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
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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: Hanschke, Robert.
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.
On 16 June 1864, Louis and his nephew were on a freighting trip to
Mexico transporting cotton. The men had gold hidden under the layers of
bacon. The freighters were ambushed by a mob near Eagle Pass and
hanged by a gang of outlaws.
Elizabeth had their bodies recovered and buried at the Cemetery in Fredericksburg.
Later Louis remains were moved to the National Ranching Heritage Center
in Lubbock (6).
Elizabeth Martin died on 24 December 1908 in Brenham, TX.
Clipping Source: Tucker, George.
Brenham Evening Press. (Brenham, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 187, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 31, 1908,
newspaper,
December 31, 1908;
Brenham, Texas.
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth519890/:
accessed October 28, 2020),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting Abilene Library Consortium.
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
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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).
In the Civil War, William was Private in Company A, Gillespie County, 3rd Frontier District Texas State Troops, which he joined in 1864.
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
On All Sants' Day, we visited the Catholic Cemetery in Fredericksburg where we found Katherine and Adolph Reichenau's grandson Clarence John's grave. Clarence's spouse was Miss Dorothy Louise Koch who was interred next to Clarence. His father was Harry Gustav Willie Reichenau. Clarence and Dorothy's infant son Robert found his eternal resting place in the family grave as well.
"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.
1. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-V7C : 22 December 2016),
Jacob Arhelger and Caroline Stahl, 17 Apr 1854; citing Gillespie, Texas,
United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.
2. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFX-Y5Y : 18 March 2020), Daniel Ahrhelger, 1860.
4. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL83-54M : 4 November 2017),
Louis Martin and Elisabeth Arhelger, 16 Oct 1844; citing Bexar, Texas,
United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 24,917
5. "Death of a Texas Ranger: A True Story of Murder and Vengeance on the Texas Frontier", Cynthia Leal Massey, Rowman & Littlefield, 2014
6. Wikipedia
7. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-V78 : 22 December 2016),
Heinrich Arhelger and Caroline Itz, 17 Apr 1854; citing Gillespie,
Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.
8. "German Pioneers in Texas", Don H. Biggers, Gillespie County Edition, Press of the Fredericksburg Publishing Co., 1925
9. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-LZ4 : 22 December 2016),
Wilhelm Arhelger and Katharine Grun, 14 May 1865; citing Gillespie,
Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.
