Sisterdale, Texas
Encyclopedia
Sisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community
, established in 1847 and located 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Boerne
in Kendall County
, in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25. Elevation 1,280 feet
surveyor and free thinker
Nicolaus Zink
.
Originally part of Comal
, Sisterdale became part of Kendall County when the latter was formed in 1862.
Among the settlers were German pioneers Fritz and Betty Holekamp
, geographer Ernst Kapp
; Anhalt
Premier progeny Baron Ottmar von Behr
; journalist Dr. Carl Adolph Douai
; August Siemering
who later founded the San Antonio Express News; author, journalist and diplomat Dr. Julius Fröbel
;future Wall Street
financial wiz Gustav Theissen; and Baron Edgar von Westphalen, brother to Jenny von Westphalen
who was married to Karl Marx
.
The first child born in Sisterdale (and in Kendall County) was Julius Holekamp on June 10, 1849 to Fritz and Betty Holekamp.
One notable early colonist was Edward Degener
, future Republican
U.S. Representative
from Texas
during Reconstruction. Degener's sons Hugo and Hilmar died during the Nueces massacre
. To honor their memory, Degener along with Eduard Steves and William Heuermann, purchased land for the establishment of the German-language Treue der Union Monument
, which became part of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Texas November 29, 1978.
Also among the settlers was a member of the German Chambers of Deputies Julius Dresel (or Dressel), who was the first to plant a Sisterdale vineyard. His brother Emil Dresel and partner Jacob Gundlach later established the Rhein Farm Vineyard
in Sonoma, California
. Julius later moved to San Antonio. Upon the death of brother Emil, who bequeathed Julius his share of the Sonoma vineyard, Julius moved his family to California.
The community received a post office in 1851, and Ottmar W. Behr was the first postmaster.
Sisterdale eventually had a school house, a gas station-garage, a general store, a cotton gin, and a factory for making cypress shingles. The old 1885 cotton gin in Sisterdale has been restored and is today home to the Sisterdale Creek Vineyards.
s, resulting from the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
. Those who came were Forty-Eighters
, intellectual liberal abolitionists who enjoyed conversing in Latin
and believed in utopian ideals that guaranteed basic human rights to all. They reveled in passionate conversations about literature, music and philosophy.
The free thinkers petitioned the Texas Congress in 1853 for a charter to operate a German-English college to be built at Sisterdale, but the petition did not come to fruition.
Irene Marschall King, granddaughter of John O. Meusebach
remembered how her grandfather enjoyed the intellectual stimulation of visits to Sisterdale where a man of his aristocratic background could relate to such cultured free thought discourse, and where the air filled with concert music, singing, dancing and an ambiance of general Gemutlichkeit
.
In 1853, August Siemering was elected Secretary, and Ernst Kapp the President, of the freethinker abolitionist organization Die Freie Verein (The Free Society), which called for a meeting of abolitionist German Texans
in conjunction with the May 14, 1854, Staats-Saengerfest
(State Singing Festival) in San Antonio, Texas
. Wilhelm Victor Keidel
was elected Vice President of the convention, which adopted a political, social and religious platform, including:
One of the most tragic episodes in the history of Kendall County happened in 1862 after Texas joined the Confederacy. The Confederacy considered the free thinkers of Sisterdale and like communities to be a threat. A number of Kendall County Germans became conscientious objectors to the military draft. Confederate authorities reacted by imposing martial law on Central Texas. Sixty-one conscientious objectors attempted to flee to Mexico. Confederate irregular James Duff and his Duff’s Partisan Rangers
pursued them. At the Nueces River
, thirty-four were killed, and some executed after being taken prisoner. In 1866, Kendall County erected the Treue der Union Monument
("Loyalty to the Union") monument dedicated to the German Texans slain at the Nueces massacre
.
experimental colonies of the Darmstadt Society of Forty.
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...
, established in 1847 and located 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Boerne
Boerne, Texas
Boerne is a city in the Hill Country of Texas in the United States. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Boerne was named in honor of Ludwig Börne, a Jewish German author and publicist, and its population was 10, 471 in the 2010 census. The city is noted for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court...
in Kendall County
Kendall County, Texas
Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2008 census, its population was 32,886. Its seat is Boerne....
