Grapetown, Texas
Encyclopedia
Grapetown is an unincorporated farming and ranching community
9.5 miles (15.3 km) south of Fredericksburg
, situated on South Grape Creek in Gillespie County
, in the U.S. state
of Texas
. It is located on the old Pinta Trail. Grapetown is noted for being the site of the first annual Gillespie County Bundes Schützenfest. The school was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
in 1984, Marker number 10048.
and Travis
counties.While the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of non-German Anglo names.
On October 20, 1846, Berlin
emigrants Ferdinand Friedrich Wilhelm Doebbler and his wife Auguste Matheus disembarked from the Elise and Charlotte in Galveston, Texas
, destined for Fredericksburg. By 1857 they had opened Grapetown's first business entity, Doebbler's Inn and General Store at the crossing of Immigrant Road and Upper South Grape Creek. Doebbler's establishment became a stage stop and community gathering place, eventually including horse stables. The business dissolved in 1915.
On May 13, 1848, John Hemphill was deeded 320 acre (1.29 km²; 0.500000442086972 sq mi) on Survey block 187 from John E. Elgin, Abstract 208. On June 19, 1848, Hemphill was deeded 320 acre (1.29 km²; 0.500000442086972 sq mi) on Survey block 185 from J.B. Banks, Abstract 50. On November 14, 1848, Hempill was deeded 640 acre (2.59 km²; 1 sq mi) on Survey block 183 from Benjamin F. Lyons, Abstract 391. Hemphill became the first rancher of record in Grapetown.
Grapetown ranchers benefited from proximity to Kerrville
, where they found a thriving market in selling their cattle to Charles Schreiner. Schreiner, a native of Riquewihr
, France
, had emigrated to the United States as a teenager with his family in 1852. In the late 1850's, Schreiner and his brother-in-law Caspar Real contracted to supply beef to the United States Army
.
imposed martial law on Central Texas. Unionists from Kerr, Gillespie, and Kendall counties formed the Union League
, a secret organization to support President Abraham Lincoln’s
policies. Grapetown residents August Hoffman and Heinrich Rausch joined sixty-some conscientious objectors attempting to flee to Mexico. Scottish
born Confederate irregular James Duff and his Duff’s Partisan Rangers
pursued and overtook them at the Nueces River
. In what became known as the Nueces massacre
, thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. Hoffman and Rausch survived the massacre but took to the hills with 2,000 other conscientious objectors to escape Duff's reign of terror. In 1866, the Treue der Union Monument
("Loyalty to the Union") in Comfort
was dedicated to the Texans slain at the Nueces massacre. It is the only monument to the Union outside of the National Cemeteries on Confederate territory. It is one of only six such sites allowed to fly the United States flag at half-mast in perpetuity.
(German "marksmen's festival"). The Grapetown schützenbund is still active and participates in the annual Gillespie County Bundes Schützenfest, sometimes being the host. The county event includes crowning of one or more Schützenkönigs (shooting kings), a parade and a Saengerfest
, building through Grapetown and neighboring Bankersmith.
A 920 feet (280.4 m) long railroad trestle was built, and the cost of the tunnel sent the railroad into receivership on October 28, 1914. It was sold under foreclosure on December 31, 1917 to Martin Carle who deeded the property to the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway Company which had been chartered on December 26 of that year. The train operated until July 27, 1942.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
9.5 miles (15.3 km) south of Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
, situated on South Grape Creek in Gillespie County
Gillespie County, Texas
Gillespie County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 24,837. It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, who came to Texas in 1837. He was a Texas Ranger, an Indian fighter, a...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is located on the old Pinta Trail. Grapetown is noted for being the site of the first annual Gillespie County Bundes Schützenfest. The school was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
in 1984, Marker number 10048.
Settlers and community
On December 15, 1847, a petition was submitted to create Gillespie County. In 1848, the legislature formed Gillespie County from BexarBexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
and Travis
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
counties.While the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of non-German Anglo names.
On October 20, 1846, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
emigrants Ferdinand Friedrich Wilhelm Doebbler and his wife Auguste Matheus disembarked from the Elise and Charlotte in Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, destined for Fredericksburg. By 1857 they had opened Grapetown's first business entity, Doebbler's Inn and General Store at the crossing of Immigrant Road and Upper South Grape Creek. Doebbler's establishment became a stage stop and community gathering place, eventually including horse stables. The business dissolved in 1915.
