By Myra Lee Adams Goff Even as a child I perceived that there must be some connection between one’s personality and one’s genes because when I behaved myself, both parents were quick to claim their genetic contribution. On the other hand, when I did something wrong, both disclaimed their genetic

By Myra Lee Adams Goff The late Dr. Robert Govier was a friend of mine and a real friend to the Sophienburg Archives. A native of New Braunfels, he got his Ph.D. in German and translated many documents for the Sophienburg. I considered him a multi-talented genius. While working on his

By Myra Lee Adams Goff There’s an old German legend in which a village comes alive only one day every 100 years. The musical “Brigadoon” was loosely based on this same idea. The small settlement of Anhalt reminds me of this legend. Driving up to the gate, this sleepy dance

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Prince Carl in the diary of his sojourn to Texas writes about sleeping on the ground, using a pistol case as a pillow. Even before the emigrants arrived, he feared an Indian attack. He recalled a patriotic drinking song called “Deutschland Hoch”. Rewriting his own words

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Recently the Sophienburg was the recipient of a very historically valuable gift – the original bell from the Live Oak Baptist Church dating back to around 1900. Sometime before 1900 a preacher named Rev. Lucky McQueen organized a group of 14 NB residents into what

By Myra Lee Adams Goff On March 21 we had quite a crowd on the Plaza when Mayor Boyer proclaimed Founder’s Day and Sophienburg Executive Director Linda Dietert reminded us once again of the first emigrants as they crossed the Guadalupe into NB. Events on our Plaza over the years have

By Myra Lee Adams Goff This Good Friday, March 21, marks the 163rd year since the first emigrants crossed the Guadalupe into what would become New Braunfels. At noon Sophienburg members and others interested in NB history will be on the Plaza commemorating this event. Please join us. Having written much about that first crossing, I

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Do you know the story behind the formation of the Sophienburg Museum and Archives? It’s a rather interesting story and unique like the city in which it is located. Here’s how it goes: The Hippolyt Dittlinger family (of flour mill fame) received a portrait of

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

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