This article by Clara Scarbrough first appeared in The Williamson County Sun, Georgetown, Texas on May 7, 1970.


Several hundred Walburg residents cling to their hometown, which was settled by their forefathers, and to their two churches, all of them founded in the 1880s. The close knit, friendly place welcomes occasional newcomers, loses some of its boys and girls to careers elsewhere, but always retains its own unique character.

The thickets and banks of Opossum Creek form a ridged backdrop along the north-northeast rim of Walburg. To these hills and valleys families of German ancestry came nearly a hundred years ago and utilized the ample thickets for their wood supply, the springs for good water, and broke and cultivated the rich land into farms. Several families had arrived before 1880 and by that year had persuaded Lutheran pastors or missionaries to come occasionally and perform baptismal, marriage and other services of the church. The community was for a time called Concordia, and it may be noted that a church was organized there before anything else. Wess A. Cassens still treasures a baptismal certificate for Joe Schultz, son of pioneers Mr. and Mrs. John Schultz, signed in 1883, which reads "Concordia, Williamson County, Texas." In 1882 Reverend J. H. Maisch helped organize Zion Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) at the home of John Neitsch "at Concordia (Walburg), Williamson County, Texas," according to the church history. Charter members of the congregation were John Neitsch, John Schultz, Carl Streich, August Doehre, Albert Ramm, Albert Krause, Andreas Schneider, Wilhelm Andres and John Schoemberg. Among other early supporters of the church were Carl Leschber, Henry Doering and Carl Kasperick.

Walburg, Germany, was the home of Henry Doering, who emigrated in 1880, settling on Berry's Creek. While engaged in farming, he suffered a sunstroke and his doctor advised him to give up farming. His alternative seemed to be business - he moved to the place to be called Walburg in 1881 and is credited with naming it for his native town and with building in 1882 the first general store there. Thus was launched a long and successful business career, according to family records and his daughter, née Martha Doering, now Mrs. Ben Kurio Sr., better known today as Aunt Mattie or Grandmother Kurio. Many present-day Walburgans are descendants of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doering, or of their close friends and relatives who followed them to Williamson County.

In addition to the early general store, a number of other businesses sprang up between 1880 and 1900. John Schwausch set up a blacksmith shop in 1884, practicing his trade there until his death in 1930. Henry Jacob opened another blacksmithing business in 1901.

On July 10, 1886, Mr. Doering was appointed first postmaster of Walburg, a post he held until 1900.

The Zion congregation, immediately after its organization, had built a small church which doubled as a parochial school and which was dedicated in September 1882. Voting membership grew from nine men in 1882 to twenty-nine in 1885.

But on June 19, 1886, a church history states, "a devastating storm swept through the community damaging the homes of the people, and the accompanying hail destroyed the crops. The church, too, was moved from its foundation by the destructive winds." A severe drought of 13 months followed the tornado, compounding the loss to local parishioners. The church and community were in serious financial difficulty and the church had no pastor from 1888 to 1890.

Meanwhile, another group of Walburg settlers whose Lutheran affiliation was with the Texas Synod, had likewise enjoyed occasional visits from missionary pastors. In 1889, they decided to organize a church of their own, or possibly join the Zion church, but the two groups were unable to agree on two points in the constitution regarding a lodge and a parochial school.

On March 31, 1889, ten men met at the home of H. T. Behrens to plan the new church. Carl Mueller was chairman and T. Kraus secretary. Mrs. Alfred Mueller says her father, Emil Vogler, was one of the men who helped found the church. A building committee composed of W. H. Homeyer, C. Jungmichel, A. C. Braun, F. Bredthauer, Theo Granzin, John Granzin and possibly one or two others, was appointed and that fall, the St. Peter Lutheran Church was dedicated.

So it came about that two Lutheran churches were established in Walburg, separated by one-half mile, seven years, and two paragraphs of a constitution. Both have thrived for nearly a hundred years, both supplying focal points for community loyalty and activity, ingredients which may account for Walburg's continued good health.

W. D. Homeyer donated land east of Walburg for a community cemetery and later, St. Peter Church purchased a section to the east of the community site for a church cemetery. Zion Lutheran Church cemetery lies at the foot of the hill south of the church, on a portion of the church property on which are also located the parish house and parochial school.

In 1890, a young man named Julius Leschber, still living near Walburg today, organized a brass band to play at the churches and on other special occasions. By 1892 and possibly earlier, Opossum public school educated children not attending the church school up the hill. Mrs. Alex Homeyer, formerly Anna Liese, daughter of George and Cathrena Doering Liese who arrived in Walburg in 1892, remembers Opossum school. It was located on a tiny branch just north of St. Peter Church. Mrs. Homeyer has heard old-timers say that a still earlier school possibly called Knob or Knobs, was about one-fourth mile above Opossum school, but she has no firsthand knowledge of it. In 1892, Opossum enrollment was 55, with C. Lehmburg listed as teacher, and was in the district with Robbins and Ake schools. By 1902, Opossum had become Walburg public school and was situated where the present Community Center stands; enrollment was then 81 and the school was in a district with Robbins and Theon.

