Would you like to know what was on the property on which our present Comal County Courthouse sits? If so, read on.

When Nicholas Zink laid out the town of New Braunfels, with its main plaza and streets leading to it, he was given the town lot #32 by the Adelsverein for his efforts. Town lot #32 is the lot on which our present courthouse is built. Zink built a house on this lot in 1845. In 1847, the year that Zink and his first wife were divorced, he began selling his property in New Braunfels and eventually left altogether.

Zink sold lot #32 to Samuel Millet dated January 21st, 1847, who used the house as a hotel. Millet, in turn, sold the house in 1852 to Dan Wheeler and Wheeler sold it to Karl Floege in 1866. (Source: County Clerk’s office, book A, deeds p. 35) The family moved to a farm outside of Seguin.

Samuel Millet who was originally from Maine has a Texas Historical Marker at his gravesite in Guadalupe County. It states that he had come to Texas in 1827 and died in 1863. Records show his birth as 1801. He came to Texas as a member of Stephen F. Austin’s colony. During the Texas Revolution, he took part in the battle of San Jacinto.

In 1833, he married Clementina Bartlett and they had nine children. She was also with Austin’s colony and from Tennessee. She married her teacher, Samuel Millett, who was a graduate of Bowdoin College. Family tradition claims that Clementina at age 90 could recall early history of the Republic and those who were instrumental in its founding.

Harry Landa, in his memoirs “As I Remember” writes that his father, Joseph Landa, made this statement about the hotel: “Old lady Millett, mother of the well-known cattleman, Alonzo Millett, was operating a boarding house at the corner where the Comal County Courthouse now stands. The Landas boarded for a few months at Mrs. Millett’s establishment until they bought the adjoining property on the Plaza”.

Alonzo Millett, one of Samuel Millett’s sons, made a name for himself in the ranching business. In “The Traildrivers of Texas”, Alonzo Millett is described as spending his boyhood days in Bastrop County and Seguin where he attended school. When the Civil War broke out, he and his brothers volunteered in the Confederate army. Alonzo was only 16 and his twin brother, Leonidas, was killed. After the war, the surviving brothers returned to Texas and over the years that followed, gained wealth by accumulating ranches in several states. “Misfortune came and their wealth was swept away”.(Traildrivers…)  Alonzo persevered and when he died, he owned a large ranch in San Juan Valley, Colorado. He was killed by being thrown by a horse and then buried in San Antonio. Thirty-five miles south of San Antonio was a small settlement named “Millett” after Alonzo. Many local and Seguin Milletts are descendants of Alonzo Millett and his wife, Arlene Wilson Millett.

Now back to the present courthouse: Early on, Comal County conducted its business in rented rooms, then to a privately owned building on Seguin St. (Elks parking lot). In 1860 the first two-story courthouse was built on the corner occupied by Chase Bank. In 1999 the present courthouse celebrated its 100th birthday. (For more information about this courthouse, log on to Sophienburg.com, Jan. 20, 2009)

Our present courthouse was originally designed to sit in the middle of the Main Plaza with four easy accesses. When that plan fell through, the present location was chosen. The jail was added later, obscuring two entrances and another closed to add more office space. When this present restoration is complete, the original four entrances will once again be usable.

Nothing is left of the Millett Hotel, as the building was torn down shortly before the new courthouse was started. Behind the present courthouse where a parking area was located by the jail, a water well was discovered. The Texas Historic Commission evaluated the dry well and said that it pre-dated the Courthouse.  The well would have been in the right spot for use by the hotel. It was recently filled in with sand to protect its integrity and to prevent a cave-in. The last remnant of an era.

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There are times, during the course of researching a topic, that we come across a story that just says it all. The following, a reprint of a story written by Susan Flynt England, is exactly that. It appeared in the Herald-Zeitung on Sunday, January 7, 1996.

