Vol 25 No. 07 - April 1948

Some Early Settlements in Texas

By August Santleben

Account describes the earliest settlers and settlements of the region originally designated as Castro's land grant which covered an area of several thousand square miles between the Medina and Nueces rivers, which bounded it on the east and west. The country within these limits lies among the foothills of the mountains, in Medina and Uvalde counties, and spreads out on the plains below. This is excellent early history and genealogy of the early settled regions to the west of San Antonio.

Mentions: Castroville * John McMullen * The first settlement, four miles west of the city of San Antonio and El Paso road, was made in 1850, by William Waldennalt * the Alazan Creek, near San Antonio * Lon Creek * Placito Olevirra * Nat Lewis * the "NO" brand of Don Louis al Pelon * Nat and Dan Lewis * Five miles west of Leon Creek is Arroya Medio * Potranco Creek * John Lytle, a well known ranchman * Billy Lytle, a brother of Sam Lytle * San Lucas Springs * the Adams family represented by seven brothers, John Adams, Bill Adams, Dave Adams, James Adams, Pete Adams, Mart Adams and Henry Adams * Noah Boales * the L brand * Saus Creek * Samuel Etter, Sr., * the JA brand * Hondo Creek * the Harper, Burnet, Benian, and McLemore families * the town of Quihi * Louis Bailev, Jack Reef, Saathoff, John Wen, Baptist Schmidt, Amb. Reitzer, B. Bonekamp, G. Garsting, H. Wilpert, H. Gerdes, Jans Sievers, B. Brucks, Bickmann, F. Bauer, Brinkhoff, Opus, Denters, John Toucher, H. Schneider, Rensing, Gasper, Eisenhauer, Louis Korn, Rudolph Charobiny, and Dr. Acke * Xavier Wanz, Mumme, White, G. Bridge, Stegler and Decker * Vandenburg * Worthy Creek * the town of New Fountain * the Leinweber, Grossenbacher and Goehring families. * Ten miles west of Hondo Creek, on the San Antonio and El Paso road, is the old town of D'Hanis, first settled in 1847, by Nic Ney, John Ney, Donald French. Finger, Hagemueller, Barto, Wolff Matthias Koch, Braden. Carr, John Rieddenmann. Peter Britz, John Schreiber, John Raiber, Anton Ludwig, John Ruedinger, Joseph Wollehker. Anton Strausser, Frank Bihl. John Nehr, Joseph Schumacher, Ben Qrossenbacher, Reismann, K,auffmann, Joseph Echtile, John B. Zeher, August Zeher, Leonard Esser, Peter Koch. O. W. Koch, Joe Bieber, Joe Wipff, John and Austin Gardieser, Herbert Weynand, Joe and Austin Lutz, Leopold Zuercher. Jack Sauter. Tob Sauter. Richard Riley. Paul Brotz, Joe Richarz, and Martin Nester. * John Rhinehart and Captain Richarz * Fritz Rothe * Seco * Mr. Reuter * Tohe Reiley * Ranchera Creek * John and Ross Kenedy * Sabinal station * John Davenport, John Boales * Major Longstreet * Sabinal Creek * the Wish family * Rio Frio * the Sanders family* Mr. Boales, the father of Doak and Peter Boales, John Weimiller, Pulliam, Greiner and Nance * Fort Inge, on Leona Creek * Fort Clark * the town of Bracketville * James Connell, Mrs. Rose, Henry Rudolph and the Brackett family * A settlement known as San Francisco * Mr. Haass, the father of Valentine, Philip, Fritz and George Haass * Mr. Benderly; Mrs. Vonfile, Roatsman, Blase Meyer, Christiles, Bater, and Haller * Devine station * Judge Devine * Tom Galbreath, Thomas A. James, Lon Moore, Gip and Bee Tilley, J. W. Winter, West Davidson, James Long, James and George Crawford, Reese Moore, W. M. Bramlett, George McCombs, John Craig, Tobias Long, Holly Laxson, and Rev. Newton. Bigfoot Wallace * Emil and Louis Smith * Berges, Trawalter, John Lisburg, Miller, Brown and Cole * Castro's corner * Saus Creek * the farm and sawmill of Charles de Montel * The Laman, Hagerly and Zinsmeister families * Haby, Spettle, and Koenig families * the Wurzbach, Tuerpe, Sedar, Borley, Felter, Dr. Bohm, Monier, and Villemain families * P. D. Saner, DeWitt Burney, A. M. Milstead, Odom, and Macon Gillis * The Haby settlement * Bandera * Amasa Clark * August Pingenot, V. and Anton Anderwald, John and Adam Adamietz, Charles Montague, T. L. Miller, Mrs. D. Obieske, G. W. Lewis, Mrs. Mahala Jones, J. P. Rodriguez, August Klappenbach, Mr. Dahlmann, and Captain Reese's family. * "Mormon Camp," a few miles below Bandera * Captain Palmer.

Chased by Indians Through Bandera Pass

J. Marvin Hunter, Sr

Account describes an experience Colonel Richard Irving Dodge had with Indians in Bandera Pass, in 1849. Mentions: old Fort Lincoln near D'Hanis.

The Parker's Fort Massacre

This account is from the Runnels Record, a weekly newspaper published at Runnels, Runnels County, Texas, and from the October 11, 1884 edition. It details the massacre at Parker's Fort in 1836. It was in this raid that Cynthia Ann Parker was taken captive.

Mentions: J. W. Parker * Silas Parker, Elisha Anglin, Samuel Frost, David Faulkenbury, J. D. Dixon * Navasota * the present town of Groesbeck * Mr. Benjamin Parker * John, Benjamin, and Silas Parker, Samuel Frost, and R. B. Frost * Rachel Plummer * Elizabeth Kellog, and Cynthia Ann Parker * James Plummer * Captain Sul Ross * James Parker * Daniel Parker * Mr. Dwight and family * Captain Carter, of the Fort Houston settlement * Mr. Plummer *

A Fighting Potter Story

Account of Andrew Jackson Potter, the fighting parson, and an incident that occurred in Brackett, TX in 1884, while on his way to Fort Clark to preach.

Mentions: The San Angelo Standard * the town of Uvalde.