Detail of K. W. Pressler & W. Völker 1851 map of Texas. This map was issued as part of G. M. von Ross’ 1851 book, Der Nordamerikanische Freistaat Texas.

By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

Among a stack of “orphaned” papers, I found an old map of Texas. “Orphans” are those papers or artifacts that either were inadvertently separated from their donor connection or that showed up randomly at the back door of the Sophienburg Museum in a box.

This map was cut into rectangles and mounted on a linen canvas so it could be folded into a small booklet; it is missing its front and back cardstock covers. Titled, “Map of Texas, Compiled from Surveys at the Land Office of Texas by K. W. Presler & W. Völker, Geometers of the Land Offices of Texas”, this beautiful engraved topographical map depicts Texas counties established prior to 1851 along with rivers, creeks, pioneer routes and towns. There is also an octagonal card glued to it that has “G. M. v Ross1852” written in German script.

The names gave me some starting points to find out more about the map. Turns out, this is a pretty cool, pretty rare, and remarkably accurate map.

I researched G. M. v Ross. George Moerner von Ross was an American of German descent. That little “v” in his name stands for “von”, the German word “of or from”, which usually signifies that a man is landed gentry and not your basic peasant immigrant from Germany. Ross wrote several travel/informational books for Germans considering immigration to the US of A: (1848) Rathschläge und Warnungen (a book of advice on immigration); (1851) Der Nordamerikanische Freistaat Texas (describes Texas climate, geography, animals, biology and minerals); (1851) Des Auswanderers Handbuch (includes a section on Texas).

This map was issued with George M. v Ross’ 1851 Freistaat Texas. The Texas Handbook says, “Ross was for a time associated with Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer in the publication of the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung.” George M. indeed appears in advertisements in the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung in early 1853. The paper also includes his obituary which states that he was co-editor of the NB Zeitung and also the editor of the Allgemeinen Auswanderungs Zeitung. He died on his farm in Sisterdale in October 1856. So, the map might actually have been his.

I also wanted to know about the map’s maker, K. W. Pressler. Karl Wilhelm Pressler was born in Prussia in 1823. Karl studied cartography and surveying and upon graduation, he worked for the Prussian government (or as a civil servant). Dissatisfied with most everything about Prussia, Karl, like many other young men his age, became certain that his destiny awaited him in Texas. Pressler joined the Adelsverein and landed in Galveston in February 1846, right as Texas officially became the 28th state to join the United States.

Karl joined three other German lads and tried out farming. It was a “no go” for him and he made his way to Austin. There, he became friends with a fellow German immigrant who was drawing maps for the Texas General Land Office. He managed to get a 2-month job with the GLO and spent his days drawing maps from 9-12 and 2-5. After his job ended, he travelled a bit and met Jacob de Cordova.

Cordova was also an immigrant, not from Germany, but from Jamaica. He became successful as a land agent in Philadelphia before he turned his eyes on Texas. Here he found more land than even he knew what to do with. For us in New Braunfels, Cordova is important for founding the community of Neighborsville in 1847 (Milltown) and naming many of the creeks in the Canyon Lake area. Cordova lived on the Guadalupe/Comal County border on his land, “Wanderers Retreat” for several years.

In August 1846, when young, 23 year-old Pressler met Cordova, he was made head of Cordova’s surveying expeditions of 1846 and 1847. Pressler also fact-and-quality-checked Cordova’s first map of Texas issued in 1849. Jacob de Cordova founded the city of Waco that same year. Karl, or Charles as he would come to be known, also surveyed in Guadalupe County. That makes sense. He was probably bunking at Wanderer’s Retreat with the Cordova family.

In 1850, Karl Pressler became a full-time draftsman in the Texas General Land Office. He was promoted to principal draftsman in 1858 and chief draftsman in 1865. With a short stint of service as an engineer for the Confederacy and also city engineer of Galveston, Pressler served at the Texas GLO until he retired in 1899.

Our little orphan map, issued along with G.M. v Ross’s book, is the first map K.W. Pressler drew and published. It was followed by another revised and corrected map of de Cordova’s and then his own map of Texas issued in 1858. The 1858 Pressler map was considered to be the most accurate map of Texas that had been produced and took him four years to create from records he found at the GLO. It faithfully depicted rivers, creeks, mountains, pioneer routes, forts, locations of Native-American tribes, towns and counties. The Texas Legislature appropriated $1,000 to purchase copies of Pressler’s 1858 Texas map for placement in each county clerk’s office in the state. Pressler revised his map again in1862, but it was not widely circulated due to the Civil War. Revised and reissued in 1867, it was known as the Traveler’s Map of the State of Texas. He is also credited as the creator of maps for 38 counties in Texas.

