City’s “soul searching” program helps understand history

By Myra Lee Adams Goff They walked (some rode on golf carts) through the Comal Cemetery at the City’s Parks Department “Soul Searching” program. About 360 people met eight “souls” who were buried in the cemetery. The land for this cemetery originally belonged to John F. Torrey and was managed

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Weihnachtsmarkt supports Sophienburg

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Two weeks from now the Sophienburg Museum and Archives will present their 24th shopping experience to the public. It’s called Weihnachtsmarkt, or Christmas Market, at the Civic Center. It begins Friday, Nov. 16th through Sunday, the 18th. The market offers 60 plus unique booths, plus

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Old Forke Store ready for Wurstfest

By Myra Lee Adams Goff A flurry of activity and preparation is engulfing organizations that involve themselves with Wurstfest activities. The ten- day celebration is from Nov. 2nd through the 11th. One organization, the Conservation Society, located on Churchill Drive, utilizes their grounds to hold a major fundraiser during Wurstfest.

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Bells become symbols of change

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Recently I gave a speech about the history of First Protestant Church at the Texas German-American Society’s meeting. One of the stories in the history of this church is about the three large bells that are in the tower. These are not the ones that

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Fair exhibits show skills

By Myra Lee Adams Goff This is the Comal County Fair week. We’ve come a long way from Rat-baiting, Nine Man Morris and Quoits and Hobs (games at fairs of the Middle Ages) but basically the real purpose of a fair is the same now as it was then –

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Seele describes first school day in 1845

By Myra Lee Adams Goff “O wie herrlich, o wie schӧn Ist es in die Schule Gehn.” (Oh how splendid; oh, how lovely It is to go to school) With this song, Hermann Seele inspired his first students in New Braunfels. It was August 11, 1845, and the location was

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Locke nurseries business of the past

By Myra Lee Adams Goff When I think of Botanists in New Braunfels, I immediately think of Ferdinand Lindheimer. Lindheimer was given property on the Comal for his botanical garden. No doubt his accomplishments were many, but there were others in the field who contributed much to the beauty of

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Church Hill School served Hortontown and Neighborsville

By Myra Lee Adams Goff From Union St., turn onto Common and drive straight to the Guadalupe River. At the bridge and on the east side of the river, as far as you can see, look left and right. You are looking at Hortontown. Down river to the right of

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What a woman!

By Myra Lee Adams Goff One of the more exciting stories concerning the early settlers of New Braunfels was that of Betty Holekamp charging across the Guadalupe on a horse after Prince Carl’s spectacular show of bravado. The story was probably somewhat embellished over the years, but nevertheless it’s a

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The year of the courthouse and the Spanish-American War

By Myra Lee Adams Goff The year 1898 was the year of the Comal County Courthouse and the year of the Spanish-American War. In 1998 Dr. Robert Govier translated the “Neu Braunfelser Zeitung” from German into English for the Sophienburg . The Govier and Adams families were old family friends.

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