By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

Have you ever heard of the song “Someone To Watch Over Me”? It was written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1926. I am, in fact, a fan of jazz and big band music, so my favorite version is the one recorded in 1959 by the deep, velvety-throated, Ella Fitzgerald. In truth, it is a love song, but really, who would not want someone to watch over them?

We each have family, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses and many others that watch over us. Then there are those that watch over our animals, our community and our future. Meet E.A. Grist, DVM. You may have known him. He was a man of many talents, most of which involved caring — for animals, for family, for people, for New Braunfels.

Born Edgar Alfred Grist in Austin, Texas, in 1915, he grew up being outdoors. He was a Sea Scout and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Having expressed an interest in caring for animals at a very young age, Grist set off for Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College after high school to be a veterinarian.

He arrived in New Braunfels in June 1937, just two days after he and the other 21 members of the Class of ‘37 graduated from Texas A&M. He promptly opened his veterinary practice at 637 W. San Antonio St. on June 25, 1937, becoming the first veterinarian in New Braunfels and Comal County.

In what could only be described as the “perfect meet-cute”, Dr. Grist met Elizabeth Ann (Betty) Wille, daughter of a prominent New Braunfels dentist and granddaughter of one of the first physicians to practice in the city, when she brought her sister’s sick dog into the vet clinic. That meeting was the beginning of a lifelong love affair. They married a couple of months later and eventually added four wonderful children to the family: John, Eddye-Beth, Mike and Joe.

Early in his practice, Dr. Grist was awarded a scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., for sanitary engineering, adding a whole new dimension to this veterinarian’s life. In 1940, he began working for the Texas State Health Department, Food & Drug Division. The job required that he travel across the state for five to six weeks at a time by bus, and yet he still managed to practice veterinary medicine in Comal County. His wife Betty would meet him for weekends in various parts of the state when he was traveling.

He then worked as Assistant State Veterinarian for a year, before he was elected as Texas State Veterinarian in 1943. It was his job to investigate meat processing sites around the state to prevent illness from parasites and diseased meat. He would many times be sent out to find rural illegal slaughter sites set up in a canvas tent with poor sanitation in the heat of the Texas summers. Imagine cattle carcasses lying in pools of blood leaching into the ground water. The health and safety of his fellow Texans was very important to Dr. Grist.

In 1949, he and Betty bought 20 plus acres on 727 N. Live Oak along the Comal Creek, where they set up New Braunfels Veterinary Hospital to treat small animals — dogs, cats, birds. The barn for large animals was added later where they treated sheep, goats, pigs, horses and cattle. Their impressive patient list even included a python from the Snake Farm and Russian bears from a traveling circus. The whole family was involved in his clinic. Betty wore many hats. She became his receptionist, vet tech and bookkeeper. The children’s chores included cleaning cages and stalls, and sometimes assisting on ranch calls. In 1952, the Grists built their home on the property. Their youngest son, Joe, still lives on the family property with his wife, Susi.

Grist took his commitment to veterinary medicine seriously. Throughout his career, he held multiple offices at the state and federal levels. He served as Executive Secretary of the Texas Medical Association, Vice President of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Extension Veterinarian for Texas A&M and the first federal poultry inspector. In New Braunfels, Grist established the Comal Cooperative Creamery, which later became Ol’ Bossy Dairy.

Veterinary medicine presented multiple challenges to Dr. Grist. In 1955, he was appointed as the city’s Chief Meat Inspector. It was in this capacity that he worked to educate ranchers, deer hunters and pet owners about disease, proper sanitation and vaccination of animals, especially during several outbreaks of rabies, anthrax, psitticosis (parrot fever threat to humans from parakeets) and brucellosis (threat to humans from dairy products).

It was also in his capacity as meat inspector that he may have accomplished his most recognizable achievement, known by people far and wide. Grist and wife, Betty, hit upon an idea for a festival based on similar festivals in Germany. Grist presented his idea for a sausage festival to generate tourism, create commerce and pay tribute to the city’s heritage to New Braunfels City Council in 1961. I think he hit it out of the park! What began as a one-day sausage festival has grown to the 10-day Wurstfest we know today drawing over 230,000 visitors and generating over $2 million for local civic organizations, not to mention the commerce enjoyed by local businesses.

Dr. Grist retired in 1970 after 33 years in veterinary practice, and 15 years of meat inspection, but he did not slow down. He became the City Sanitarian, protecting our water, rivers, and aquifer from contamination by humans. Dr. Grist passed away in 1994.

Dr. E.A. Grist, veterinarian, family man, proponent of public safety and water conservation, and community minded leader. This is the kind of guy I want to watch over me and my family and my community. I can just hear the velvety tones of Ella’s words, “Someone to watch over me”.

The Texas Historical Commission will honor the achievements of E.A. Grist with a historical marker. The marker dedication will take place at 1 p.m. on June 2 at Wursthalle on the Wurstfest grounds.  The marker will be installed at the Grist property at a later date.

Sources: The Grist Family Collection; Texas Historical Commission.

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Every child passing through the Texas Public Education System receives an introduction to history. I say an introduction, because they may not remember all of it, but they are definitely shown it. Elementary students begin learning about their own community history in third grade, eventually adding two years of Texas history and two years of U.S. history, followed by World history and government in high school.