Pressler died in 1907 in Austin.

But this is not the end of this story. While researching Mr. Pressler, I found that Oscar Haas was given a collection of letters that new Texan Karl wrote home to his family in Prussia. These letters tell his story of immigration, finding work, surveying the Texas Hill Country, dances, living conditions and include descriptions of the people he met. Be on the lookout for more on this intrepid and adventurous young man.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum: Oscar Haas Collection, Neu Braunfelser Zeitung Collection; Heritage Auctions; Texas State Historical Association: George M. von Ross, Karl Wilhelm Pressler; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Karl Wilhelm Pressler; Texas Historical Commission: Texas Time Travel: Charles Pressler’s Map of the State of Texas.

“Around the Sophienburg” is published every other weekend in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

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By Myra Lee Adams Goff —

A young German count, Arnold-Henkel von Donnersmark, came to the New Braunfels settlement in 1845 with Prince Carl. He built a large frame building where he lived and conducted his hotel and saloon business. In less than a year he had accumulated several thousand dollars.

This is how he did it: he bought a barrel of whiskey in San Antonio, set up a tent in New Braunfels, and sold it to emigrants that had money. These early emigrants, having just arrived and not yet established homes, stayed in Donnersmark’s hotel, for it provided a comfortable place to stay. Besides, they liked the idea of being served by a member of the aristocracy. This would never have happened in Germany. (Source: Roemer’s “Texas”)

Donnersmark’s house, hotel, saloon, was located on the corner of Castell and Mill Sts. which is now a parking lot across the street from McAdoo’s Restaurant. Donnersmark’s house itself served a very important role in early New Braunfels because it was designated as the first post office. It was dismantled in 1904 by Louis Henne who then used the lot for a customer camp yard for his lumber, hardware, and tinning business.

C.W. Thomae was the first postmaster in 1846 and then Donnersmark took over in 1847.

In 1851 the post offices moved to the Adolphus Benner store. Benner was the postmaster and when he died, Mrs. Benner took her husband’s place, thereby having the distinction of being the first woman postmaster. She served until after the Civil War, when she was replaced due to the fact that she served under the Confederacy. (All of those positions were replaced if they had served during the Confederacy).

Next, post offices were in the bus station, Courthouse, Hermann Seele residence, and Pfeuffer store. Then in 1915 President Woodrow Wilson signed a law appropriating $50,000 to build a post office building in New Braunfels. This is the building that now houses McAdoo’s Restaurant. Guess who the U.S. Secretary of Treasury was at that time? William G. McAdoo! The present post office on Seguin Ave. was built in 1984.

In addition to the post offices in New Braunfels, there were about 20 rural post offices, two of which are at the bottom of Canyon Lake (Cranes Mill and Hancock). Each of these post offices had an individual postmark signifying that the letter had been mailed from there. Eventually all small sites were closed except New Braunfels, Spring Branch, Fischer, and Canyon Lake.

Originally stamps on letters were postmarked by the postmaster writing the cancellation date and place. Then cancellation progressed to hand stamping. Can you imagine the post office doing either one of those methods now? Cancellation then moved to digital postmarks.

These postmarked letters have become collector’s items, as everything does when it becomes obsolete. One can learn a lot about history by collecting these cancelled letters. Collectors look for old hand-cancelled letters and specific postmarks. I have seen a 28th Wurstfest postmark dated Nov 4, 1988, and a New Braunfels Sesquicentennial postmark of April 14, 1995, with the Sesquicentennial seal. A most interesting one to me is a New Braunfels Centennial celebration envelope which says “mailed from Landa Park.” It has a picture of the old Sophienburg, Las Fontanas, with the message “Because of these, the now famous Comal Springs, the German emigrants chose the site of New Braunfels.” The official postmark is New Braunfels.

Permission for special postmarks have been granted, like the commerative Pony Express rider in 2006. I have seen two stop stations, one in Gruene and one at the Schmidt Hotel.

Growing up in New Braunfels, I remember the socializing that took place on the post office steps on Castell St., especially on Saturday. Maybe this form of socializing had its roots in Arnold-Henkel von Donnersmark’s hotel and saloon across the street.

Excerpt from Around The Sophienburg by Myra Lee Adams Goff, Sophienburg Museum & Archives.

