Site of German immigrant landing beginning on December 24,
1844, which received settlers sponsored by Adelsverein. Settlers then moved
on to planned colonies in the Hill Country (New Braunfels and Fredericksburg).
The town of Indian Point was surveyed and formally established in 1846.
The name was changed to Indianola in 1849.
(1) |
(2) Missing as
of 4/06. |
The first Christmas in Texas for the Germans was an unhappy
experience. With no building on the bay to house and protect them from
the cold wind and rain, Reverend Lewis Ervendberg, the first Texas German
Protestant minister, came to Indian Point and extended the Germans who
had arrived a Christian welcome.
(3) |
On Christmas Eve a small tree was decorated. Gifts were presented
to the children. On December 25th, 1844, the first Holy Communion service
on the land that was to be Indianola was led by Evangelical Lutheran minister
Rev. Ervendberg. These families were the vanguard of thousands of Germans
to Texas for the next three decades.
(4) |
On Powderhorn Bayou, 3 miles southeast of Indian Point, a
storehouse had been rented for the Verein's property. Prince Carl and Samuel
A. White did all they could to ease the problems of the German immigrants
stranded at Indian Point. Prince Carl had a two story frame building erected.
He then referred to Indian Point as Carlshaven.
(5) |
The first immigrants were to remain at this location subject
to ever changing elements and the attacks of the Gulf Coast mosquito. The
immigrants remained under these conditions for several months before property
for a permanent inland settlement was acquired and transportation could
be provided. Johann Swartz and family decided to remain and purchased land
and erected a house.
(6) |