"Little Possum" Creek runs south of Walburg and Walburg is so situated that it is never really affected by floods. However, Mrs. Alex Homeyer remembers seeing water up in that small creek for the very first time in April 1900. "The water spread far out from "Little Possum;" a neighbor was going to town in his wagon with a large piece of bacon to sell. When he started across the low bridge the wagon bed, which was not fastened down, simply floated off with the bacon! 'Mein Gott, mein Gott, mein Gott!' he kept exclaiming as he saw his anticipated cash produce disappear down the stream."

Mrs. Carl Liese, nee Olga Granzin, tells of an early teacher named Mr. Hyzak and "Uncle Frank" Homeyer who corresponded with each other, Uncle Frank writing his letters in English, Mr. Hyzak in German, each correcting the other's letters to help perfect his use of the new language. An early practical correspondence course! Mrs. Louis A. Williams of Austin (formerly Marinda Gillmore) went to Walburg school about 1894, remembers that the father of the late Judge Richard Critz taught there, and that some of the families represented among the pupils were Braun, Bredthauer, Homeyer, Hawes, Poppelz, Beals, Kleen, Stevenson, Walker and Gillmore.

The Braun family must have been among the first settlers in the community. According to family genealogy, Adolph C. Braun and his wife, Annie Mueller Braun, and August Mueller and his wife, Louisa Braun Mueller, arrived in 1877, report Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Braun. Mr. Braun established a hardware store in Walburg at an early date, and he and others of his family have operated a number of businesses there. A deed dated December 1, 1875, is registered in Williamson County records, to one A. Braun, indicating perhaps an arrival by that time.

The Doering general merchandise store has been rebuilt several times, but has been operated continuously since 1882 by members of the family. Henry Doering retired from the store in 1910 and two sons, Gus and Frank, and a daughter, Martha (Mrs. Kurio), purchased the business. It is now owned by Gilbert and Ben Kurio Jr. and F. R. Leschber.

Gus Braun started a store which Gerhardt Cassens enlarged; in 1906, Carl Liese and A. C. A. Braun bought it. A second story was added to the building, used as a dance hall and by the Hermann Sons Lodge. In 1908, A. C. Braun purchased the building and the lodge was moved to a hall where the Community Center now stands.

Miss Frieda Schwausch, eldest sister of Oscar Schwausch of Walburg community, learned the milliner's trade in Granger from a Mrs. Leubner, and about 1915, set up her own millinery shop in Walburg, whee the Tonns now live. ''Her shop was patronized by all the ladies and young ladies of Walburg," Mrs. Kurio recalls.

The first community gin, a horse powered affair, was located on Opossum Creek near Walburg and in 1900 E. E. Jungmichel moved it to the town, running it until 1914. He also ran gins at Theon, Georgetown and Weir. Sam Raynolds and J. C. Poppelz Sr. worked for Mr. Jungmichel at the Walburg gin, then moved on to Keliehor Ranch to run their own business. Mr. Reynolds, about 92 years old, resides near Temple.

F. E. Edrington owned the Walburg gin briefly, and in 1915, Gus Doering bought it. C. G. Doering ran it until he left for military service in 1918; during his absence, J. W. McCann was the operator. C. G. Doering returned to the business and in 1922 formed a partnership with John Kasperik and H. C. Doering. In 1928 the gin converted from steam to electric power. About 1930, Martin R. Teinert bought into the Walburg Gin Company, in 1938 Mr. Kasperik sold his interest, and Mr. Teinert ran the gin until 1951. In 1959, Carl J. Doering purchased Mr. Teinert's interest and he and his father, C. G., have continued to operate it to the present time.

"Just before the soil bank was in effect, our Walburg gin averaged about 2000 bales a season; the year the soil bank started, we ginned 36 bales," C. G. Doering remembers. Mr. Doering has also owned gins at Berry's Creek, Andice and Georgetown.

A beef club was organized at Walburg sometime between 1902 and 1905, each member furnishing a beef a week. Butchering day was Friday; meat was dressed late in the day and cooled overnight. "The next morning about 4 o'clock, we could hear the men begin cutting the meat, and later on, the members came with their flour sacks to pick up the amount of meat they had previously indicated they would need," reminisced Mrs. Homeyer and Mrs. Liese.

Doctors and druggists were considered important personages in Walburg. "I was the first baby delivered by Dr. White," Mrs. Liese says. She graciously admits to being born in 1888, thinks that Dr. White came to Walburg in the spring of that year. Mrs. W. C. Wedemeyer, whose husband practiced medicine in Walburg for many years, has a special interest in the stories of the medical men in the community, and recalls people commenting about Dr. White: "He is only thirty years old and bald-headed!"

Dr. Masterson apparently came to Walburg about 1892; he also practiced either at Corn Hill or Georgetown, possibly both, and in 1893, Dr. E. M. Thomas was the local physician.

