The dark history of Meriwether’s millrace
By Myra Lee Adams Goff What I knew about William Hunter Meriwether could be summed up as “That American from Virginia who had slaves dig the canal next to Landa Park Drive.” That’s changing, thanks to Joy Alexander who has been doing an extensive study of Meriwether. Alexander first became interested in Meriwether when she […]
Drought, floods, and war affect Comal County Fair
By Myra Lee Adams Goff There were only three times in the long history of the Comal County Fair that the fair was postponed. Two times had to do with weather and one time had to do with war. The very first fair was scheduled to be held in November 1893. The recently organized Comal […]
Comal, Guadalupe junction important
By Myra Lee Adams Goff When I was in the ninth grade, I had a group of friends who were Mariner Girl Scouts. New Braunfels rivers were the perfect spot for this scouting program. We had a friend who lived on the Guadalupe River and had a rowboat. We would take turns rowing the boat. […]
Spielzeit at Sophienburg Saturday
By Myra Lee Adams Goff Picture this: Every day after school, a group of elementary school boys rushed home and met at a vacant lot behind Hollmig’s Drive-In at the intersection of Seguin and Zink streets. Their goal: to play baseball their way. (See the 1958 photo below for names.) George House, owner of the […]
St. Joseph chapel becomes Comal County historical site
By Myra Lee Adams Goff Out in the county on FM 482, the newly formed Schertz Historical Preservation Committee recently celebrated the St. Joseph Chapel as a historic site. The newly formed committee, led by Dean Weirtz, has become extremely active in the last year and the members, many of whom are descendants of 150-year […]
New Braunfels newspaper influenced secession effort
By Myra Lee Adams Goff Fourth of July Parade When: 9:15 a.m. Monday Where: Main Plaza, New Braunfels Another Fourth of July celebration is coming up Monday. Flags will be waving, music will be saluting the United States of America and The Sophienburg’s annual parade downtown to the Main Plaza will be open to patriots […]
Blended cultural traditions form typical Texas Christmas
By Myra Lee Adams Goff Each year, Christmas traditions are observed by Christians around the world. Here in New Braunfels, these traditions vary according to denomination and ancestry, but basically they are a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago. The Christmas tree idea was brought across the ocean by […]
1847 New Year almost brought in with Meusebach hanging
By Myra Lee Adams Goff If we could have been in New Braunfels 164 years ago about this time of year (Dec. 31, 1846), we would have witnessed a group of about 130 early settlers on their way to a potential hanging. These new arrivals from Germany were disgruntled about the way things had turned […]
Former NBHS band director Victor Kase wrote alma mater
By Myra Lee Adams Goff In 1916, a unit of United States Army soldiers was on maneuvers from San Antonio and camped on the Landa Ranch overlooking Landa Park. One of those soldiers camping there was young Victor Kase who would return to New Braunfels to become band director at New Braunfels High School. Kase […]
New Braunfels’ first doctor’s life filled with contradictions
By Myra Lee Adams Goff In the Sophienburg Museum, there is a display of several prominent early civic leaders in New Braunfels. You will see Zink, von Coll, Lindheimer, Seele, Ervendberg, Meusebach and Dr. Theodore Koester. It seems that Koester was the most controversial of all these early leaders. Dr. Koester was born in Frankfurt, […]
