The post History among the ‘stones — Part II: Panteon Hidalgo appeared first on Sophies Shop.

By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

Last week Sylvia Segovia and I were walking through Hidalgo Panteon searching for the graves of several people. If you have never visited this charming little cemetery, you are in for a truly cultural treat. You will find rows and rows of concrete crosses and headstones of many designs. Most are whimsically personalized with multi colored tiles, marbles and seashells. Traces of paint, usually white, remain on many of the older monuments. Old photos of the cemetery reveal that at one time most all of the markers gleamed white. The names of the inhabitants were inscribed in the wet concrete and sometimes reveal not only names and dates, but place of birth, and relationships.

Color abounds in this cemetery and there is a feeling of celebration of life rather than grief of death. The names will be familiar as many of those early 1900 names are still present in today’s population. The land for Hidalgo Panteon was secured through the hard work of Francisco Estevez in 1918. Estevez was and still is well-known for his extreme efforts, in the early 1900s, to improve working conditions and better the lives of the Hispanic population in New Braunfels. Francisco Estevez also helped to preserve Mexican traditions and customs through participation in local organizations: The Association Cuahatemoc, the Hidalgo Lodge and the Comision Honorifica.

Walking and reading headstones, I stopped to take a photo and heard Sylvia shout, “Oh my God! There is a German man in here!” Sure enough, randomly leaning up against the fence that separates Hidalgo Panteon from Perpetuo Secorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) is a stone of crystalized white limestone with “Hier ruht Theodore Klaus, 1871-1885.”

Well, that is puzzling. First of all, there is the date of 1885. Hidalgo Panteon’s land wasn’t obtained until 1918. There are many headstones bearing death dates in 1919. Secondly, the headstone’s material is all wrong. Where is the concrete that even now dominates the gravesites in this cemetery? It sticks out like what it is, a German headstone.

Back at the Sophienburg, we dove “head first” into this “headstone” mystery. I went for family info while Sylvia got into Find-a-grave online. Theodore was listed as being buried in Hidalgo Panteon AND at the Confederate Cemetery in San Antonio! But wait, ”the plot” thickens.

I looked through the German Neu Braunfelser Zeitung and found a very descriptive obituary for Theodore Klaus:

Last Sunday afternoon between 3 and 4 o’clock, Theo Klauss, the son of Wilhelm Klauss, the well-known and popular postmaster of Danville, shot himself by accident. Theodore was on the hunt and was about to step over a stone fence, rifle in hand, when the gun went off and he was shot in the chest. The barrel of the rifle was so close to his body at the time the shot was fired that his clothing was burned. The dear boy lived for about one more hour. The burial took place on Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in the New Braunfels Cemetery with many people attending. The pastor of the local Catholic parish held the funeral services according the rites of the Catholic Church. “Rest in peace poor boy.” We share heartfelt sympathy for the great pain of those left behind.

Not only is this a seriously tragic story about the death of a 14-year-old, but did you notice where Theodore was buried? New Braunfels Cemetery on the other side of town! Sheesh. Now he is in three cemeteries.

I grabbed the sexton records for burials in NB Cemetery (by the way, it’s the oldest public cemetery in town). Theodore was listed as burial #569 in 1885. I also found listings for a Klaus infant in 1876, a sister in 1902 and a father in 1902. Time for a field trip to this cemetery.

I found only one Klaus headstone. It belongs to Jacob Klaus (1830-1872) who was Theodore’s uncle. What happened to the others? Just slightly more disconcerting was that Jacob’s headstone is exactly the same design and size of my poor friend Theodore’s. I also noticed that the stone next to Uncle Jacob’s was the same design and size but was for another Danville area family; they were neighbors in life and in death.

Ok. I had to step back and rethink this mystery from a different angle. I contacted the Confederate Cemetery in San Antonio. That cemetery was first used in 1855, but was bought by Confederate veterans in 1885 and renamed, The Confederate Cemetery. It was to be utilized by Civil War Veterans, their dependents and later descendants. It also contains veterans from WWI and WWII. Unfortunately, there are no early written records for the cemetery. But it wasn’t a complete “dead end.” I was informed that near Theodore rest the remains of the father (plus wife) and the sister that had disappeared from the New Braunfels Cemetery, probably at the same time as Theodore.