, 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...
. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25. Elevation 1,280 feet
Community
Sisterdale was settled in 1847 by GermanGerman Texan
German Texan is an ethnic category that includes residents of the state of Texas with German ancestry who identify with the term. This identification may include cultural agreements—German language, German cuisine, feasts, music, hard work, frugality, and close family ties. From their first...
surveyor and free thinker
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
Nicolaus Zink
Nicolaus Zink
Nicolaus Zink was the founder of Sisterdale, Texas and builder of the fort Zinkenburg. Under the direction of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Zink led a caravan of new settlers from Indianola to New Braunfels. He laid out the town and divided the original allotted farm acreage...
.
Originally part of Comal
Comal County, Texas
Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 108,472. Its seat is New Braunfels.Comal County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History Timeline:...
, Sisterdale became part of Kendall County when the latter was formed in 1862.
Among the settlers were German pioneers Fritz and Betty Holekamp
Betty Holekamp
Betty Holekamp was a German colonist and pioneer in Texas. She is recognized for several "firsts" as a Texas pioneer, such as being the first to sew an American flag upon Texas's acceptance into the Union, and thus is known as the Betsy Ross of Texas...
, geographer Ernst Kapp
Ernst Kapp
Ernst Kapp was a German philosopher of technology and geographer, he was also a follower of Carl Ritter.He was prosecuted for sedition in the late 1840's for publishing a small article entitled 'Der konstituiert Despotismus und die konstitutionelle Freiheit' and was subsequently forced to leave...
; Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
Premier progeny Baron Ottmar von Behr
Ottmar von Behr
Ottmar von Behr was a meteorologist and naturalist, who became an Adelsverein colonist in Texas. He was the second settler at Sisterdale, Texas, and the person who gave the town its name.-Early years:...
; journalist Dr. Carl Adolph Douai
Carl Adolph Douai
Karl Daniel Adolph Douai , known to his peers as "Adolph," was a German Texan teacher as well as a socialist and abolitionist newspaper editor...
; August Siemering
August Siemering
August Siemering , was a notable German Texan educator, writer, publisher and political leader.-Forty-Eighters and Freethinkers:...
who later founded the San Antonio Express News; author, journalist and diplomat Dr. Julius Fröbel
Julius Fröbel
Julius Fröbel was a journalist, diplomat and author. He was active in Western Europe, the United States and South America at different times in his life.-Biography:...
;future Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
financial wiz Gustav Theissen; and Baron Edgar von Westphalen, brother to Jenny von Westphalen
Jenny von Westphalen
Baroness Johanna Bertha Julie "Jenny" von Westphalen was the wife of the philosopher Karl Marx. They became engaged in 1836 and married in 1843. They had six children.- Background :...
who was married to Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
.
The first child born in Sisterdale (and in Kendall County) was Julius Holekamp on June 10, 1849 to Fritz and Betty Holekamp.
One notable early colonist was Edward Degener
Edward Degener
Edward Degener was a Republican U.S. Representative from Texas during Reconstruction.-Biography:Born in Brunswick, Germany, Degener pursued an academic course in Germany and in England...
, future Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 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...
during Reconstruction. Degener's sons Hugo and Hilmar died during 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. ...
. To honor their memory, Degener along with Eduard Steves and William Heuermann, purchased land for the establishment of the German-language 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...
, which became part of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Texas November 29, 1978.
Also among the settlers was a member of the German Chambers of Deputies Julius Dresel (or Dressel), who was the first to plant a Sisterdale vineyard. His brother Emil Dresel and partner Jacob Gundlach later established the Rhein Farm Vineyard
Gundlach Bundschu
Gundlach Bundschu is often credited to be California's oldest family-owned winery: it is still owned and operated by the founder's heirs and today led by the sixth generation, Jeff Bundschu...
in Sonoma, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Julius later moved to San Antonio. Upon the death of brother Emil, who bequeathed Julius his share of the Sonoma vineyard, Julius moved his family to California.
The community received a post office in 1851, and Ottmar W. Behr was the first postmaster.
Sisterdale eventually had a school house, a gas station-garage, a general store, a cotton gin, and a factory for making cypress shingles. The old 1885 cotton gin in Sisterdale has been restored and is today home to the Sisterdale Creek Vineyards.
