Castroville 2022 Vistors Guide

55. Nicholas Tondre House - c. 1851 614 Florence WALKING TOUR 51
Owners: Tim & Gloria Kelley
fireplace is off center and the bedroom flue is in the back corner
Nicholas Tondre built this home after purchasing the land, as of the room. Non-vertical flues are fairly common in the pioneer
shown on the original deed, from Charles DeMontel for $200 homes of this area.
December 27, 1847. Heirs of Nicholas Tondre owned the house
until April 27, 1936 when Arthur J. Coyle purchased it. At the time The open ceiling affords a chance to view early roofing techniques.
of the purchase, the house was in poor state of repair. Mr. Coyle Wide, random-width cypress slabs serve as sheeting to support the
renovated the home and added additional rooms. It remained in the cypress shingles. The frame wing, an addition built of lumber from
Coyle family until purchased by Tim and Gloria Kelley in September an old building in the area, contains the bath and storage space
of 1996. needed for modern living without distracting from the atmosphere
of the original home.
The original home is an excellent example of French-Norman
architectural design. On the outside front of the house there are Before the house was sold to the current owner, it was completely
two S-shaped iron rods that hold the walls of the house intact. stripped of shelving, closets and cabinets and returned as closely
All the walls are 16 to 18 inches thick and extend under ground as possible to its original state. Extensive landscaping in the front
approximately three feet where the base increases to 26 inches and back of the property was done in the 2000s. It was the yard
in width. and the simplicity of the house that prompted Adele Mozek to buy it.
Since then she has added a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen to the
The house consisted of two rooms on either side of a hallway. rear of the house and a small guest house to the rear of the garage.
Each of the rooms has a fireplace, wall closets, along with three
windows, two on the front of the house and one on the back. The 57. The Zimmerman House - c. 1848 714 Florence
hallway had very steep stairs that led to a loft. A smokehouse was Owner: Beverly Keller
added shortly after the original house was built, which is now the
kitchen. The original smoked stained wood ceiling and hand-hewn The Zimmerman House is located on the southeast corner of
cypress log beams are a highlight in this room. Florence and Naples. The property was deeded from Henri Castro
to Joseph Zimmerman August 12, 1847. It remained in the same
Extensive renovation was done in 1996/1997 with special care family until 1947 when it was purchased by Theresa Iltis. Stanley
taken to preserve the structure and restore it to its original charm and Beverly Keller purchased the home from the Iltis family heirs
and beauty. The house has a PCH marker and has been recorded in April 1991 and restoration started immediately. The complete
by the Historic American Building survey of the U. S. Department interior restoration took more than two years with the Kellers doing
of Interior for its archives at the Library of Congress. all the work themselves.

The original home was only two front rooms of 18” thick native
limestone walls covered inside and out with stucco. Cypress was
used to frame the doors and windows. In the early 1900s the
back three rooms, including a kitchen, were added. Narrow, steep
stairs leading to a sleeping attic were added in the middle room.
Sometime later a sleeping porch was added to the side of the
house and eventually a bathroom at one end of the porch. A front
porch was also added.

The home is completely furnished with antiques. The property
has a 30 ft hand-dug, rock-lined well in the backyard. The water
tower next to the well was once used for a bath house furnished
with a large clawfoot bathtub. Some restoration work has been
done on all the barns.

56. Huth/Jungman House - 1855 710 Florence
Owner: Adele Mozek

Several families have owned this home including Louis Huth,
first Justice of the Peace in Castroville. He sold the home to the
Jungman family in 1872.

Note the two main chimneys in the gable end of the house, with
a window directly beneath one of them. Inside, the living room

52 WALKING TOUR

This concludes the historic walking tour, but
you may be interested in finding other historic
homes scattered throughout the town. Consult
the map for the following homes:

58. Zimmerly House - 1855 616 Lafayette
Owner: Gregory Bowman

The third owner of this lot, Elizabeth Zimmerly, built the first A. Zimmerman/Bohl/Keller House - 1844 709 Lisbon
home on this property measuring 26 ft. x 17 ft. in 1855. The walls Owner: Troy Picket
are 18” thick limestone, covered with stucco, inside and out. The
original fireplace was removed when additions were made in the This property was originally deeded on August 5, 1844, to
early 1900s. The original wood floors and 12 ft ceilings have been Ambroise Zimmerman and his wife Mary Ann. Louis Huth,
retained. Later remodeling also revealed the original beaded walls Henri Castro’s business agent and later Medina County’s first
and transoms, which have also been retained. Current owner tax assessor-collector, “bought” the property for taxes from the
Jessie Frank Caseres continues to maintain the building in its widowed Mary Ann. He owned the property until 1859 when it was
original condition while remodeling, updating and refinishing. The deeded back to Mary Ann whom later sold it to Joseph Bohl on
house features a PCH marker. July 5, 1873. The property stayed in the Bohl-Keller estate until
it was sold to previous owner Jessie Frank Caseres. Extensive
restoration and preservation measures continue today conserving
perhaps one of the oldest dwellings standing in Castroville.

59. John Vollmer House - c. 1863 615 Lafayette
Owner: Marvin & Cheryl Dziuk

The living room and one bedroom of this house were built by
John Vollmer about 1863 with a dining room being added about
1900. The stone walls of the original house are 20 to 24 inches thick
and the floors are of local cypress. In the 1970s, Mr. and Mrs. Al
Philip purchased the home and started restorations which included
the addition of two bedrooms and baths, a sitting room and a rear
terrace. The house became the office of Dr. Patricia Chandler in
the 1980s before being purchased by Janet Chapman in 1992.
The current owners bought the house in 2015. The house has the
PCH Marker.

B. The Edward E. Tschirhart House c. 1850s
913 Lisbon Owner: Larry Tschirhart

60. Joseph Bohl House 515 Lafayette This property has been in the Edward E. Tschirhart family
Owner: Glennis Stein since 1883. Originally the lot was deeded to Joseph Meyer by
Henry Castro in 1847. It is unknown if Meyer built this house.
Another example of one of the historic homes converted to Ed Tschirhart established his homestead when he and his wife
commercial use. This house was originally built as a residence by purchased the property from John Deres for $600 in 1883.
Joseph Bohl. In 1967 the house was restored by Mr. and Mrs. J.
Lawton Stone of San Antonio. It was converted into an office building Larry Tschirhart, great-grandson of Edward and Anna
by Glennis Stein after he purchased the property in 1968. In 2002 Tschirhart, and present owner of this property, has lovingly
the office was enlarged by an addition to the east side. The house repaired and restored the house and outbuildings. He removed
carries the PCH Marker. earlier “modernizations” made to the house and re-plastered all
exterior and interior walls. Ceilings were removed in the additions
to expose the original plank beams. In the main room, the dry wall
ceiling was removed and a wood ceiling installed. Flagstone floor
was laid throughout the house.

There are several original pieces of furniture, two wardrobes
in the main room and the pie safe in the kitchen. When the

WALKING TOUR 53

front porch was closed in to form two small rooms, two outside D. Antoine Xavier Jung House - 1845 1102 Gentilz
windows were removed and closed off to form bookcases. Owner: Groff Land Enterprises

Edward Tschirhart was the third of nine sons and two daughters
of original Castro immigrants Nicholas Tschirhart and Catherine
Meyer from Haut-Rhin, Alsace. Edward lived to be 92, and never
tired of telling of his adventures as a young freighter with his
brothers. They often hauled freight from the Gulf Coast to the far
reaches of West Texas to the Army forts that were built after the
Civil War. It was on one of those trips to Ft. McKavitt, near San
Angelo in 1873, when the Tschirhart brothers were encamped
outside the fort that they were attacked at night by a band of
Indians. After a heavy exchange of gunfire, the Indians suddenly
pulled away, and the next morning a search turned up the dead
Indian Chief of the band. The brothers ascertained that it was Ed’s
rifle that brought him down. Edward brought home the headdress,
bow and arrow, spear and pistol of the Indian Chief which gave
him an infamous reputation in town. It is said that every 4th of July
he donned the Indian regalia and celebrated. He eventually sold
the Indian memorabilia.