For now, I can only surmise that sometime after 1902, the Klaus family (some of whom lived in San Antonio) must have reinterred Theodore, dad and sister in the Confederate Cemetery. I have someone looking into government records to see if Theodore’s father, Wilhelm, participated in the Civil War. But who knows?

My best guess is that the original Klaus Family headstones, including Theodore’s, were discarded after the remains were moved. Newer style monuments grace the graves in San Antonio. Like German Americans, Mexican Americans don’t like seeing good material wasted, so I wonder if someone didn’t just rescue the abandoned headstones for reuse. With that in mind, I made another trip to Hidalgo Panteon to take another look and Theodore’s headstone praying that on the back side I would find the remnants of reuse — maybe added writing?

Nope. I guess the travels of Theodore Klaus’s headstone across town will remain a mystery.

Sources: https://www.findagrave.com/; https://www.ccasatx.org/; Sophienburg Museum newspaper collection and family history collection; research materials for Hidalgo Panteon and New Braunfels Cemetery.

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You might remember the article written a couple of weeks back about Karl Klinger and Sophienburg Hill, where I mentioned that the old Sophienburg Verein Headquarters was destroyed by a storm. It wasn’t just any storm and now you get to hear the rest of the story…

In 1844, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels sought a safe landing place on the Texas coast line for the colonists who would be arriving soon from Germany. He found a beach on Matagorda Bay which he named “Carlshafen” (Carl’s Harbor), after himself. Indian Point was founded short way from that beach. Because of the naturally deep harbors, Indianola, as it would come to be known, grew out of an “immigrant camp” to become a major port in Texas. Thousands of immigrants from Europe passed through the port, including those traveling to New Braunfels. Within 25 years of its founding, the town had stagecoach service, railroad service and major steamship service. Goods of all kinds, cattle, canned meats, silver bullion, even camels passed through the port. In 1875, the booming port town, with a population of nearly 6000 had a major change of luck. The Hurricane of 1875 slammed into Indianola, with winds reported at 130 miles per hour. Over 270 lives were lost and three quarters of the town was destroyed.

Some eleven years later, Indianola was only partially recovered/rebuilt when it was almost completely obliterated by a Category 4 Atlantic cyclone on August 20, 1886. Residents had little warning and no sea wall. Winds were clocked at 102 m.p.h. at the Signal Service before the building collapsed, igniting a fire from a kerosene lantern inside. It may well have looked like the end of the world. Winds blew, fire raged, and a tidal surge of eight feet submerged the town. Hundreds died. The Galveston Daily News received a letter via ship captain pleading for help, “Dead bodies are strewn for 20 miles along the bay. Send us help, for God’s sake.” Indianola never recovered.

Some 150 miles inland, the powerful storm made her presence known for several days afterward. Even New Braunfels experienced her wrath. While researching information for the Sophienburg Hill marker dedication, I ran across this English translation of a New Braunfels Zeitung article:

New Braunfels Zeitung – August 26, 1886 — STORM: Not since September 12, 1869 has our city experienced a storm such as we had on Friday, August 20, 1886. This previous one was confined to the city limits, while this one was going through the middle of the state, 250 miles wide, with wind speeds of 50 miles and gusts as high as 85 miles per hour.

The day before, we regretted that the strong SE winds had blown the clouds away and we were happy that at 5am the winds from the E began to bring rain, unsuspecting that this would be the forerunner of the arriving storm. With the winds changing from E to NE the force increased over the city and country. From 8 AM rain was pouring and an ever-increasing deluge. By 10 AM water was flowing in the streets and a broken wing of the Claessen windmill announced the ruin, like the rattle of passion week, mainly Good Friday. (an unknown analogy)

Twigs and branches were torn from trees, and shingles and metal roofs were flying through the air, until by noon the storm reached its peak. Whole trees with their roots were torn from the ground, metal roofs were curled and carried like paper hundreds of feet through the air. Houses and roofs collapsed like playing cards and match sticks. This went on until 3 PM. In the afternoon, the wind changed to the SE, gaining new strength: the destruction continued. Only then did individuals dare to clear through trees and debris to observe the destruction this storm had caused, and to protect the loved ones from further damage. And what a picture of destruction did they see – we can only report a fraction and some individual cases to our readers.

