagues of land, which also included the Veramendi Tract (Comal Tract). When Juan de Veramendi died, son Marcos, daughter Maria and her husband Rafael Garza, inherited this tract.

When Prince Carl on behalf of the Adelsverein decided to purchase the Comal Tract, he discovered that the land did not have a clear title because of the Bastrop purchase under Spanish rule. The Veramendi/Garza family was asking $1,111 for 1,265 acres. The Prince offered to pay the first $500 and the rest thirty days after settlement of the suit for clear title. The Adelsverein filed bankruptcy and a clear title was not obtained. In 1852 the heirs of Juan Veramendi filed suit against the citizens of NB to reclaim the land which they claimed had not been paid for. In 1854 the Supreme Court of Texas ruled in favor of the Veramendi heirs, however, after numerous court cases, settlement finally came in 1879 in favor of the NB citizens with the help of attorney Hermann Seele. A copy of that settlement can be found in brass at the Pioneer statue in Landa Park.

The Comal Tract was not the original destination of the settlers. The original destination was the Bourgeois/Ducos grant on the Medina River northwest of the Comal Tract, however, Alexander Bourgeois’ contract with the Republic of Texas was not renewed. Because of the small amount of good land left in the tract, Solms decided he would have to look elsewhere.

About the same time two men, Fisher and Miller, acquired large plots of land north of the Comal Tract on the San Saba and Llano Rivers and negotiated with the Adelsverein for purchase. The prince received news of this transaction at the same time that he was informed that the emigrants were about to arrive. Due to the distance from the coast, he decided that a way-station must be attained. And so on March 15, 1845, just six days before the first emigrants crossed the Guadalupe, the prince purchased the Veramendi Tract.

The contract of the emigrants with the Adelsverein stated that each head of family would receive 320 acres, with single men receiving 160 acres. When the emigrants crossed the Guadalupe to the Veramendi Tract, they were told that they would receive only one half acre lot and one 10 acre plot, a far cry from the original promise. A few went on to claim their Fisher/Miller land, but not many.

Soon disappointment turned to resignation as the beauty and practicality of the place revealed itself. They called the town “Comal Springs” and it was not named New Braunfels until April 30, 1845, right before Prince Carl left for home in Germany…

“In Neu Braunfels ist es schon” ( an adaptation of Zoellner’s “In der Heimat ist es schon”)

Prince Carl zu Solms-Braunfels, 1845