Free thinkers
Sisterdale was one of the Latin SettlementLatin Settlement
Latin settlement is a term that refers to a handful of communities founded by German immigrants to the United States in the 1840s. Most of these were in Texas, but there were "Latin Settlements" in other states as well...
s, resulting from the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
. Those who came were Forty-Eighters
Forty-Eighters
The Forty-Eighters were Europeans who participated in or supported the revolutions of 1848 that swept Europe. In Germany, the Forty-Eighters favored unification of the German people, a more democratic government, and guarantees of human rights...
, intellectual liberal abolitionists who enjoyed conversing in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and believed in utopian ideals that guaranteed basic human rights to all. They reveled in passionate conversations about literature, music and philosophy.
The free thinkers petitioned the Texas Congress in 1853 for a charter to operate a German-English college to be built at Sisterdale, but the petition did not come to fruition.
Irene Marschall King, granddaughter of John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas Senate, District 22.-Early years:John O...
remembered how her grandfather enjoyed the intellectual stimulation of visits to Sisterdale where a man of his aristocratic background could relate to such cultured free thought discourse, and where the air filled with concert music, singing, dancing and an ambiance of general Gemutlichkeit
Gemütlichkeit
Gemütlichkeit is a German abstract noun that has been adopted into English. Its closest equivalent is the word "coziness"; however, rather than merely describing a place that is compact, well-heated and nicely furnished , Gemütlichkeit connotes the notion of belonging, social acceptance,...
.
In 1853, August Siemering was elected Secretary, and Ernst Kapp the President, of the freethinker abolitionist organization Die Freie Verein (The Free Society), which called for a meeting of abolitionist German Texans
in conjunction with the May 14, 1854, Staats-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...
(State Singing Festival) in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Wilhelm Victor Keidel
Wilhelm Victor Keidel
Wilhelm Victor Keidel was the first doctor and first Chief Justice in Gillespie County, Texas. He was a veteran of the Mexican-American War. Keidel founded the settlement of Pedernales.-Early life:...
was elected Vice President of the convention, which adopted a political, social and religious platform, including:
1) Equal pay for equal work; 2) Direct election of the President of the United States; 3) Abolition of capital punishment; 4) Slavery is an evil, the abolition of which is a requirement of democratic principles...; 5) Free schools – including universities - supported by the state, without religious influence; and 6) Total separation of church and state.
One of the most tragic episodes in the history of Kendall County happened in 1862 after Texas joined the Confederacy. The Confederacy considered the free thinkers of Sisterdale and like communities to be a threat. A number of Kendall County Germans became conscientious objectors to the military draft. Confederate authorities reacted by imposing martial law on Central Texas. Sixty-one conscientious objectors attempted to flee to Mexico. 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 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...
, thirty-four were killed, and some executed after being taken prisoner. In 1866, Kendall County erected 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") monument dedicated to the German Texans slain at 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. ...
.
Darmstadt Society of Forty
Some of the early settlers in Sisterdale migrated from the collapsed Fisher-Miller Land GrantFisher-Miller Land Grant
The Fisher-Miller Land Grant was part of an early colonization effort of the Republic of Texas. Its 3,878,000 acres covered between the Llano River and Colorado River. Originally granted to Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller, the grant was sold to the German colonization company of Adelsverein...
experimental colonies of the Darmstadt Society of Forty.
See also
- Fredericksburg, TexasFredericksburg, TexasFredericksburg 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...
- German TexanGerman TexanGerman Texan is an ethnic category that includes residents of the state of Texas with German ancestry who identify with the term. This identification may include cultural agreements—German language, German cuisine, feasts, music, hard work, frugality, and close family ties. From their first...
- Grapetown, TexasGrapetown, TexasGrapetown is an unincorporated farming and ranching community 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...
- Crabapple, TexasCrabapple, TexasCrabapple, Texas is an unincorporated farming and ranching community north of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas located on Crabapple Creek, about halfway between Fredericksburg and Enchanted Rock State Park at an elevation of 1,775 feet....
- Texas Hill CountryTexas Hill CountryThe Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...