Xavier Jung received the deed for this property from Henry
Castro in 1845 and built a good and comfortable cabin on it.

The home faces Algiers St. The walls are constructed of massive
cypress timbers with fachwerk, one of the very few houses left
in Castroville with that style. Several owners have repaired the
house at times restoring it to its present condition, keeping the
original lines.

The house is believed to be one of the oldest structures built in
Castroville still in use today. It has a PCH marker.

C. The Gerhard Ihnken House - 1867 1202 Gentilz E. Friedrich August Knobloch House - c. 1870
Owners: Col. Robert & Priscilla Hancock 1105 Alamo St. Owner: Richard Syversen

Gerhardt Ihnken immigrated to Castroville from Grosswarm, Every early community needed a tinsmith and Castroville
Javerland, Germany. He married Marie Pichot of France and they was no exception. That role was filled by August Knobloch, who
had 7 children, seven living to adulthood. Ihnken became a well- purchased this property from heirs of the original owner, Auguste
to-do merchant and land owner in the area. St. Martin, in 1870 and established his tin shop here. At the
time of that purchase, the property consisted of a stone smoke
This house has large rooms, with three fireplaces made of house and one other room. Knobloch added two rooms made of
flagstone from the Medina River bed. The ceilings are 16 feet, limestone block. Following his marriage to Julia Koenig in 1878,
and the yellow pine floors are the original floors. The stairway has two additional rooms were added to the rear of the house. The
braces cut to fit, using no nails. A basement was built for storing final two rooms, constructed of wood, were added in the 1940s.
wine, fruits and vegetables.

The house remained in the Ihnken family until the 1940’s and has
had four owners since then. The present owners, Bob and Priscilla
Hancock, have furnished the house with period furniture. The original
carriage house behind the house has been restored and converted
to a guest house. The house was presented with the PCH marker.

54 WALKING TOUR

F. Joseph Courand, Jr. House - 1882 1201 Alamo St. H. The Dominic Schott House - 1873 1219 Alamo St.
Owners: Vince & Jenny Andermatt Owners: Janie & W. Burl Brock

Originally owned and built by Joseph Courand, Jr., in 1882, Dominic Schott was 33 years old when he moved to this area in
the house was a gift for his bride, Julia. It is the most impressive 1868 with his wife and infant daughter. They left one daughter in
example of Victorian architecture in the city with 12-foot ceilings Alsace, but they raised 10 children in this four-room house which
and many windows. The house was, and is, in stark contrast to he built and where they lived for over 30 years. Mr. Schott was a
the smaller plastered style of Alsatian houses that comprised the stonemason by trade; many of the stone houses in Castroville are
village of Castroville. his handiwork as are the old convent at Moye and the St. Louis
Catholic Church. He lived to the age of 97.
The house sits on 18” limestone blocks that go to a depth of six
feet. The interior walls are bolted to the exterior walls with hand- The Schotts sold the property in 1905, and it was in the Brieden
forged bolts. There are 4x6 beams around every opening across and Hans families until it was purchased by Richard and Hazel
the front of the house and 4x4 beams around each opening on the Russell in 1992. They did most of the restoration that is evident
side walls. All beams run from floor to ceiling. A 14x16 cellar exists today. In 1994 the property was bought by Burl and Janie Brock,
under the kitchen. who built the larger modern home in back. The historic home
currently operates as a bed and breakfast.
The front door, excluding the glass, and the large pocket doors
separating the formal living and dining rooms, are original to the
house. The side porch was added sometime before 1946. The
door-windows on each side of the front entry hall were used for
easy access to the rooms when entertaining and also for better
ventilation every day which was important before the days of air
conditioning. The house has an SCH marker, denoting it a Special
Castroville Home.

G. THE JOHN CORDIER HAUS - 1851 1210 Alamo St. I. Jean Ulrich Zuercher House - c. 1844
Owners: Phil and Mary King 1309 San Jacinto St.

John (Jean) Baptist Cordier purchased the Lot 5, Block 2, Range 6 Owners:
from Stephan Ahr for $70 in 1851. The deed stated the lot had been Larry and Judy Tshirhart & Maurice and Lynn Tschirhart
originally granted to J.B. Harberdier. Mr. Cordier passed away in 1881,
leaving the property to his third wife, Magdalena Bartz. The property The river house was built in 1844 by one of the original Henri
changed hands several more times until purchased for $5,000 by Castro colonists, Jean Ulrich Zuercher. He was a farmer and
Francis & Eulalia Fuentes in 1952. Tom and Gloria Shaw purchased baker from Upper Alsace, France. He and his family sailed from
the property upon Mrs. Fuentes’ passing and undertook a major Amsterdam in November 1843.
renovation which added a bedroom. The renovation was completed in
2012. In February of 2018, Phil and Mary King purchased the property As one of the first settlers he received a “donation lot” from
as rental property. A small laundry room was added off the kitchen. Henri Castro in September 1844 so he began immediately build-
The existing well on the property was restored above ground. ing a house on it. The house was built of batten board with the
help of the colonists communal labor. The house was completed
by March 25, 1847.

The original house consisted of two rooms with a half-story loft.
The original kitchen was located outdoors near the 30-foot hand-
dug rock lined well. A unique feature of the house is the back-to-
back fireplaces with the hand-carved mantels that still exist today.
An indoor kitchen was eventually added across the back with
stairs to the loft above the two main rooms replacing the outside
stairs. The kitchen was built from rubble rock that was stuccoed.

WALKING TOUR 55

In addition, deep silled windows and the original cypress-shingled
roof remain today. Additional restorations were done in 1993 by
previous owners.

In 2010, the final restorations were completed by a local con-
tractor including a large family room and full bath with limestone
flooring. The beautifully restored pioneer house has a PCH mark-
er, a National Register of Historic Place plaque and Castroville
Conservation Society plaque. The current owners, Larry and Judy
Tschirhart and Maurice and Lynn Tschirhart are descendants of
the original colonists.

K. Joseph Naegelin House - 1877 601 Vienna
Owners: Karl Kennedy

This property was homesteaded by Joseph Naegelin in 1848
and the existing house built in 1877. The house consisted of three
rooms, two fireplaces and a hand-dug well to the right of the front
porch. The house was built with native cypress, rock and plaster.

Karl Kennedy purchased this property in 1975 and restored the
structure to its original state using native materials and primitive
construction techniques. He moved a 100-year old log and fachwerk
structure from Comal County and attached it to the original structure
for additional bedrooms. Most of the furnishings in the house are
early Texas pieces from the 1800s. The house has a PCH marker.

J. Joseph Schorp House – c.1850s 1716 Lorenzo
Owners: Julian, Andrea & Madeleine Pugh at Berlin

This house was the residence of one of those most prominent L. Henry Vonflie House - 1879 1515 Naples
builders in Castroville. Joseph Schorp, a native of Biringen, Owner: Sherry K. Tschirhart
Wurtemberg, Germany, immigrated to Texas on the Heinrich, one of
the first ships commissioned by Henri Castro. He was 30 years old The lot on which this house stands was purchased by Heinrich
and listed as a carpenter and farmer. On April 1, 1850 in St. Louis Vonflie in 1851. Heinrich was killed by Indians in September of
Catholic Church, he married Maria Louis Tondre, an immigrant from 1855, when he went out after dusk to bring the cattle to the river
Bretten, Alsace, France. They had 15 children, 13 of which survived for drinking. The property passed to his son, Henry, who built the
and sons were successful cattlemen. house in 1879 when he took a bride.