Local family traces heritage to prominent pioneer hotel owner

When Prince Solms of Braunfels, Germany came to Comal county, the area was occupied and its residents weren’t all Native Americans. Some of them were Milletts. Nathan Millett of New Braunfels is their great-great-great-great grandson.

Samuel Millett, born in Maine, came to Texas in 1827. Millett’s wife Clementine was born in Tennessee. Samuel and Clementine moved to New Braunfels in 1845. They bought Lot # 32. Joshua Bartlett, Clementine’s grandfather, signed the Declaration of Independence. The Milletts opened a hotel, called the Samuel Millett Hotel. It stood about were the Comal County Courthouse does now.

They bought the hotel and the property on which it sat from Nicholas Zink, the original surveyor of New Braunfels. Joseph Landa with his young bride lived in Millett’s Hotel until Landa bought the north corner lot where the family lived for more than 75 years,’ said the Haas history of New Braunfels.

Samuel Millett also fought for Texas independence. He volunteered in Captain Moseley Baker’s company at the battle of San Jacinto. He received land donation certificates for his part in the battle. The Samuel Milletts eventually moved to a farm near what is now Navarro School. They also operated a school out of their farm house.

Samuel and Clementine Millett had seven children, two of whom were twin brothers, Alonzo and Leonidas. Both twins fought in the confederate army. Leonidas died at Manses, according to “The Trail Drivers of Texas” in the Texas State Archives.

Alonzo signed up with General Wood when he was 16 years old. He distinguished himself in battle and was promoted three times, said “Trail Drivers.”

Nathan Millett traces his ancestry to Alonzo Millett. He married Arlene Wilson, who was a slave. Alonzo Millett prospered as a rancher after the Civil War. Millett brothers’ ranches were scattered over Kansas, Idaho, Texas and the Dakotas. The town of Millett, Texas, about 90 miles south of San Antonio, was named after Alonzo Millett, who had a ranch in the area.

The 20th Century

Early New Braunfels ancestry did not exempt the 20th Century Milletts from 20th-Century discrimination. Cora Coleman, 22-year nursing assistant at McKenna Memorial Hospital, remembers many changes in New Braunfels during her long life in the area.

“Segregation was the biggest change, “Coleman said. “I came through when it was the back door.” Coleman grew up on a farm near the Comal-Hays county line. “My daddy worked on the farm and had a business down at the county line, “she said. “He ran it. We worked a farm and raised our own food.”

“Back in those days the blacks who lived in New Braunfels spoke German very well,” Nathan Millet said.

Coleman’s brother, Eddie Millett Jr., was a Methodist minister. “He had churches here – Allen Chapel in New Braunfels with others in San Marcos and Luling. He passed on in 1988,” Coleman said.

Mary Johnson grew up on a Millett farm. “My growing up years were beautiful,” she said. “We were poor, but Mama and Daddy were together. We grew about everything we put in our mouths. Farm life would benefit today’s young adults,” Johnson said. “Maybe they wouldn’t sit and watch those idiot boxes and not do anything else.”

Nathan Millet teaches in Austin and owns High Sierra Company in New Braunfels. A charter member of the Greater Comal County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he served as its first treasurer.

Millett is also instrumental in the success of the New Braunfels Black Heritage Society.

(Sources provided by the Sophienburg Archives, Annette Boenig Waite and the Millett family.)

Update

Since this article appeared in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung in 1996, the Millett family legacy continues. Nathan Millett, a 1974 graduate of New Braunfels High School, completed his Ph.D. in Education and moved to the Austin area. He has since retired from public school systems and teaches math at Gary Job Corp. in San Marcos. Nathan has one son and three grandchildren living in New Braunfels. High Sierra Company, owned by his father Robert Millett, is run by his son, Kevin Millett.

The Black Heritage Society dissolved around 2002 due to declining membership; however, Beverly Millet and Karen Wilson are working to get it started again this spring. If you are interested in helping re-establish the New Braunfels Black Heritage Society, please send inquiries to drnathanedu@yahoo.com

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