The tower of the Catholic Church tumbled; the freight depot was a pile of lumber. In Seguin street, Dr. Koester’s roof and gallery, Podewills’s roof and the balcony of Perryman’s house all destroyed. Jahn’s furniture shop was moved; the roof of Mrs. Klappenbach’s store, and parts of the Protestant Church, and from Bernhards’s addition all torn down. Mexican huts, parts of the carousel, Claessen’s windmill and a part of the stables are destroyed. On San Antonio street, the roof of Senator Pfeuffer’s new house was thrown to the market and the gable of Landa’s flour mill was torn down. Voelker’s gallery collapsed. Seele’s Hall was without a roof as well as Sippel’s ice house, and Hoelke’s storage building was blown over.

In Mill street the Knibbe’s house, Reinarz and Fedner’s roofs. In Comal street Emil Mergele and Julius Rennert’s roofs and buildings were damaged and W. Roether suffered great damage. In Castell street, the roof of Ludwig’s Hotel and Pfeuffer’s all but the office were turned over. John Sippel’s new house lost the roof and the Sophienburg changed from a ruin to a pile of rubble.

In Comaltown, the roofs of Matzdorf Hall, and Johann Mueller’s grainery and Mrs. Benner’s Store were destroyed. From the collapsing house at the former ferry, people fled just in time. Kessler’s farm lost a building because of fire, two others were damaged. In the cemetery, more than 20 headstones were toppled or destroyed.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the “Great Indianola Hurricane of 1886” is on record as the 6^th most intense hurricane to ever hit the U.S. behind “The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935” at number one, followed by Camille (1969), Irma (2017), Katrina (2005) and Andrew (1992). We’ve recently seen what Harvey and Irma did. Can you imagine not knowing what was about to hit Indianlola? We’ve also seen the resiliency of people and their desire to help those in need. An October 1886 issue of the Neu Braunfels Zeitung listed more than twenty individuals that contributed to the Indianola emergency fund. No wonder the New Braunfels community is growing. We come from good people, inviting good people to come here.

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Next Saturday, March 28^th at 11:00 a.m. a rededication of an historical marker will take place at the Canyon Dam Overlook. All are invited to view this beautiful view of the lake and dam. This site which was originally honored in 1968 with a Texas Historical Commission marker was vandalized and the marker removed some time ago. It has been replaced. Words on the new marker read:

IN THIS AREA, NOW COVERED BY CANYON LAKE, GERMAN EMIGRANTS WERE THE FIRST SETTLERS. A SOCIETY OF NOBLES (MAINZER ADELSVEREIN) SPONSORED THE EMIGRATION OF 7,380 GERMANS TO TEXAS FROM 1844 to 1847. THEY FOUNDED NEW BRAUNFELS IN 1845. MOVING WEST, THEY ESTABLISHED FREDERICKSBURG IN 1846. THEIR COMANCHE INDIAN TREATY OPENED 3,800,000 ACRES BETWEEN THE LLANO AND COLORADO RIVERS TO PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT. FARMERS AND ARTISANS, SCHOLARS AND SCIENTISTS, THEY TRIUMPHED OVER EPIDEMIC AND PRIVATION TO HELP BUILD TEXAS AND THE WEST.

Sponsoring the marker are the German American Society of New Braunfels, Helgard Suhr-Hollis, John and Cindy Coers, the Canyon Lake Rotary Club, the Canyon Lake Noon Lions Club, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/GBRA, the Comal County Historical Commission and the Texas Historical Commission. Installation of the new marker was provided by Don and Jean Koepp, Bob Warnecke, and John and Karin Brooks with Danny Zunker of Brooks Stone Ranch. The marker is mounted on a 2,000 pound limestone rock from the area.

It is appropriate to honor the German Pioneers in Texas at this site. Canyon Lake, filled by the Guadalupe River, was the settling place of so many.

