Wehmeyer Genealogy Plus

[ Home ] [ Genealogy Web ] [ Plus Web ] [ Contact ] [ Photo Gallery ] [ News ] [ Family Trees ]

Website Owner:  Diann Wehmeyer Tooley - All contents of this website are generously shared to all who visit.

Luckenbach, Texas

**Luckenbach, TX** website

Left:  Luckenbach School # 5 - Luckenbach Road

Right:  Close Up of School Marker (click on image to enlarge)

Lower South Grape Creek School and Community Center
In 1871, Luckenbach trustees voted to buy 1-1/3 acres on the west bank of South Grape Creek from Juliane Wehmeyer for $50. Until 1871, the Lower South Grape Creek School District had been part of the Luckenbach School District. Luckenbach Precinct #3 covered Luckenbach, Grapetown, South Grape Creek, and Grape Hill until 1889. Some of the early settlers listed in the precinct's history included Peter Burg, Eramus Frantzen, L.F. Toepperwein, Friedrich Scharnhorst, J.M. Hunter, John Blank, G.J. Weber, Ferdinand Gellermann and William Feller. These families lived along South Grape Creek between Luckenbach and the Pedernales River to the north. The first schoolhouse, built by the community, was a log cabin. Theodor Huelsemann was the teacher between 1875 and 1880. On May 12, 1889, the school on South Grape Creek was named Lower South Grape Creek School, District #21. It was so named because the Grapetown School had, at one time, been named Upper South Grape Creek School.

The need for a better, more accessible school arose, so in 1900, the trustees sold the original land and bought an acre of land from Charles and Martha Ahrens for $5. This site was located less than a mile and a half north, along Grape Creek and next to the Austin Highway. The new, cut limestone block, single room schoolhouse was completed in 1901. It had a tin roof, with a bell tower on the east end, and a chimney on the west end. In later years, a large porch with concrete slab was added. Through the years, the finer things in life were added, including electricity, a new well and pump, drinking fountains on the porch and new modern restrooms that replaced the old outhouses. The last year classes were held in this little country schoolhouse was 1960. Due to low enrollment, the trustees voted to consolidate with the Fredericksburg School District.

School closing plays were performed on the large porch. In earlier years, they had been held across the river on the Kusenberger place on a wooden platform built for the stage. Later, they had been held at Weinheimer's Hall and at Luckenbach Hall.

The first community club was organized in 1960. It includes third and fourth generations of former students and neighbors. The members meet every fourth Thursday to play "42" and have refreshments. The restored building is used for weddings, reunions, meetings, and other community activities.

South Grape Creek - Huge tree in Luckenbach.

Gillespie Co., TX Cemeteries

Families of Grape Creek, Gillespie Co., TX 1860:
Schmidtzensky, McDonald, Nelson, Striegler, Kusenberger, Scharnhorst, Toepperwein, Luckenbach, Diehl, Brautigam, Hopf, Schoenewolf, Minkel, Habenicht, Bohl, Wehmeyer, Liebeneicher, Ferch , Poetsch, Doebbler, Molsberger, Ruebsamen, Schramm, Baag, Raedig, Gartner, Taubert, Kuhlman, Lauer, Ruetter, Schild, Feller, Hoffman, Ressman, Ahrhelger, Zauner, Kutscher, Ebers, Doebbler, Teschner, Weber, Gellerman, Meyer

Families of South Grape Creek Settlement, Gilliespie Co., TX 1870:
Baag, Barsch, Beck, Beckman, Behrends, Bernhard, Birk, Blank, Braeutigam, Braun, Bremer, Brook, Danz, Dapprich, Dechert, Dietz, Doebbler, Doell, Eberts, Edwards, Emmerson, Enderlin, Ferch, Frandgen, Gellermann, Graeger, Habenicht, Heep, Hirshfeld, Hoelzer, Hofmann, Holzberger, Hopf, Huelsemann, Imhof, Isken, Jenske, Kallenberg, Klappanbach, Klein, Krieger, Kunter, Kusenberger, Kutscher, Luckenbach, Malsberger, Meier, Mueller, Neff, Noldjahn, Pahl/Pehl, Petsch/Poetsch, Rabke, Raedig, Rechentien, Ruebsamen, Schaefer, Scharnhorst, Schonewolf, Schumann, Schupp, Tatsch/Tutsch, Taubert, Weber, Wehmeyer, Zanner

Before being named Luckenbach (established 1886), the town was South Grape Creek Community (established 1849).

How does my Wehmeyer family tie in to the Luckenbach family? 

Albert Jacob LUCKENBACH (born Oct 06, 1817) married Justina RUBSAMEN (born Apr 20, 1826) (Photos of Albert and Justina below)

Carl Albert LUCKENBACH (born Mar 21, 1851) married Wilhelmina "Minna" Sophie ENGEL (born Sep 19, 1861)   Carl is the son of Albert and Justina (RUBSAMEN) LUCKENBACH

August Wilhelm ENGEL (born Mar 16, 1818) married Catharine ERNST (born Apr 15, 1837)  August and Catharina (ERNST) ENGEL are the parents of Wilhelmina "Minna" Sophie ENGEL

Johann Martin Engel (born Aug 01, 1782) married Rosina Elizabeth REUTER (b. Apr 14, 1784)    Johann is the son of August and Catharina (ERNST) ENGEL

Frederick "Fritz' ENGEL (born about 1821) married Sophie SCHRAEDER (born about 1821)   Frederick is the son of Johann and Rosina (REUTER) ENGEL.

Emma ENGEL (born May 06, 1865) married Henry Theodore STEUBING (born about 1859)  Emma is the daughter of Frederick and Sophie (SCHRAEDER) ENGEL

Walter C. STEUBING (born Oct 27, 1892) married Edna Mary (twin) WEHMEYER (born Oct 15, 1891)  Edna is the daughter of Hermann and Ernestina (NICKEL) WEHMEYER    Walter is the son of Henry and Emma (ENGEL) STEUBING     Emma ENGEL STEUBING is the first cousin of Wilhelmina "Minna" ENGEL LUCKENBACH.      Walter STEUBING is the 1st cousin once removed of Minna ENGEL LUCKENBACH.

Hermann C. WEHMEYER (born Jun 10, 1857) married Ernestina "Ernestine" Elizabeth NICKEL (born Aug 07, 1865) (my great grandparents)  Hermann is the son of Franz W. WEHMEYER, Sr. 

Wilhelmina “Minna” Engel opened a trading post (1849) in South Grape Creek Town (now Luckenbach).  She was the wife of Carl Albert Luckenbach.  Minna and Carl are buried in Boerne, Kendall Co., TX.  She opened the first post office in South Grape Creek Town.  William Luckenbach was the first postmaster.  She became the first post mistress of the Luckenbach post office in 1886.  The post office closed in 1970.  I have no blood relation to the Luckenbach's.  The relation is by marriage.

Albert, Texas was up for sale and sold for 3.8 million in Nov. 2007.  Previously owned by Bobby Cave.  A buyer in Italy won the bid.  The town is 13 acres.  I was unable to learn is this sale went through.

Albert, Texas History

Willie Nelson      John Russell "Hondo" Crouch

Website last updated Sunday August 24, 2008