On May 13, 1848, John Hemphill was deeded 320 acre (1.29 km²; 0.500000442086972 sq mi) on Survey block 187 from John E. Elgin, Abstract 208. On June 19, 1848, Hemphill was deeded 320 acre (1.29 km²; 0.500000442086972 sq mi) on Survey block 185 from J.B. Banks, Abstract 50. On November 14, 1848, Hempill was deeded 640 acre (2.59 km²; 1 sq mi) on Survey block 183 from Benjamin F. Lyons, Abstract 391. Hemphill became the first rancher of record in Grapetown.
Grapetown ranchers benefited from proximity to Kerrville
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
, where they found a thriving market in selling their cattle to Charles Schreiner. Schreiner, a native of Riquewihr
Riquewihr
Riquewihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, had emigrated to the United States as a teenager with his family in 1852. In the late 1850's, Schreiner and his brother-in-law Caspar Real contracted to supply beef to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Nueces massacre
In 1861, Gillespie County voted 400-17 against secession from the Union. In 1862, the Confederate States of AmericaConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
imposed martial law on Central Texas. Unionists from Kerr, Gillespie, and Kendall counties formed the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
, a secret organization to support President Abraham Lincoln’s
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
policies. Grapetown residents August Hoffman and Heinrich Rausch joined sixty-some conscientious objectors attempting to flee to Mexico. Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
born Confederate irregular James Duff and his Duff’s Partisan Rangers
Texas Civil War Confederate Units
This is a list of Texas American Civil War Confederate Units.-Infantry:* 1st Infantry Battalion * 1st Infantry Battalion * 1st Infantry *Company A...
pursued and overtook them at the Nueces River
Nueces River
The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, approximately long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande...
. In what became known as the Nueces massacre
Nueces massacre
The Nueces massacre was a violent confrontation between Confederate soldiers and German Texans on August 10, 1862 in Kinney County, Texas. Many Germans in Central Texas were first-generation immigrants from Germany. They tended to support the Union and were opposed to the institution of slavery. ...
, thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. Hoffman and Rausch survived the massacre but took to the hills with 2,000 other conscientious objectors to escape Duff's reign of terror. In 1866, the Treue der Union Monument
Treüe der Union Monument
The German-language Treue der Union Monument , in Comfort, Texas, was dedicated on August 10, 1866 to commemorate those who died at the 1862 Nueces massacre. Thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. With the exception of those drowned in the Rio Grande, the remains of the...
("Loyalty to the Union") in Comfort
Comfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
was dedicated to the Texans slain at the Nueces massacre. It is the only monument to the Union outside of the National Cemeteries on Confederate territory. It is one of only six such sites allowed to fly the United States flag at half-mast in perpetuity.
Grapetown school
The first Grapetown school began in the home of Ferdinand Doebbler. On April 1, 1882, Friedrich Baag donated land for a school building, with the stipulation that no political or religious activities be held on the property. Completion of the one-room native limestone structure came in 1884, erected entirely by volunteer labor from local farms and ranches. By 1887, a teacher's residence had also been constructed on the property, later to include a nearby smokehouse. In 1905, the school became Grapetown Line School, District No. 14. In 1949, the school district was consolidated with Rocky Hill School District. The Grapetown Community Club purchased the building in 1950 and continues to use it as a community center.Post office
Wilhelm Hohenberger became Post Master on November 11, 1885 for the post office established in Doebbler's Inn. The post office was discontinued on March 15, 1888.Schützenfest
In 1887, Grapetown combined its sängerbund (singing club) and schützenbund (shooting club), and in 1895 Grapetown became the host of the first annual Gillespie County SchützenfestSchützenfest
A Schützenfest is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland....
(German "marksmen's festival"). The Grapetown schützenbund is still active and participates in the annual Gillespie County Bundes Schützenfest, sometimes being the host. The county event includes crowning of one or more Schützenkönigs (shooting kings), a parade and a Saengerfest
Saengerfest
Saengerfest, also Sängerbund-Fest, Sängerfeste, or Sängerfest, meaning singer festival, is a competition of Sängerbunds, or singer groups, with prizes for the best group or groups. Participants number in the hundreds and thousands, and the fest is usually accompanied by a parade and other...
Railway
On January 3, 1913, the San Antonio, Fredericksburg and Northern Railway Company was chartered to connect Fredericksburg with the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company near WaringWaring, Texas
Waring is an unincorporated community in northwestern Kendall County, Texas, United States. It lies along local roads and the Guadalupe River, northwest of the city of Boerne, the county seat of Kendall County. Its elevation is 1,345 feet...
, building through Grapetown and neighboring Bankersmith.
A 920 feet (280.4 m) long railroad trestle was built, and the cost of the tunnel sent the railroad into receivership on October 28, 1914. It was sold under foreclosure on December 31, 1917 to Martin Carle who deeded the property to the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway Company which had been chartered on December 26 of that year. The train operated until July 27, 1942.