The idea of constructing this dam to minimize flooding and conserve water goes as far back as 1929 when the idea arose. After a survey in 1935, plans were authorized and construction began in 1958. In 1964, the gates were closed and the lake began to fill. The water reached its conservation level of 909 ft. (ideal) above sea level in 1968.The flow of the upper Guadalupe, plus rainfall, constantly allows the Corps of Engineers and the GBRA to control the lake level. This is done by monitoring the amount of water flowing from the Guadalupe into the lake every day and the lake level. If the amount of water is too great, the amount released below the dam is increased and sent down to the lower Guadalupe River.

The spillway crest is 943 ft. At the dam’s outlet, a maximum release of water is 5,000 cubic feet per second.

The building of Canyon Dam and Lake has saved many lives and millions of dollars which would have been lost as a result of flooding. Flooding on the Guadalupe affects towns all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. When you drive out River Road next to the Guadalupe River, look up and you can see how high flood levels reached probably thousands of years ago.

The year 2002 saw the lake overflow the spillway for the first time in the history of the lake. With a recorded elevation of 950.32 feet, water went over the spillway in a very short time. This overflowing of the spillway, created the Canyon Lake Gorge. It has become a “true Hill Country treasure” unearthing fossils, 110 million years old, crustaceous limestone formations, dinosaur footprints, springs, channels, and waterfalls. For a small price and a reservation for a tour, the three-hour walk is available at canyongorge.org.

With the first flood above the dam in 1978, the lake reached 930.60 ft. Another 20 feet and it would have been over the spillway. Another flood in 1987, the lake reached 942.67 feet and another in 1991 reached 937.77. In 1997 an elevation of 937.60 feet was attained. The 2002 level was the flood of record.

When the lake level is under the conservation level, the gates below the dam are adjusted, waiting for rain on the upper Guadalupe to flow into the lake. The lowest the lake has been was 892.70 in 2009. This, of course was the result of the drought.

In 2011, I wrote an article for the Sophienburg column printed in this newspaper called
“So, what exactly is under Canyon Lake?” I think some of the information bears repeating:

Imagine the Canyon Lake area with no lake. What would it have been like? Ranchland, farmland, trees, cemeteries, the Guadalupe River and the site of two very small communities, Hancock and Cranes Mill. These two communities would eventually be under the lake.

Hancock was named after John Hancock, who in 1851, was granted land on the north bank of the Guadalupe River. Although a thriving little community, the population of Hancock had dwindled to 10 in 1940.

The community of Cranes Mill was the other community that is under water. James Crain established a cypress shingle mill along the Guadalupe River in 1850. Crain changed the spelling of his name to Crane in the Civil War. No one knows why, but it’s been Cranes Mill ever since.

Where there are communities, there are cemeteries. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1958 was responsible for the re-interment of approximately 89 bodies from 16 cemeteries along the Guadalupe that would be under water. These remains were moved to various other cemeteries like Comal Cemetery, Fischer Cemetery, Mt. Sharp Cemetery, Twin Sisters Cemetery, and some smaller family cemeteries. Each plot was researched and next of kin contacted in order to get permission as to where the remains would be moved. Many opted to not have the remains removed, which was their choice.

Two years ago John and Cindy Coers, who are members of the Comal County Historical Commission, decided to trace the re-interment of John’s great- great- grandparents, Heinrich and Karoline Startz Coers. What they found out was not only where the Coers lived, but where they were buried. Their bodies were re-interred to the Fischer Cemetery.

Heinrich Coers emigrated from Germany in 1846 and settled in the Guadalupe River Valley. He and his wife were buried on the Coers property along the Guadalupe River. John Coers was able to locate photographs of the original interment sites along with headstones for both Heinrich and Karoline. She died in 1864 and her tombstone was destroyed. The family decided to leave her stone, but move the body. The tombstone is now under the lake. Heinrich’s stone was in good condition and it was moved intact to the Fischer cemetery. A beautiful inscription on the tombstone in German, here translated in English, reads:

You have quietly carried your burden through the Pilgrim’s Valley. Christ was your life and dying your gain.

The Coers have partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and have scanned all of the re-interment documents. They will be soon available for research purposes at the Sophienburg Museum and Archives.

“Rest in Peace” seems quite appropriate.

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