List of Darmstadt Society of Forty members
Hermann Spiess,[1] Ferdinand Ludwig Herff[2] and Gustav Schleicher [3] founded Darmstadt Die Vierziger (the Society of Forty), sometimes referred to as the Socialistic Colony and Society. The founders, as well as many of the members, were from Darmstadt. They originally planned to establish socialistic communes in Wisconsin.
Spiess and Herff were approached in Wiesbaden by Adelsverein Vice President and Executive Secretary-Business Director Count Carl Frederick Christian of Castell-Castell,[4] who made a deal with them to colonize 200 families on the Fisher–Miller Land Grant territory in Texas. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, equipment and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves.[5] The colonies attempted were Castell,[6] Leiningen, Bettina,[7] Schoenburg and Meerholz in Llano County; Darmstädler Farm in Comal County; and Mills County in Kendall County.[8] Of these, only Castell and Tusculum survives. The colonies failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and also due to conflict of structure and authorities. Some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany.
The Forty[edit]
The following list is derived from the first-hand account of Louis Reinhardt.[9]
| Name | Ship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Otto Amelung | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Lawyer |
| Heinrich Backofen | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Maker of musical instruments |
| Peter Bub | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Maker of musical instruments |
| Unknown Deichert | Blacksmith | |
| Christoph Flach | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Mechanic |
| Wilhelm Friedrich | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Lawyer |
| Rudolph Fuchs | Lawyer | |
| Adolph Hahn | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Lieutenant of the military |
| Unknown Heff | Carpenter | |
| Ferdinand Ludwig Herff | 1846 | Physician |
| Unknown Herrmann | Forester | |
| Christian Hesse | Lawyer | |
| Johannes Hoerner | ||
| Louis Kappelhoff | Ship carpenter | |
| Heinrich Kattmann | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | |
| Adam Koeppel | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | |
| Jacob Kuechler | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Forester |
| August Lerch | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Architect |
| Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer | 1834 | Naturalist |
| Louis Friedrich | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Forester |
| Unknown Merting | Minister | |
| Friedrich Michel | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Brewer |
| Franz Mordes | ||
| Edward Mueller | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Agriculturalist |
| Unknown Neff | Carpenter | |
| Unknown Neff | Butcher | |
| Unknown Ottmer | Miller | |
| Ludwig (Louis) Reinhardt | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Botanist |
| Unknown Rockan | American who joined in Victoria, Texas | |
| Phillipp Friedrich Karl Theodore (Fritz) Schenck | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Forester |
| Gustav Schleicher | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Engineer |
| Theodore Schlenning | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Physician |
| Leopold Schuze | ||
| Anton Schunk | Maker of musical instruments | |
| Hermann Spiess | 1846 | |
| August Strauss | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Mechanic |
| Adam Vogt | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Forester |
| Julius Wagner | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Lawyer |
| Karl Wundt | Lawyer | |
| Phillip Zoeller | St. Pauli, July 4, 1847 | Architect |
References[edit]
- ^ Ragsdale, Crystal Sasse. "Hermann Spiess". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ Stembridge, Vernie A. "Ferdinand Ludwig Herff". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ Heinen, Hubert Plummer. "Gustav Schleicher". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ Brister, Louis E. "Count Carl of Castell-Castell". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ King (1967) p.122
- ^ Heckert-Greene, James B. "Castell, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ Lich, Glen E. "Bettina, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ Lich, Glen E. "The Forty". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ Reinhardt, Louis (1900). "The Communistic Colony of Bettina". The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Denton, TX: Texas State Historical Association. 3: 33–40. Retrieved July 10, 2017.; "Immigration Database". Galveston Historical Foundation. Retrieved July 10, 2017.; "Indianola Immigrant Database". Victoria Tx Regional History Center. Archived from the original on 2010-11-25. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
Source material[edit]
- King, Irene Marschall (1967). John O.Meusebach. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-73656-6.
- Morgenthaler, Jefferson (2005). Boerne, Settlement on the Cibolo. Mockingbird Books. ISBN 978-1-932801-08-8.
- Morgenthaler, Jefferson (2007). The German Settlement of the Texas Hill Country. Mockingbird Books. ISBN 978-1-932801-09-5.
- Pioneers in God's Hills. Gillespie County Historical Society. 1960.
- Reichstein, Andreas (2001). German Pioneers on the American Frontier: The Wagners in Texas and Illinois. University of North Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-57441-134-8.
- Sowell, Andrew Jackson (2010) [1900]. Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas. General Books LLC. ISBN 978-1-4590-6750-9 – via HathiTrust.