Joseph Schorp was a master carpenter who built many of the The limestone walls vary in thickness from 18-22 inches. The thick
large pioneer stone homes in this area, and is best known as one of walls keep the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
the major carpenters who constructed the present St. Louis Church The house has three fire places, two of which are still being used.
from 1868 to 1870. He and his business partner, Franz Steinle, were
awarded the contract to build the original convent for the Sisters of The interior woodwork in the front two rooms retains the original
Divine Providence in 1873. They also built furniture including the graining. A 20-inch wall separates the front rooms from the back
pews currently used in St. Louis Church as well as jury chairs and rooms. The back two rooms have flagstone rock for the floors and
benches used in the county courthouse. the ceilings are cypress. Stairs lead up to a second story from one
of the back rooms.
The Schorp property originally consisted of four lots, their
residence and a stone outbuilding on this lot. A log barn was located A cedar addition was built in the summer of 1977, which included a
on the west lot of this block. Maria Schorp died June 18, 1890, and modernized kitchen, a bathroom, a hallway, a bedroom and closets.
Joseph followed on July 20, 1902. The last member of their family,
daughter Julia, lived in this home until her death in 1942. The home The house was purchased in 1991 by Sherry Tschirhart, the
was rented out to various families until Chester Webb purchased present owner. Over the years, renovations have been made to
the lot and house in 1973. The new owners bought the home in restore and improve the old pioneer house. A slight modification
June of 2013 from Mrs. Chester Webb. to the outside of the house was made in 1992 when the old cedar
shingle roof was replaced with a standing seam metal roof. Crown
molding and custom wooden shutters were added during renovation
after the flood of 2002. The house is furnished with some antiques
from the Tschirhart and Gerloff families.

In the back yard, there is a hand dug well, that is over 20 feet
deep lined with limestone rock. In the future, this well will furnish
adequate water to the yard and flower gardens. The house has

the PCH Marker.

56 WALKING TOUR

In 2006, the city purchased the property with help from members
of the Castro Colonies Heritage Association (CCHA) and others. It was
with the understanding that CCHA would restore and turn the property
into a Living History Center. This has been accomplished with the help
of grants and donations of over $325,000! The CCHA’s plans are to
continue to tell the story of the early colonists with the renovation of
the log cabin that is on the property and a visitor center/museum in the
back of the property.

M. AUGUSTINE HUTZLER HAUS - 1853 1716 Naples

Owners: Marci & Doug DeMino at Berlin

This home was built as a Sunday House to be used on weekend O. THE MOEHRING-LAMON HOUSE - 1856
trips from the farm to shop and attend church. The property has 1230 CR 477, River Road
changed hands many times, but Grace Kempf is likely the longest Owners: Jenny Sue and Bradford Boehme
resident - from 1941 through 2007. The current owners bought
the home in 2008. During the restoration phase, an 1855 French The original recipient of Out-lot 60 was Gaspard Sax in 1844 who
coin from Napoleon III was found in a window frame, presumably in short order sold it to Jules Simon Bourgeois on April 23, 1846.
placed there to confirm the home’s age. An addition was completed Bourgeois was agent and secretary for Henri Castro and is responsible
in 2012 at which time the original well was rebuilt and the shed for the construction of the small “casa fuerte” or strong house, the first
was stabilized. dwelling on Out-lot 60. The small slit windows were designed to accept
a rifle at kneeling height for defense of the homestead from Indian
N. JACOB BIRY HOUSE - 1850 309 Paris attack. German immigrant, Louis Moehring paid $90 for Out-lot 60 on
February 25, 1850. Moehring was a Texas Ranger in Captain Veach’s
The Castro Colonies Living History Center company D.

Owner: City of Castroville On August 23, 1872 Joseph and Elizabeth Lamon paid $500 US coin
dollars for Out-lot 60. The Lamons added another room of beaded
The town lot that is now the home of the Castro Colonies Living board, with a plaster exterior, separated from the original home by an
History Center was first deeded to Jean Biediger from Henri Castro in open dogtrot, as well as covered front and rear porches and an Alsatian-
Sept. 1847. In December 1847 Jean Biediger sold the same property to style lean-to kitchen. On August 5, 1910 Elizabeth transferred 230 acres
Jacob Biry and Stephen Ahr for $30. According to the deed records, Biry including Out-lot 60 to her son, Edward Lamon. On September 27, 1937
and Ahr purchased several properties together. Eventually, Jacob Biry Charles Suehs paid $4500 for Out-lot 60 and surrounding ranch lands.
would retain this property and build his house here.
On April 20, 1960 Dr. Woodrow and Faustina Sharp purchased the
Jean Jacques (Jacob) age 30 and Etienne (Steven) Ahr age 25 both home, and the ranch became home to Dr Sharp’s AI laboratory and
immigrated from Oberentzen, Alsace in 1846. They married sisters. custom cattle breeding facility, the first of its kind in South Texas.
Steven married Anne Marie Bilhartz December 1847, and Jacob married William and Patricia Sharp built a two-story Alsatian style addition
Marianna Bilhartz June 1849. The Bilhartz family which included their onto the front porch of the original house and performed extensive
mom and dad, four brothers and themselves arrived in 1845 on the ship remodeling in 1988. Finally, on August 7, 2015 Jenny Sue and Bradford
Probus. Unfortunately, Anne Marie and Marianna’s parents both passed Boehme purchased the 55 acres bounded by the canal on the west and
away soon after arriving, leaving Jacob and Marianna to care for their the river on the east which includes the entire acreage of Out-lot 60.
four brothers.
The original Moering-Lamon home is made of thick limestone walls,
Jacob and Marianna had four children of their own. Jacob (Jack) 1850, cypress beams and lintels, pine mantle, floors and doors, and original
Joseph 1852, John 1862, and August 1864. Jacob passed away October wooden sash windows. The home is furnished with numerous family
11, 1868 leaving Jack as the man of the house. Marianna Biry died at the pieces including a cypress wardrobe built by Bachman in 1870 for
age of 92 on April 2, 1920. great-great grandpa Jacob Haby. Many Texas-period pieces of furniture,
some handmade cypress, longleaf pine and mesquite furniture, and
In 1921, the family sold the homestead to Jacob Groff for $600. On over 70 pieces of Meyer and Wilson pottery grace the home as well
Groff’s death in 1944, Annie and Frank Tschirhart were given legal rights as numerous pieces of art by various Texas and Castroville artists and
to the property. In 1972, Nora Winkler purchased the property but it an extensive collection of antique guns, arrowheads, Winchesters and
remained uninhabited. Colts.

Don’t forget to visit the Steinbach House.
More info on pg 63.

FACTS & FOLKLORE 57

The Building of
Medina Dam

Medina Lake was constructed between 1911-1912
as an irrigation reservoir. An extensive canal system
delivers water to 34,000 acres of blackland prairie
farmlands below the Balcones escarpment around
Castroville. At the time it was constructed, it was the
biggest irrigation project west of the Mississippi. At
spillway capacity, Medina Lake covers about 5,575
acres, has a length of 18 miles, a maximum width of
three miles, and 110 miles of shoreline.

