Johann Jacob Arhelger was born on 16 May 1796 in Rittershausen, Germany. His parents were Johann Jakob Arhelger (b. 1754/d. 1810) from Bergebersbach and Anna Maria Schlappig (b. 1763/d. 1814). The couple were married on 27 August 1820 in Begebersbach, Germany.
Johann Jacob Jr. was a farmer in Ritterhausen. He married Elisabeth Müller (b. 9 October 1794 in Rittershausen. Elisabeth was the daughter of Peter Müller (b. 1765/d. 1837), a cartwright, and his second wife Elizabeth Kunz (b. 1761/d. 1823 in Rittershausen).
Johann Jacob and Elizabeth had eight children. Their third son Heinrich (b. 27 Nov 1825) died in Rittershausen on 22 April 1830. The Arhelger family (Johann Jacob, Elisabeth, and their seven children) emigrated to Texas on the ship Herschel. Their sea journey started in Bremen in August 1845, and they traveled to Galveston, and later to New Braunfels.
The Arhelgers came to the Fredericksburg area with the very first settlers on 8 May 1846. The father and adult sons were granted land/town lots. At first, the men built a Mexican-type hut for a temporary shelter, then a log cabin was constructed. Johann Jacob took care of his farm. With the help of his sons he fenced it with rock and rail fences, built pens for cattle and other livestock, planted crops. He died on 30 June 1857 in Fredericksburg. His wife Elisabeth passed four years later on 13 February 1861.
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| Fredericksburg City Cemetery |
The Arhelgers' children who came to Texas were:
Jakob - b. 31 March 1817/d. 10 December 1894 Fredericksburg
He was 29 when the family arrived in Texas. Jacob was part of the scouting group who cleared the trail leading to the Fredericksburg area.
Johann Jacob married Karolina Stahl on 17 April 1854 in Fredericksburg (1).
Daniel was born on 17 February 1821. In Texas, he married Christine Müller (b. 1819 in Prussia). the marriage took place probably before 1850.
In 1860, Daniel and Christine lived in Precinct #2, Gillespie County. Daniel was a farmer (2).
Four years later, during the Civil War, Daniel was Private in Company B (II), Gillespie County, 3rd Frontier District Texas State Troops (3).
Daniel Arhelger died on 8 Sept 1909 Fredericksburg, TX. He lived 88 years.
Clipping source: Freie Presse für Texas. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 8332, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 11, 1909, newspaper, September 11, 1909; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1084815/: accessed October 28, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .
Elizabethe (b. 1 December 1827).
On 16 October 1847 (4), she married Louis Martin (b. 20 November 1820) from Erndterruck, the son of Nicholas Martin and Hedwig Sinner.
Louis came to Texas on the deck of Johann Dethardt. He arrived in Galveston on 23 November 1844. Martin was the first Sheriff of Gillespie County and a District Clerk (1850) He was also a farmer and rancher, and had a freight business. In 1856, Martin signed a contract with the US - he delivered beef to the army stations along the frontier including Fort Martin and the settlers of Fredericksburg (among others). Martin was also involved in buying and selling land. In 1853, he became a legal guardian of Johann/John Grün after the death of John's father Frederick (5).
In 1853, Elizabethe and Louis Martin moved to Mason. The place where they lived was called Martin's Farm at Hedwig's Hill, (named for Louis' mother Hedwig). Louis Martin was the first postmaster of Hedwig's Hill. From 1861 to 1862, he was Mason County Justice of the Peace. In 1861 he also served with captain Alf Hunter's Minutemen.
Katharine (b. 11 November 1830/d. June 1877, Simonsville, TX) - married Adolph Albert von Reichenau on 16 October 1848 (7).
Adolph A Reichenau was born on 16 Nov 1824 at Frankfurt on the Main, Dillenburg, Germany. At the age of 16, he traveled to new York where he lived with his uncle for about two years. Then, he moved to New Orleans and joined the Minute Men. In 1846, Adolph fought in Mexican-American War including the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca de Palma, and in Monterrey. During that time the man was wounded three times.
Adolph married Katharine, when he stationed at Castell. Later, in the very same year, he went on the Texas Chihuaha Expedition.
The young Reichenau family had their
first house at Live Oak Creek. Four children were born to Katharine and
Adolph there - Mathilda, Adolph, Gustav, and Augusta. They all moved
to Castell in 1856. During the Civil War, Adolph Sr. served with the
Llano County Minute Men. There more children arrived - Emma, Ida, and
Albert.
Later, Adolph bought 15 sections of land in Kimble County and the family relocated there. Adolph was a cattle raiser and freight hauler. He was also a chief drover on the Chisholm Trail to Kansas. In Kimble, two sons, Alex and Max, were born.
