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.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

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.