Interesting Facts & Figures

For an interesting account of the building of Medina Dam, read • Made of 292,000 cubic yards of concrete
Kuehne’s Ripples from Medina Lake, available at the Castroville • The dam, on completion, was one of the largest in the
Chamber of Commerce. More information may also be obtained at: world, even larger than the famous Roosevelt Dam in
www.edwardsaquifer.net/medina.html Arizona. (The Roosevelt Dam took more than 4 years to
build, Medina Dam, little more than a year.)
Tourism of the Dam, 1920 • The dam, on completion, was the largest dam in
Texas, 4th largest in the U.S.
In the 1920s, tourism was all about fresh air and scenery. Tours to • 164 feet in height above the bed of the Medina
the newly constructed dam were a popular diversion for visitors and River. 128 feet wide at the base, 25 feet wide at the
local residents alike. A hotel lobby brochure promised “Italian Scenery top, 1,580 feet long.
In Texas” and called Medina Dam “One of the World’s Great Engineering • Medina Lake formed by the dam, covers an area of
Feats.” The round trip tour cost $3.50 and took 10 hours, with five hours 5,575 acres (spillway level), 6,260 acres (flood stage)
spent at the dam. The brochure affirmatively declares “the Medina Valley • Mico gets its name from the abbreviated Medina
is destined to become the richest spot on the face of the earth in time.” Irrigation Company
• The railway branch between Dunlay and the dam
Historic Flood of 2002 location was rushed to completion in 90 days. Cost:
$107,884.
The flood of July 4-6, 2002 was the first time Castroville was flooded • Dr. Fred Stark Pearson, the genius and leader behind
inside the city since the historic flood of July 16, 1900. The route of the the dam, and his wife were sailing for England on the
flood waters followed the exact route the waters took on that fateful day ship Lusitania in 1915 when it was torpedoed by a
in July 1900. The water entered the city at Mexico St. and Constantinople German submarine.
St. on the north side and backed into town on the south side from the bend • After the dam was completed in 1913, the lake filled
in the Medina at the Regional Park. to capacity and ran over the spillway for the first time on
Sept. 16, 1919, by six to seven feet.
• The dam was financed by British Investors

Medina Lake and Dam

Medina Lake & Dam
Filled to the brim July Flood 2002

58 FACTS & FOLKLORE

Saloon Stories

Ferdinand C. Kilhorn settled in Castroville in 1882 after serving
at Fort Clark, an army camp near Castroville. His early business
ventures included the first Castroville newspaper, the “Castroville
Anvil” and a saloon with Julius Reicherzer on the very first city lot
in LaCoste.
Ferdinand later built and operated a tin shop on his homestead
property from 1896 to 1917 (now the site of Dan’s Meat Market).
With his sons, Ferdinand, Paul and Anton, he installed many tin
roofs on houses and large buildings in and around Medina County.
There are still some houses in the Castroville area that have roofs
he built.
Besides operating the Tin Shop, Ferdinand Kilhorn and family in front of the Tin Shop.
he also operated the “Kilhorn-
Huesser, Zum Teutoburger Walde POKER GAME OR FUNERAL?
Saloon” on the corner of Lorenzo
and Paris. In 1902 Ferdinand The photo below shows happier times before prohibition.
left the saloon business, leaving Drinking during prohibition was a lot less public according to this
Huesser as operator and selling true story:
the property to Joe Grimsinger
who changed the name to One night a poker
“Farmers Home Saloon.” In game was in progress
The famous Castroville hearse can be 1907, the old Saloon was torn involving many of the
seen at the Institute of Texan Cultures down and Joe Huesser built a new local bootleggers. A
scout informed the
in San Antonio. group of the arrival
of revenue officers,
rock building, now so speedy action was
part of the Castroville taken. Someone was
State Bank. After Joe sent a block down the
Huesser’s death, the street to the home of
saloon was operated the man who was responsible for the hearse. He quickly hitched
by Emil Tondre and up his team of mules and got the hearse rolling down the street
later his son, Adolph H. and parked in front of the house. One man held the team while
Tondreuntilprohibition another stood reverently with his hat over his heart.
closed all the saloons.
After prohibition was Bill Rihn’s “UP TO DATE” Saloon, Circa 1910, Inside, the poker game continued undisturbed as the revenue
repealed, Arthur on Paris Street (next to the Rainbow Theater). officers rode by, not wishing to interrupt a family in mourning.

Holzhaus reopened CAREHOMETOWN
the saloon and named it the “Hagan Saloon.”

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For more information about these places and more,

visit www.banderacowboycapital.com

Cross Hill FACTS & FOLKLORE 59

Casting its protective shadow over Castroville

It is an old European custom for a village to proclaim
its faith by erecting a cross in a prominent place, and
the Alsatians brought the tradition with them when
they came to the Medina Valley. The obvious place for
Castroville’s cross was the hill named Mont Gentilz.

Theodore Gentilz was a friend of Henri Castro who
served as the surveyor of the colony. It was he who
laid out the towns of D’Hanis and Quihi as well as
Castroville and outlying farms. He moved to San
Antonio after his work was done and became a well-
known painter of early Texas scenes.

The first cross was erected about 1850 just a few
years after the town was settled. It was consecrated
by Father Claude Dubuis, first pastor of the parish.

Another cross was erected in 1902; the record is not
clear whether this was the second or third cross on
the site. A Corpus of zinc was attached to the cross so
that it became a complete Crucifix. It overlooked the
valley for about 20 years until vandals tore it down
and threw the statue into the canal behind the hill.

The next cross to grace the hill was of wood from
two telephone poles donated by a parishioner. It
was dedicated on Good Friday of 1929 or 1930
and lasted for 40 years. It was replaced in 1971 by
the present concrete cross, 13 feet high and 7 feet
wide, that was cast in Piedras Negras, Mexico. The
spirit of ecumenism is strong in Castroville; the
dedication service of the new cross was conducted by
the congregations of St. Louis Catholic Church, Zion
Lutheran Church and Castroville Baptist Church.

It used to be the custom for the St. Louis congregation
to walk to the summit on Rogation Days to pray for
the blessing of their crops and to petition for rain in
times of drought. The children of St. Louis school had
Lenten services at the cross. These traditions have
faded now, but the Cross on Mont Gentilz still casts its
protective shadow over Castroville.

102 Schott St. Office 830-538-5100 ORTHODONTIST
Castroville Cell 210-823-4010
Megan Favor, DDS, MS

MAULDIN PLUMBING LLC New Patients
Welcome!
[email protected]
www.theperfectplumbers.com Children & Adults