I first really dove into history when my sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Christianson, told us that “history” is just that, “his story,” the story of man. (She also taught me how to write outlines, but that’s a story for another time.) She made history come alive for me and I was hooked. There are rewards for those hooked on history. Each year, The Sophienburg Memorial Association awards the Myra Lee Adams Goff Sophienburg History Scholarship to a local graduating senior with an interest in history. The 2019 scholarship recipient is Canyon High School Senior Ross Bedgood. Ross is the son of Steven and Amie Bedgood and will be attending Southwestern University. We are extremely proud to publish his essay in our column today, lightly edited for length and clarity. Enjoy!

The Comal County Fair:

The Resilient Historically Significant Event That Keeps on Giving

When determining an event to be a historically significant one, some consider only those caused by natural disasters or war. However, an established event and its impact on a community throughout time, meets the criteria. The Comal County Fair is one such event.

It is opening night of the 2018 Comal County Fair and I am waiting for my friends. I take in the sights, sounds, smells and excitement the fair offers. I begin to wish I could go back in time and visit the fairs. Then I feel someone tap my shoulder. Thinking it was one of the guys, I turned and…

It was 1894 and I was on a train from San Antonio headed to the first Comal County Fair in New Braunfels, Texas. A man sitting next to me said, “I am Frederick, your fair guide for the next 124 years. He explained how he felt the fair was going to be a success because of the trains bringing people and the community had supported a fundraising fair for the Krankenhaus, the hospital, last year.

When the train stopped, we were on Harry Landa’s property, the sight of the first fair. There were displays of plants, food, livestock, sewing, artwork and so on. It was all I had imagined it would be and more.

Quickly, Frederick motioned for me to follow him. “We’re now on the 11 acres of the Guadalupe River purchased by the Comal County Fair Association in 1898. Just like 1894, it did not disappoint. However, due to financial difficulties, the property was sold to the City of New Braunfels in 1905 with the stipulation that the fair would use the property for the next 50 years.

With the fair of 1908, the stores closed at noon and it was declared New Braunfels ISD Fair Day. The exhibits increased and awards were given for flowers, fruit, handmade men’s suits and so forth. The livestock was in abundance.

For the years 1910-1922, Frederick said he could not find any information about the fair. He thought it might be because of WWI, but did know the land became a dumping ground for the city. I felt sadness and wondered how the fair recovered.

When we entered the year 1923, Frederick’s sparkle returned. He began to explain to me how Comal County Fair Association regrouped into a corporation and was ready for the start of the fair. As we slept, the grandstand burned to the ground, but the fair opened for business and we visited the small house filled with tiny furniture, clothing and other essentials and listened to the Edison playing records. The following two days were rained out.

The next few years were good times, but then I saw Frederick’s demeanor change. “Frederick, you’re not looking so happy. What now?” I asked.

He replied, “Son, we are all in hard times. It is the Great Depression. You see how the fair is not bustling? It had to do away with the queen’s contest, give no cash prizes, lower admittance prices and exhibitors are let in free. It is relying on local cowboys for the rodeo and local musicians for entertainment.” It was a somber time.

I enjoyed the 1933 fair. It was celebrating ’Real Beer’….no more ’Busto’ or ’near beer.’ This fair was filled with dances, the Heidelberg Orchestra playing German music, a football game between New Braunfels and Yoakum horse racing, rodeo and carnival.

Frederick zipped us past the WWII years of scaled back fairs to the 1946 Centennial Celebration, which had been postponed a year due to war. Its highlight was the automobiles that people were becoming interested in. And there was the Greater United Shows Carnival. Frederick was not much of a carnival rides person, I rode the Merry Go-Round, Tilt-A-Whirl and Ferris Wheel and then we watched the horse races. What an adventure I was experiencing!

Frederick said that 1952-1954 were some tough times for the fair. After not being able to have livestock in the parade or at the fair due to Anthrax in 1948, floods and polio spread fear in 1952 to the point the grounds were sprayed with disinfectant. In 1954, the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers almost dried up causing dust issues and few agriculture entries. “But never fear,” said Frederick, “the fair kept on going.”

The 60s were amazing. First it was the rodeo spotlighting Leon Adams riding a Brahma bull through a hoop on fire followed by tied-down calf roping, barrel racing and more. I realized one had to be really tough to participate in these rodeo events. Next, in 1962, came Night in Old New Braunfels and concerts by Canyon, Smithson Valley and New Braunfels High Schools. A quick stop in 1965 allowed us to meet Bobbie Specht, the first rodeo queen. In 1967, we met the first Fair Queen since 1931, Jacque Sahm.

Becoming tired, Frederick informed me that there were only two more stops, one in 1974 and 2001. In 1974, we listened to a country singer by the name of George Strait, who was a rising country star. For 2001, I found Frederick and I at the Comal County Fair Parade. It was just a couple of weeks after the terrorist attack and the parade overflowed with patriotic themes and patriotism swelled from the crowds. It was a time of hope, determination and pride.

Finally, we reached 2018! I thanked him for being a knowledgeable history guide. I now understood that the Comal County Fair was a historically significant event because it had withstood droughts, fire, floods, wars and tough economic times. It continues to give to the community of New Braunfels and Comal County. Thank you to the citizens for organizing the Comal County Fair Association on January 4, 1893. My friends have arrived and we are going to enjoy a night at the fair.

(Information used in the paper came from a report by Myra Lee Adams Goff, author of It’s Fair Time, History of the Comal County Fair.)

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