Meanwhile in the early 1890s, C. A. Peters, who previously worked as pharmacist for Harry Graves' father in Georgetown, became Walburg's first druggist in a store built by Henry Doering. The elder Mr. Jungmichel was the next druggist, staying at the job until about 1914. Then came Albert and Walter Werner, then "Mac" McGinnis, a popular Irishman among all us Dutchmen," C. G. Doering chuckles.

Close to the turn of the century, Dr. August Kuhn was practicing in Walburg, remaining there ten or twelve years, followed by a Dr. Hague, who stayed briefly, riding for his calls in a gig, and Dr. Randolph, also there briefly. Doctor Randolph courted and married a Miss Darby, the daughter of the Weir pharmacist.

Dr. Henry Kuehne arrived in Walburg by 1910 and ran the drugstore in addition to his medical duties. His sister, Miss Selma Kuehne was named postmistress in 1911, succeeding Adolf C. A. Braun, who had served from 1900 to 1909. (The office was moved to Weir for a year and a half.) (John Kasperik became postmaster in 1912 and Albert C. Werner in 1914.) "Dr. Kuehne got himself a car around 1912, a year or so after starting his practice at Walburg - the boys called it the two cylinder hay burner," Mrs. Liese laughs. Many times, however, the doctor had to resort to horseback to visit patients, for no roads were topped at that time, and very few of them even graveled. When the ground was muddy, you went horseback!

Dr. J. H. Whigham was in Walburg a short whi1e, and in 1920 Dr. W. C. Wedemeyer began his long medical service there. Mrs. Wedemeyer still treasures the mortar and pestle from the old drug store, where so many prescriptions were mixed for the people of Walburg area. Mrs. Alfred Mueller (Emma Vogler) remembers her childhood when she "sat on the porch of that drug store waiting to see the doctor."

Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Schwausch reminisced recently about his father's blacksmith shop, built in 1884. The shop trained a number of young men to the blacksmith trade, including Henry Jacob, who later established his own shop. Oscar began working for his father in 1908, one of his main jobs being to shoe the horses. "This lasted until in the 1930s when cars generally replaced the horse," he says. John Schwausch had a woodworking shop in connection with the blacksmith, where he repaired wagon wheels and other wooden articles. "He once made a wagon for me," Mr. Oscar admitted, "but his work was usually limited to repairs. In 1912, the torch method of welding was used, but by 1915, electric welding became the vogue. "Father had a picture showing the sparks flying from the electric welding, with the motto, 'The Weld that Held.'" Items frequently welded in those days were ties and hoops for wagon wheels.

Gus Schwausch, a brother to the founder of the shop, learned the trade there, and his son, Albert, is now a partner in the business which has been carried on since 1884. Albert Schwausch's partner is Walter Jacob, his son-in-law.

But Walter Jacob's ties to his trade are more than by marriage. Henry Jacob had trained in the John Schwausch shop and with Frank Beyer at Bartlett. He started a blacksmith business at Walburg on September 17, 1901, his widow, Mrs. Anna Jacob, says. Walter Jacob is their son.

Both blacksmith shops kept busy in those earlier days, and now that the Schwausches and Jacobs have again joined forced into one business, they continue to offer some most important services in the community, a resident declares.

After Henry Doering retired from his general merchandise store in 1910, he organized Walburg State Bank, which opened October 1, 1913, and remained active in that business until his death in 1916. F. R. Leschber, whose wife is the former Marie Doering, now runs the bank. Mr. Leschber proudly notes that in 1932 during the moratorium when banks closed their doors, the Walburg bank was granted permission to remain open. "We could not pay anything out," he explains, "but our reserves and loans were in such good order, we were the only bank in Williamson County allowed to stay open." A flurry of excitement of a different sort came in 1933 when two men staged a daytime robbery of the bank. Adolph Peschel, who was working in a nearby garage at the time, saw the robbery and he and Mr. Leschber and August Noack leapt into their car to chase down the robbers. "The culprits were driving a new model Ford, and we just couldn't quite catch them," Mr. Peschel says, "but we kept them in sight, and at Circleville their Ford ran into a CCC truck." This stopped the men long enough for the money to be recovered. "We had all the money back in 30 or 40 minutes," Mr. Leschber says.

Paul Andres ran a garage at Walburg, which he sold to Bennie Draeger; he in turn sold to Walter Domel, the present owner.

After the Walburg public school was abandoned for educational purposes, it was used as a community center until in the early 1960s, when Walburg people got together and built a new Center for community gatherings, political rallies, barbecues, and the like.

Walburg today still has its bank, stores, cafes, service stations, garages, blacksmith shop, community center, its parochial school and its two churches.

Ben Kurio Jr., county auditor and grandson of Henry Doering who named Walburg for his home in Germany, found himself in a historical coincidence during World War II. Mr. Kurio's U. S. Infantry Division 76 was assigned the task of taking Walburg, Germany, the home of his forefathers, and, "a little village not very different from Walburg, Texas," he remembers. He was there only briefly and was considerably occupied with the tasks of war. Other Doerings have visited in Walburg, Germany in happier times. You won't find it on small maps but it is near the city of Kassel. And so the circles of fate retied a thread, even in war.