1909 Avenue E • Hondo, Texas 78861

(830) 426-3800

60 CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS Go Medina

Castroville Conservation Society Medina County Economic Development Foundation (Go
Medina) is your source for current updates, information,
Chartered July 11, 2000 as a non-profit and resources in Medina County. We conduct frequent
501c3, Castroville Conservation Society was interviews with County officials and local business experts
formed to preserve, support and encourage to keep Medina County residents, businesses, visitors and
preservation of Castroville’s unique history, prospects informed about existing opportunities in our
architecture, archeological and natural sites. community. Go Medina has partnered with the cities in
CCS helped sponsor an amendment to the 1970 our County—Castroville, Devine, Hondo, La Coste, Lytle
National Register District of Castroville to include the period of and Natalia—and many of our local businesses to bring
20th century significance and a letter for The Preserve America development to our area while maintaining our small-town
designation. In August 2002, CCS hosted a tour of Castroville, charm.
luncheon and forum for a group from The National Alliance of
Historic Commissions. Our mission is to promote economic growth in Medina
County through the attraction of new businesses and
The society’s projects are funded by dues, donations and the industry by identifying resources (state, regional and local)
generosity of members and friends opening their historic homes that enhance economic development and the general
for the Christmas Candlelight Home Tour. Homes that have been economic well-being of the County, its businesses and
on the tour are given a blue and white plaque, usually mounted in residents.
front, showing their participation.
If you are looking to start up or expand your business,
Thanks to such generosity, the CCS was recently able to gift Medina County possesses tracts of land of all sizes
the City $10,000 towards the building of a display barn next to available for purchase, no zoning restrictions within any
the Steinbach Haus for Alsatian artifacts, $7,500 towards the unincorporated area and is conveniently located by major
restoration of the Castro Colonies Living History project, $5000 for highways, rail lines and airports. We have access to fiber
the restoration of the log cabin at the Living History Center, $2,000 optic internet services and numerous water districts. Our
to The Landmark Inn for handmade quilts and draperies, $5000 county is friendly to business development and will work
to Landmark Inn for shutter replacement and has earmarked with you to make your plans a success. Tour our website,
another $5,000 to go toward a Houston Square project. www.gomedinacounty.org, and follow our Facebook page,
Go Medina County, to see all that Medina County has to
Besides the Candlelight home tour, CCS hosts an annual offer!
membership meeting, an appreciation dinner in February and an
August Workshop. The Public is invited and membership is open
to interested persons.

CASTRO COLONIES
HERITAGE

ASSOCIATION

P.O. Box 636 | Castroville, TX 78009 | www.castrocolonies.us | email: [email protected]
Bringing together those people who are interested in the culture and history of the colonies
founded in Medina County, Texas, Castroville, Quihi, Vandenburg and D’Hanis
during the time period of 1844 – 1847.
Please join our efforts as we establish Castro Colonies Living History Center
at 309 Paris Street, Castroville.
Visit Phase 1 - the Biry/Ahr House - open on Saturday from 10am-4pm and Sunday 1-4pm.

GO TO CASTRO COLONIES Become a member today and be a part of CCHA!

STORE ON OUR WEBSITE NEW MEMBERS AND GUESTS ALWAYS WELCOME!

TO ORDER BOOKS CCHA meets quarterly in March, June, September and December.

American Legion Weiss-Wurzbach CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS 61
Post 460
Castroville Nip & Tuck
As a veteran service organization, we focus on service to
all veterans, veteran’s families, and our community. We are Castroville Nip & Tuck is a low cost Spay & Neuter Program for
committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome qualifying Medina County residents. We’re a 501c3 nonprofit
programs in our community, advocating patriotism and honor, established in 2005. Our guidelines are simple - to provide a Spay
promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to & Neuter Program for residents who have: (1) rescued the animal,
our fellow servicemembers and veterans. (2) live in Medina County, and (3) be on a low or fixed income.

Programs and or events that we continuously sponsor are: Our main project now along with our Spay & Neuter program
Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies, benefits assistance is to raise funds to build an Animal Shelter in Castroville. We are
through our Service Officer, Monthly Scholarship meals, Oratorical working with the City of Castroville to achieve this goal. The City
Contests, Legion Riders, Boys/Girls State, Baseball, flag placement is providing the land and Nip & Tuck will provide the building. The
for veterans at cemeteries, Annual Veteran Appreciation Meal, joint effort of maintaining and running the facility is a win for all –
Annual Children’s Xmas event, Annual Anniversary Luncheon especially the animals.
and fundraiser, and much more. We also offer our building for
rentals for all special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, Grants are responsible for 99% of the Spay & Neuter program-
conferences, birthday and graduation celebrations, etc. Come where as fundraisers are used for the Building Fund. Medina
visit and see our recently renovated kitchen. Valley United Methodist Church, fitwell of Castroville, private
donations, plus our own Boots N’ Paws Event contribute to the
Located at 1305 Fiorella Street | Castroville, Texas Building Fund.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 156 | Castroville, TX 78009 By providing this program to the residents of Medina county,
we are trying to reduce the number of animals in Animal Control
Contact Info: Phone: (830) 584-8403 facilities, reduce the over population of cats and dogs in Medina
County, and assist those who need help with their pets.
Email: [email protected]
We have a great working Board of Directors plus numerous
Facebook: facebook.com/americanlegionpost460 volunteers who have made our program so successful.

Meetings are at 7 pm every third Monday of the month, Friends of the Castroville Regional Park

Social Hour 6 pm The Friends of the Castroville Regional Park (FCRP), was created
on June 30, 2007. It is a non-profit (501(C)(3) organization whose
Medina Eye Care mission is to:

Comprehensive Medical Eye Exam • Preserve, enhance, promote and protect the Castroville Regional
& Vision Care Park as a unique recreational, educational, historical and cultural
resource.
Total Optical Services
• Protect the park ecological integrity through educational
Arthur A. Medina Jr., O.D. awareness.
Naomi Quillin, O.D.
• Further research, interest in, understanding and appreciation of
William R. Burges, O.D. the park environment.

Therapeutic Glaucoma Specialists • Provide public events to increase local involvement.
Cataract & Refractive Surgery Consultations • Engage in fundraisers to help implement and support park
projects, programs, facilities and services.
405 Paris • Castroville, TX 78009 • Assist with the maintenance of grounds, trails and onsite
facilities.
830-538-2241 • 830-931-2328 • Promote use of the park’s natural resources for recreation and
tourism.
www.medinaeyecare.net • Support, sustain, improve and promote a system of hiking/
nature trails.
• Help develop year round recreational and educational programs
for all ages, interests and abilities.
Some of its notable contributions have been:
• Creation and maintenance of approximately 5 miles of hiking
and nature trails in the hills above the park.
• Installation of 41 Memorial Park Benches
• Construction of the “Friends Amphitheater”
• Planting of 12 Memorial Oak Trees in the Park
• Initiation of a Parking Plan that preserves and protects the park
green spaces and makes the whole park safer for children.
• The design, purchase and installation of numerous interpretative
signs and trail maps.
It’s most recent tangible contribution is a Botanical Garden
Trail that, when complete, will be a tourist destination and an
educational asset for the City of Castroville.
Of special note is a recent, and very generous, donation from
Microsoft that funded a long-needed, realistic Master Plan for
Castroville Parks and Recreation. The “Plan” was completed by the
FCRP and approved by the Castroville City Council in April of 2022.

62 SPECIAL INTEREST

Located in the northeastern corner of The villages of Alsace are like
France, Alsace borders three other countries: a scene in a fairy tale, with
Luxembourg to the North, Germany to the East cobblestone streets, old
and Switzerland to the South. stone houses with peaked
roofs and flowers filling
The Rhine river runs almost the length of the every window and doorway.
region. As you wind through the
tiny streets, you will see
Approximately the size of Maryland, Alsace bakeries, meat markets,
covers 12,297 square miles. Its largest cities are street cafes and beer pubs.
Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse and Thann. Each town centre features
a flowing fountain or well-
The population of Alsace is approximately 1.84 kept well.
million persons, most of whom are Roman
Catholic.

Famous for white wines such as Tokay, Riesling
and Pinot Noir, Alsatians hold grand harvest &
wine making festivals.

