Lindheimer, Father of Texas Botany

By Myra Lee Adams Goff How many times have you said or thought, “I wish I could remember what my grandmother told me about that.” If you have letters or a diary from your family, you are one of the fortunate ones. Our history of New Braunfels is almost totally

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Waisenhaus Orphanage on the Guadalupe

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Do you believe everything you read? Do you believe everything you hear? If your answer to these two questions is “no,” you must be thinking like an historian. A good historian reads material and thinks “there must be more” and hears information and thinks “where’s

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First-hand account of the Indianola hurricane

By Myra Lee Adams Goff New Braunfels loves to celebrate anniversaries, but this date, Friday August 20 in 1886, we can commemorate but not celebrate. It was on this day one hundred thirty years ago (as of yesterday) that a hurricane hit the Gulf Coast. It was so strong that

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Margarethe Schertz, pioneer woman

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Margarethe Schertz was only 12 years old when she came to Texas with her parents in 1844. If she were alive today, she could tell us a story and a half about Texas, Comal County, and especially New Braunfels. It’s a unique story of an

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The year 1846 was a dark year for the German immigrants

By Myra Lee Adams Goff The year was 1846, a year after Hermann Seele arrived in Texas. It was the time of year that we, in Texas, understand – July and August. The heat continued to increase and thunder storms made the Guadalupe River rise. A ferry boat at the

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“Tenax propositi” or “finish what you begin”

By Myra Lee Adams Goff Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach (later John O. Meusebach) and Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels represented two philosophies and cultures of Germany in the early 1800s. Prince Carl was a feudalistic, aristocratic, ultraconservative wanting no change in the politics of Germany. It was a collection of

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City-owned water works to provide affordable, clean water

By Myra Lee Adams Goff The Comal Springs Conservation Center will begin its five phase project this summer. The 16-acre site was once Klingemann Springs and was the first water work property owned by the City of New Braunfels. One of the necessities of human survival is availability of water

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Sophienburg named for Princess Sophia

By Myra Lee Adams Goff As far as New Braunfels history is concerned, the most important historic place is and always has been the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. This organization is now working on historic designations for the site of the Sophienburg Hill. Here’s a thumbnail history of the place:

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City-owned water works to provide affordable, clean water

By Myra Lee Adams Goff The Comal Springs Conservation Center will begin its five phase project this summer. The 16-acre site was once Klingemann Springs and was the first water work property owned by the City of New Braunfels. One of the necessities of human survival is availability of water

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The good old days?

By Myra Lee Adams Goff How easy we ladies have life today compared to the old days in the 1850s. “You’ve come a long way, baby” is the understatement of our time. A woman’s role in society has changed dramatically due to not only modern technology but changes that occurred

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