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By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

When the Museum is quiet, like it has been for the past few weeks, I like being in the exhibit hall. In fact, my favorite thinking spot is sitting on a bench in there, just listening. In the silence, one can almost hear the sounds of New Braunfels’ past; the wheels of a carriage on unpaved streets or the voices of children responding to the old teacher’s bell. I seem to be drawn to the wall where our immigration story begins. As I stare at the whiskered faces of the town’s first leaders, I wonder about the women of the day. Do they only take honors for being strong pioneer women who love and birth children while tending the garden and the house? What of the first women leaders? The Archives hold their stories.

One of the first we hear about is Mrs. Margaret Ullrich. Her husband, George Ullrich was hired by the Adelsverein as the wagon master. Margaret and their 3-year-old child rode with him as he guided the first group of emigrants from the coast to their new home in New Braunfels. I’ve often thought about my Texas ancestors and I can tell you that riding and/or walking 150 miles up from the coast to New Braunfels is not my idea of fun, especially with a 3-year-old! Margaret and all the women that survived that trip get my vote as super-heroes.

Mrs. Louise Benner, wife of New Braunfels Postmaster Adolph Benner, became one of the first post-mistresses ever appointed in the United States (and first in New Braunfels) upon his death in 1857. Mrs. Benner served until after the Civil War, at which time she was promptly replaced by Christian Holtz. During Reconstruction, all public servants that had served in the Confederacy were replaced. Incidentally, there has only been one other woman to serve as postmistress in NB – Charlsie Witham in 1927.

Lina Chapa Delgado, born in 1906, was a nurse’s aide before becoming an LVN. She is thought to be the first Certified Midwife in New Braunfels. She delivered over 1600 babies in more than 40 years of service to the community. Her first delivery was Juanita Castro in 1931.

The roles held by women, mostly as nurses and teachers, slowly changed. The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave women equal rights to vote and serve on juries, but it took a while for that to make its way to New Braunfels. In 1951, Miss Etelka Lucas became the first City Corporation Court Judge (equivalent to our current Municipal Court Judge), a position she held until 1955. She was the first woman ever to serve in any judicial capacity in Comal County.

In January of 1955, Mrs. Robert (Gretchen) Uhr was the first woman juror ever seated in Comal County. In fact, the entire 6-person jury for which she was selected was all female, which was quite something for that time

Also in January 1955, Mrs. Frank Oprysnek became the first woman to serve on an official governing body of New Braunfels (before we had City Manager format). The 43-year-old widow of the late Commissioner Frank Oprysnek was appointed over nine other applicants to fill the unexpired term of her husband. The job paid $125 per month plus a $50 expense account. In today’s dollars, that would be approximately $1206 per month with a $482 expense account. Her duties as assigned by Mayor Schwandt included parks and plazas, cemeteries, city hall, library, hospital and sewage disposal plant.

In 1961, the first woman elected to the Comal County Board of School Trustees was Mrs. Robert (Bessie) Long, a former home demonstration agent and teacher.

There were plenty of women running in the most recent Texas primary, but it took a long time to get there. It was 118 years after the creation of Comal County that a woman was elected as Comal County Clerk. In 1964, Mr. Otto Rohde, the Clerk of twenty-five years, died. Mrs. A. D. (Irene Staats) Nuhn, long time county employee, was appointed to fill his position until the election. She subsequently ran and was elected, holding that position for 16 years.

1964 must have been a really good year for women because Mrs. Clinton (Margaret) Naegelin, retired schoolteacher, became the first woman elected to City Council. She also went on to become the first woman Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor, all within three years!

Women also began making their mark in the business world, in positions mostly occupied by men. Miss Angelina Morales succeeded her father, Charlie Morales, as manager of Morales Funeral Home in March 1969. She was the first woman mortician and funeral director in New Braunfels.

In 1970, accomplished artist and realtor, Mrs. Claudine Hovestadt, was elected first woman president of New Braunfels Board of Realtors. Women were not just moving up locally. Mrs. Harry (Clara) Heidemann, President & manager of Natural Bridge Caverns, which was dedicated August 5, 1964, was elected the first Woman President of National Caves Association in 1971.

The last on my list of firsts is Olivia Perez. She made her mark by becoming the first female patrol officer of New Braunfels Police Department in 1976 while proudly carrying on her family’s tradition of law enforcement (like her two older brothers). Perez was one of three females in the Police Academy, but she scored the highest marks of all 33 students in her class.

These first women paved the way for others. Their service to our beloved community really prepared the way for all of us as we strive to make New Braunfels the best it can be.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum & Archives.

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