Shown at right is a popular (shown right:
tourist photo site in Eguisheim, Cathedral of
Strasbourg)
a small town situated in the
very heart of the Alsatian wine- The cathedral,
referred to as “the
growing area. The picturesque
nature of its old streets and great pink angel
dwellings make it one of the of Strasbourg”

most frequently visited tourist by Paul Claudel,
centers in Alsace. is one of the

Almost all the dwellings in most remarkable
Eguisheim go back to the 16th masterpieces
or 17th centuries and some are
even older, dating from the 15th of Gothic art in
northern Europe.
century. The streets of the

Another important old city centre
tradition found in are dominated by
every part of Alsace
is the stork. It has this tremendous
become the very building with its
symbol of Alsace.
As long ago as the architecturally
13th century the bold design.
chronicles recorded Visitors are
their dates of arrival
from North Africa allowed to walk the steps of the tower (not an easy task) to
where they spend the roof landing for a breathtaking view of the largest city
the winter. There
has been a marked in Alsace. Inside are magnificent stained glass windows and
decrease in number carved pillars, but the main attraction is the astronomical
since 1950, which has
been addressed with clock, which was completed in 1574 by mathematicians and
shelters to keep the clockmakers with complicated mechanisms and intricate
birds in Alsace and
forced breeding. moving sculptures. Each quarter hour and hour are marked by
a performance to amaze and delight viewers.

SPECIAL INTEREST 63

Steinbach Hus ...Das Hus Aus Elsass
In 1997 Professor Paul Dulin, a teacher at Lycee
Agricole (Agriculture College) in Rouffach, France, plumbing, air-conditioning/heating and electrical systems
brought a group of his students from the college were provided by the City of Castroville as well as flooring,
to Castroville to plant a Jardin des Racines (Garden stairwells and interior plastering.
of Roots), a project he believed would strengthen
the bond between the Texan Alsatians and the On April 8, 2002, the grand opening of the house was held
Alsatians of France. His vision included placing to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the house.
an authentic Alsatian house in the garden. The Present for the festivities were 52 Alsatians from the Saverne
garden was planted in the Castroville Regional area led by Gilbert Hadey of Strasbourg and Adrian Zeller,
Park, but due to the flooding potential in the park, president of Region Alsace.
this site was not chosen for the house. The City of
Castroville donated a piece of land at 100 Karm This 1,232 square-foot house has two and one-half floors.
Street for the house’s new location. The top floor called a “dachzimmer,” was used for storage and
drying clothes. It is now used for storage and the mechanical
This typical half-timber and “fachwerk” house units. The second floor, formerly the sleeping floor, holds an
was built in the Sundgau area of Haut-Rhin. It interesting collection of period furniture, a dining room and
was a gift to the people of Castroville and Medina bedrooms, Alsatian dishes and antique household items. All
County from the people of Alsace, the region in eastern items were donated and shipped to Castroville. Originally
France where so many of the ancestors of present-day the ground floor was the kitchen, dining and living area. The
Medina County emigrated from in the mid-1840s. From configuration of the rooms has been altered and the staircase
inception to completion, the project was accomplished over moved to accommodate visitors. In Alsace, this house had the
a five-year period. typical cellar with access from outside stairs, which was used
for storing fruit, vegetables, and wine.
Originally built between 1618 and 1648 by the Steinbach
family, the house stood in the village of Wahlbach, France. In 2019 a
It was owned and occupied by generations of the Steinbach barn was added
family until 1988 when the family decided to build a new which houses the
home. This old house was disassembled and the oak beams late 1800s farm
were stored and preserved. Through Dulin’s efforts, the stored wagon and a large
beams were purchased for 40,000 francs and shipped to wine cask that
Texas. came with the
Steinbach house.
In February 1998, Dulin, with his students, two professional
carpenters and several volunteer craftsmen from Alsace, The Alsatian
arrived in Castroville and erected the house on the foundation Steinbach House
laid by the City of Castroville. The framework is assembled and grounds have
with wooden pegs only, no nails. The following February, been designated a City Park. The City of Castroville currently
the brick and mortar was applied, again by the volunteers operates inside the Steinbach as a Visitor Center.
from Alsace, completing the fachwerk. On their third visit in
February of 2000, the volunteer workers from Alsace plastered
the brick and the students helped lay the roofing tiles, which
had been donated by individuals in France. When this work
was finished, a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was
held February 18, 2000.

The Alsatians returned in March 2001 and spent three
weeks painting and decorating the house exterior. The house
was finished in the spring of 2002 through cooperation
between the city of Castroville and the Alsatians. Doors,
windows and shutters built in France, were shipped and
installed by 10 Alsatians led by Mayor Michel Habig, mayor
of Ensisheim, France, and local Castroville volunteers. All

Here are many reasons to shop local!

New Name, Same Folks! MV Education Foundation
Castroville Chamber of Commerce

Zion Lutheran Ham Dinner
Our Lady Queen of Heaven
St. Louis Catholic Church

MV FFA Booster Club
Boy Scouts • Eagle Scout Projects

July 4th Parade
Medina County Aggies
Southwest Education Foundation
MV Sports • MV Prom
MV Baseball • MV Soccer
MV Junior Livestock Show
San Antonio Food Bank for
the needy in our area.

YOUR MONEY STAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY!!!

706 Hwy 90 West | 830.538.3540 | M-S 8-6 Sun 10-4

GRACE DAY VILLAGE SCHOOL

M-F 6:30am - 6:30pm

GDVS I located at 1040 Country Lane • (830) 931-0808
AND

GDVS II located at 702 Hwy 90 West • (830) 346-1999
[email protected] • www.gracedayvillageschool.com

Ages 2 weeks-12 years • Hot Meals • School Pick-ups • Licensed

Medina Healthcare System

Ensuring quality care close to home

At-A-Glance Medina Regional Hospital
3100 Ave E., Hondo, Texas 78861
The Medina Healthcare System encompasses Medina 830-426-7700
Regional Hospital, the Medical Clinics of Castroville,
Devine and Hondo, and four specialty clinics. Medina Medical Clinic of Hondo
Healthcare System collaborates with top specialists in 3200 Ave. E, Hondo, TX 78861
the metropolitan area to provide care to this community. 830-426-7444
You can find all of our physicians and specialties on our
website provider directory. Medical Clinic of Devine
1250 Highway 173 N., Devine, TX 78016
It has been our honor and privilege to care for you and 830-665-2876
your family’s healthcare needs for over 50 years.
Through our partnership with Methodist Healthcare of Medical Clinic of Castroville
San Antonio, we are expanding our services and 8406 FM471 S. , Castroville, TX 78009
adding new specialists to keep our community healthy. 830-538-3035
We strive to provide Medina County residents with
exceptional care close to home. Specialty Clinic #1
602 31st St., , Hondo, TX 78861

Specialty Clinic #2
610 31st St., Hondo, TX 78861

Specialty Clinic #3
3202 Ave G, Hondo, TX 78861

Medina Specialty Care
360 County Road 4712, Castroville, TX 78009

www.medinahospital.net

66 SPECIAL INTEREST

ST. LOUIS DAY For further information contact:
“The Granddaddy of Church Festivals” St. Louis Catholic Church
830-931-2826
www.saintlouisday.com

More than 140 years years ago, a gathering of only a handful of St. Louis parish families and
their friends met in Biediger’s river bottom near Castroville to celebrate the feast day of St. Louis IX
of France, and the famous St. Louis Day Celebration was born.

The “granddaddy” of church festivals celebrates its birthday on the Sunday closest to and before
August 25, and the site will again be the tree-shaded Koenig Park on the banks of the Medina River.

Visitors from far and wide find their way to Koenig Park each year. The guest book shows visitors
from all over Texas, the U.S. and numerous foreign countries. No wonder the giant picnic has been
dubbed “Homecoming for the State of Texas” by the Texas Tourist Agency.