During the Mason County War, The Reihenaus' house was raided and there was a shooting attempt to kill Adolph. Luckily, the man had managed to move the family to hiding, and nobody got hurt.
By 1867 the Indians had become hostile and life in the area was no longer safe. Adolph sold their land, the family put their belongings on the cart, and they walked to the Hedwig's Hill settlement on the Llano River. Adolph built a rock house by the river and bought a ranch at Simonsville. New babies were born there - Emil and Olga. Baby Emil and his mother Katherine died (1877) of the typhoid and were buried at the Reichenau Cemetery.
Two years later, on 25 August 1879, Adolph married Johanna Moldenhauer (b. 1849/d. 1943).
The two had four children Hugo, Katherine, Willie, and a baby girl who died.
Adolph
was a respected man - he served as President of a school trustee and
was elected a Justice of the Peace. He was a co-organizer of the St.
Paul's Lutheran Church. He died on 23 December 1904 at the ranch where
he lived.
Heinrich - born on 17 October 1833. In Texas, he was a farmer on Grape Creek. He married Karoline Itz in Fredericksburg on 17 April 1854 (8). Karoline came to Texas from Westerburg, Germany. She was born in 1834/d. 1910.
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| Marriage license was granted on 14 April 1854 |
Heinrich was killed by Indians on 13 February 1863. The man was in the frontier ranger service - on the day of his death, Heinrich and his associate were scouting not far from Fredericksburg. The two were suddenly attacked by Comanches. Heinrich's companion who rode a fast horse was able to escape. Sadly, Heinrich with the mule he rode was condemned to death. Despite that, he fought fiercely, trying to defend himself. Henry killed one Indian and wounded others. Finally, the Indians left and did not scalp Heinrich. He, despite being wounded, managed to move away from the place of the attack. Henry was found dead with thirteen arrows in his body (8). After his death, Karoline married Christian Reeh from Brethausen, Germany.
Wilhelm - b. 6 April 1838/d. 20 December 1918. He was a cartwright and a cabinet maker, for some time a Texas Ranger. He married Katharine Grün (b. 1842/d. 1903) from Altendiez on 14 May 1865 in Fredericksburg (9).
August (b. 1 August 1843) - a cartwright and a Fredericksburg storekeeper.
From 1861 to 1862 August was with Texas Rangers. On 1 May 1862, he joined Company E, Buechel's 1st Regiment, Texas Cavalry/later, 8th Battalion,Company C, Texas Cavalry (Taylor's Battalion, Mounted Rifles).
When his Company stationed in San Antonio, he married Therese Schulze who was the daughter of Ferdinand Schulze and Eleonora Grossman. The marriage took place on 6 July 1868 (9).
The Schulze family came to Texas in 1846 on the vessel Eliza-Charlotte.
Theresa and August had three children: Theresa Rosa, Max and Ernest. The latter died in infancy. Theresa passed when he was giving birth to Ernest.
A year later, in 1877, August married Therea's sister Alvina Schulze.
August, Alvina and children moved to Mason in 1878 where the man started a tool and blacksmith shop and built a rock house. The children born to the union of Alvina and August were Gustav, Ella, Harry, and Meda. Three of them died in infancy.
Besides his work in the shop, August did hunting. He died on 11 April 1908 and was buried in the Gooch Cemetery in Mason.
Clipping source: The Daily Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 106, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 15, 1908, newspaper, April 15, 1908; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth441661/: accessed October 30, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.
Jacob , Heinrich, and Daniel Arhelger were among the signers of the petition
(submitted to the Texas Legislature on 15 Dec 1847) requesting the
founding/formation of Gillespie County in Texas (10).
The family connection from the Arhelger family goes again to our cousin Rufus Monroe Angel:
Johann Jacob Ahrelger
⇒ his daughter Elisabeth (Arhelger) Martin
⇒ her daughter Hedwig Martin
⇒ her husband Julius Kordzik
⇒ his sister Therese Marie (Kordzik) Nimitz
⇒ her husband Ernest Albert Nimitz
⇒ his sister Anna Bertha (Nimitz) Nauwald
⇒ her husband Friedrich Luckenbach
⇒ his brother Louis Karl Luckenbach
⇒ his wife Jeannie Katherine (Hart) Luckenbach
⇒ her sister Elizabeth (Hart) Angel
⇒ her husband Rufus Monroe Angel
UPDATE
Resources:
"Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976.
"From Dillenburg to Texas. Emigration in the District of Dillenburg from 1845 to 1846" Ursula Hatzfeld, translated by Henry Salzhandler, El Gritodel Lobo Press, 2015.