Get a jump on the fun Saturday evening! Since 2012, the Biergarten Party has opened Saturday
evening with frosty cold beer on tap, hot dogs, char-grilled pizza and live bands to keep you toe-
tappin’ and singin’ along. The phrase “homecoming” certainly applies to this extremely popular
evening as extended family and friends meet to eat, drink and catch up. Even if your roots aren’t
“Castrovillian,” you are truly family at St. Louis Day and don’t want to miss this fun-filled evening!

Sunday kicks off in dignified style with Holy Mass at 9:30 a.m. in historic St. Louis Catholic
Church. The famed Liederkranz Choir provides the music and hymns every year at the Mass. Well
before 10 a.m. on picnic day, things are buzzing on the Koenig Park grounds. The highlight of every
St. Louis Day, the serving of the giant barbecued beef and Alsatian style sausage dinner, begins at
11 a.m. and continues until about 2 p.m. In the afternoon food booths erupt all about the park
along with cold beer, ice tea, limeade, soft drinks and chilled wine coolers.

Entertainment includes live performances at multiple venues by popular bands and singing and
dance groups. A silent auction inside air-conditioned Koenig Park Hall features handcrafted items,
antiques and art. Booths featuring flea market treasures, plants, dolls and bingo games will keep
crowds amused all afternoon.

Kids Korner features numerous rides and activities -- the fish pond, the now-famous St. Louis
Downs “horseracing” booth and various “Boardwalk-type” games--all proving to be favorites. The
annual St. Louis Day Horseshoe Pitching and Washer Pitching Tournaments will pit champions of
past picnics against many new challengers.

Raffle drawings cap the day’s events. Beautiful
hand-stitched quilts are raffled by St. Ann’s Society.
The “Pot of Gold” drawing consists of a long slate of
gift certificates and merchandise prizes.

Limited free parking is available near the park and
air-conditioned free shuttle service between the park
and the church square is encouraged. There is no
charge to enter the park.

OLD FASHION CHRISTMAS ON
HOUSTON SQUARE

The Castroville Area Chamber of Commerce proudly sponsors Old Fashion Christmas, one of
the largest arts and crafts shows in this area. It is held the first Friday and Saturday of December
every year, and 2022 marks the 39th year for this fabulous event! The event boasts over 250 craft
and food booths which grace Houston Square in historic downtown
Castroville. Friday night begins at 6 p.m. with lighting of the Christmas
Tree. Vendors and entertainment will continue till 10 p.m. Saturday will
be a full day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There is no entrance fee for the event and parking is free. A wide
variety of handmade and commercial arts and crafts, gifts, jewelry,
wood work and so much more can be found as well as an abundance of food and drink to satisfy
everyone’s appetites. Sample everything from traditionally American to Mexican to Alsatian
fares. Entertainment throughout the day features gymnastics, music groups, local choirs, Scottish
Bagpipes and Drums and much more. And who could forget Santa who makes his annual visit
around 1 p.m. So come out and get your Christmas shopping done early and find that unique gift
you won’t find anywhere else.

SPECIAL INTEREST 67

Making Memories in Castroville

Story by Mary and Phil King. Photos submitted by Alsatian Festival Committee.

Established by French And what festival would be
Alsatians in 1844, there’s complete without music and
still nothing quite like Castroville and its rich historic Alsatian folkloric dancing? The Alsatians are known as a close-knit
culture. The Alsatian Festival of Texas, generally celebrated the community that often celebrates with a band and a featured
last Saturday in April of each year, helps preserve this culture. dance group, which is a tradition that has been carried on
Those who have visited Alsace, France, and experienced its in Castroville’s Texas Hill Country roots for years. To see and
warm and welcoming atmosphere, want to share that same experience Alsatian dancers locally is something akin to a
feeling of cultural identity and happiness here in Castroville. moment of freedom. It’s a joy to watch and participate in, and
The Alsatian Festival of Texas welcomes everyone to partake you can find it plentiful at the upcoming Alsatian Festival of
of Alsatian food, beer and wine. You can also listen and Texas.
participate in a sing along complete with accordion music and This gathering for the young, old and all ages in between
watch an unforgettable performance by the Alsatian Dancers is designed to celebrate, preserve and share the beautiful
of Texas. heritage, history, language, food and drink that lives on in
As a visitor to the Alsatian Festival of Texas, you’re the Lone Star State. The Alsatian Festival of Texas is open to
guaranteed not to leave on an empty stomach! Sausage has everyone! So, come early or stay over and take the Historic
been known to take a leading role in Castroville events. Other Walking Tour, visit the Castro Colonies Living History Center
Alsatian foods featured are Parisa, Flammekueche, Schnitzel and the Steinbach Haus Visitors Center to see and experience
and Crepes. Not only that, but Alsace, France, continues to how life has been for the past 175 years. You’ll enjoy all
be known as an important wine-producing area. With that Castroville has to offer.
tradition in mind, Castroville also welcomes its guests to
sample Alsatian wines, including Riesling, Gewuerztraminer,
Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Cremant. Likewise, known as a
featured beer-producing region of its homeland, Castroville
invites visitors at the Festival to partake of great Alsatian and
European brews.

68 SPECIAL INTEREST People gather to converse in Alsatian, hoping to
preserve the dialect a little longer.
The Alsatian Language
Castroville has scarcely changed since 1844 except for borrowed
Though Alsace is a province of France, the language spoken English words where there is no Alsatian word.
there and passed down from generation to generation, is an
ancient alamanic language that pre-dates standard German. It is At present the Castrovillians who converse in Alsatian are the
similar to the language spoken across the Rhine in Switzerland older generation, though a few families still speak the
and Germany. dialect with their children. The same is true in Alsace as
the number grows fewer with each generation.
The majority of Alsatian emigrants who came to Castroville In an attempt to preserve their native language,
during the 19th century were from Haut-Rhin (translation: Ralph “Blackie” and Annette Tschirhart, with the help
upper Rhine), the southern section of the province around of their daughter, Connie Tschirhart Rihn Balmos, and
Mulhouse. Their dialect is somewhat different from their northern granddaughter, Cathy Rihn Lester, wrote an Alsatian
neighbors in Bas-Rhin (translation: Lower Rhin), from Colmar to
the Strasbourg area. Dictionary. First they wrote a small handbook and later the
90 page “Wordbuch” shown above. It is a good reference for those
Alsatians are amazed when they encounter Castroville Alsatians trying to learn or write the language.
speaking the same dialect today that their ancestors brought to
Texas some six and seven generations ago. The Alsatian spoken in

SPECIAL INTEREST/RECIPES

NEW YEARS BREAD CASTROVILLE SAUSAGE
by Irene Jungman by Blackie Tschirhart

61m/ta2orgc6aurp1i/ns2ehcourtpesnfilnoguro r 121/1p2/k2cguscp.udpwrsyasrymceaalwdsteadtemr ilk This recipe was sent to Alsace by Blackie Tschirhart. They made
3/4 cup sugar 1 cup raisins the sausage for their famous Herr-n-owe. This is “men’s night
2 eggs 1/4 tsp. salt out.” They attend an opera, have food and drinks and just good
storytelling fun. Many Castroville stories were told that year as
Blackie sent tapes of jokes and songs of Texas.

80 lb. pork, ground 2 pods of garlic, crushed
Add margarine or shortening and sugar to scalded milk. Allow it 20 lb. beef, ground
to cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water. When milk mixture has 2 lb. salt Dash of allspice
cooled add to water mixture. Add eggs, raisins, flour and salt. 8 oz. black pepper Dash of cloves
Let rise until doubled in size. Loosen from sides of bowl and 8 oz. coriander
work down. Shape into desired form and place in greased pan.
Let rise. Beat an egg, add a little water and brush the top of the
loaves. Bake at 325°F 20-25 minutes. Mix all together and stuff in casings.

CASTROVILLE PARISA GERMAN POTATO SALAD
by Jimmy and Mary Louise Burell by Charlene Snavely

In 1937, Dan and Mary Burell bought the meat market and bar This recipe is from an 1809 cookbook.
from his parents, Frank and Regina Burell. Shortly thereafter, Dan
began making parisa for his customers. He would also serve it to Boil potatoes; peel, cool, and slice thin. Place in large bowl. Fry 8
customers at the bar when they would come by to visit. The recipe slices of bacon that have been cut into pieces until crisp. Remove
went along with the business, which in 1969, was sold to son and bacon from grease. Put grease into a container and wash skillet.
daughter-in-law, Jimmy and Mary Louise Burell. Parisa continued to
be popular so when the meat market and bar were sold in 1995, the Put 4 tbsp. of bacon grease in skillet. Add 2 tbsp. sugar, 1 c. apple
recipe was again, passed on. cider vinegar, 2 c. water, 2 tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 1 tsp.
Parisa is served as an appetizer and also at football, graduation, prepared mustard. Heat. Slowly add enough evaporated milk
wedding receptions and card parties. The Castroville Chamber of to make a smooth sauce. Thin with a little water if necessary.
Commerce also served parisa at the Alsatian booth at the Texas While hot, pour over potatoes. Stir potatoes so the sauce coats
Folklife Festival in San Antonio for many years. all potato slices. Garnish with bacon bits or grated hard-boiled
eggs.
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. onion chopped fine ST. LOUIS DAY BEANS
1/2 lb. grated American cheese by Royce Groff
salt, pepper, lemon juice
1 kettle
Mix beef, onion and cheese. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to 75 lbs. beans (Colorado Beans) 1 lb. chili powder, ground
taste. Mix well. Serve on good, crisp crackers. 35 lbs. bacon (cube, 1/2 in.) Salt to taste

10 lbs. onions, diced Pepper to taste

FRIDAY NOODLES (Napfle) 6 lg. cloves garlic, chopped 16 cans Ro-Tel & chilies, diced
by Patty Suehs Tondre
Wash and clean beans; put in kettle and fill water 4 inches over
According to family hearsay, a traditional Friday meal consisted top of beans. Heat to boil; put in bacon, onions, garlic and Ro-Tel.
of pinto beans and noodles, followed by stewed peaches and Cook until beans are soft. Put in chili powder and salt and pepper
more noodles. Whip 3 eggs with wire whip until frothy. Add flour to taste. Cook slow until the bubbles that come up have a small
until dough is very stiff. Spoon into boiling salted water. Cook bubble inside. When this happens, turn off heat and let set to
until done. Serve on a platter. Pour melted butter over them and thicken.
decorate on top with fried croutons.

69

Residential • Commercial/Sales Celebrating 10 years of business! TM
Service • Installation
The UPS Store
830.985.9289 Allen Wurzbach, Owner

• Air Conditioning UPS® Shipping • Packaging Services • Mailbox Services
Freight Services • Copying, Finishing, Printing & Shredding Services
• Heating
• Sheet Metal Fabricating Office Supplies • Notary Services • Packaging & Moving Supplies
• Duct Testing
• Complete HVAC Controls 10730 Potranco Rd, Ste 122 • San Antonio, TX 78251
• Engineering & Design 210.520.5584 • 210.520.5668 Fax
• LIC # TACLA 011003C [email protected]
• 24 Hour Emergency Fleet
M - F 8 am - 6:30 pm • Sat. 9 am - 5 pm, Sun closed
All Major Brands (FREE 2nd Opinions)
www.thecomfortclub.com www.theupsstore.com/5771.htm

Serving Central and South Texas Rollover your 401(k) or pension plan

PCR and Rapid COVID Testing and FRANKIE KEMPF Ensuring a good life for your family is now
TELEMEDICINE NOW AVAILABLE (210) 287-2642 more important than ever. We can help you
[email protected] get started. Call today!

HOME OFFICE: SAN ANTONIO, TX (210) 828-9921 www.cliu.com 05/19

Specializing in Acute Illnesses & Minor Emergencies Seemless Gutters
X-Ray, EKG, Lab & Workers’ Comp, Standing Seam
Employment & Sports Physicals
Shingles
Now Accepting All Major Insurance
No Appointments Necessary 105 Suehs Street | Castroville

1501 Houston St. • Castroville jdmetalroofing.com

830.538.3550

M-F 9am - 6pm, Sat-Sun 10am - 6pm

70

TRAVELERS • STATE AUTO • FOREMOST • ALLSTATE

Modern banking, locally MOBILE HOMES • INCOME TAX • WORKMEN’S COMP INSURANCE AGENCY BOATS • LIFE • AUTO • HOMEOWNERS • ANNUITIES
sourced and personally
delivered. 830-931-2231 • 830-538-2232
830-931-2232 • 830-931-2057(fax)
Visit our Castroville Financial Center:
1006 N Fiorella St 512 HIGHWAY 90 W
Castroville, TX 78009 CASTROVILLE, TX 78009
(210) 283-6592
CROP HAIL INSURANCE
Consumer Banking • Business Banking CROP & GRAZING INSURANCE
Mortgage Lending • Wealth Management • COMMERCIAL BUSINESS INSURANCE •

broadway.bank

Member FDIC. Rev. 05/20 / #420422158

861198336 - [Castroville Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Guide] Local Community Print Ad3.in/1d5d/221 9:09 AM

Right coverage.
Right price.
Right here in town.

Hazel Russell, Agent Here’s the deal. The right insurance should help you
1103 Highway 90 West feel confident and comfortable. I’m the right good
Castroville, TX 78009 neighbor for that. Call me today.
Bus: 830-931-3441
www.hazelrussell.com Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

State Farm
Bloomington, IL
2001290

Shannon

REALTY GROUP®

210-288-1971

ShannonBeasleyRealtor.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Medina River Windmill Cabin

Authentic cabin built in 1938 ON THE
BANKS OF THE MEDINA RIVER and
recently renovated.
LOCATED ALONG THE HISTORIC WALKING
TOUR OF CASTROVILLE and within
walking distance to the Landmark Inn,
Castroville Cafe, Dziuk’s Meat Market,
Haby’s Bakery, Magnolia’s Filling Station
(Coffee shop), and Rhonda J’s, & many
other friendly local establishments.
SLEEPS 2 (queen bed). Relax with a good
book under the shade of a 300 year old
oak tree or bring your swimsuit and
fishing pole for time in the Medina River!

Castroville, Texas • [email protected]

(210) 288-1971 • www.AirBnB.com/h/windmillcabin

For reservations, call us at 830-931-3100
www.alsatiangolfclub.com

The Golf Club is located at 1339 County Road 4516
3 miles west of Castroville

If you’re a golfer, this is a course you’ll fall in love with!

An 18-hole, par 71 championship course that Golf Now rates a 4.8 out of 5

and is easily played in three to three-and-a half hours.

You’ll also enjoy all the amenities that include:
Practice facility | 21 bay driving range | Full size putting and chipping green

Practice Bunker | Private instruction and much more!
Complete Tournament Planning | Military, Senior & First Responder Discounts

www.juliannasuniquedining.com

(830) 538-6302

1581 County Road 4516 | Castroville, Texas 78009

Julianna’s offers steaks, website & menu
seafood, pastas, beer,
and wine with a modern twist!
Join us for a one of a kind

dining experience!