Castell Settlement of 1847 and Meusebach Treaty Details
Castell was settled in 1847 under John O Meeuse bech of the German Emigration Company. The Llano River north bank site honors Count Carl Castell and formed the only permanent settlement on the Fisher Miller Grant. The grant covered three million eight hundred thousand acres between the Llano and Colorado rivers, approved by Texas in 1842 to settle six thousand families after the March 1847 treaty with the Comanches.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
San Saba
Meusebach
Killfuly
el Sol Colorado
Red Sun
Kimbler Mason
McCulloch, Meard
Schleicher
Sutton
Tom Green
Fisher-Miller
Llano
Colorado
Pecos River
Henry Francis Fishes
Burchard Miller
Republic of Texas
Sam Houston
Fisher
Germany
German Emigration Company
Verein Zum Schutze Deutscher Einwandered
Texas
Prince Solms Zu
Southern Pacific pledges $279 million in capital improvements
The Southern Pacific Company outlines a major modernization plan including $144 million in capital improvements this year and a total program near $279 million to upgrade equipment and facilities. Austin district freight agents cite progress through heavier rail, welded rail, and 2,800 new cars plus 133 diesel locomotives to boost service for Llano and wider SP routes. Continuous upgrades aim to keep SP competitive in national and world markets.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
R. A. Hodges
Austin
SPS
Southern Pacific
C. A. Wilson
Southern 1c Fic
Southwestern
Llano
Slane
United States
Southern Pac
Rail line history ties Llano shipping to Southern Pacific network
The passage traces Llano’s rail access from the early 1880s start of the Austin and Northwestern Railroad to its 1901 conversion to standard gauge and eventual incorporation into Southern Pacific through the Houston and Texas Central acquisition. It notes the origins of the line, its extensions to Marble Falls and Fairland to Llano, and legislative actions in 1901.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fic Transport Company
Llano
Texas
Wilson
Southern Pacific
Austin & Northwestern Railroad
Austin
Burnet
Ag&nw
Marble Falls
Fairland
Liano
Early Bluffton and Tow Salt Works in Llano County
Narrative traces the 1852 settlement of Bluffton by Billy Davis and the Tow Valley contact area. Salt works led by David Cowan and Joe Alexander grew to 56 kettles, with salt sold for four dollars a bushel. The region’s roads, ferries, and boat landings supported travel before Bluffton’s decline with the railroad and the 1935 Buchanan Dam relocation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lake Buchanan
Old Bluffton
Tow Valley
Billy Davis
Bluffton
Arkansas
Isaac B. Maxwell
Davis
David Cowan
Gid
Colorado River
William
Wilson Tow
Cowan
Colorado
Buffalo
Joe Alexander
M. B. Clendennen
Liano County
Old Salt Works
Salt Works
Castell, Mason
Llano
Fredericksburg
John F. Morgan
Sodom
Behrns
Solomon “Hoss” Maxwell
Tow
Buchanan
Fisher Miller Grant shapes Texas settlement era and legacies
The Fisher Miller Grant of 3.8 million acres issued in 1842 by the Republic of Texas to Henry Fisher and Burchard Miller opened vast lands along the Llano and Colorado rivers to German settlers. Meusebach negotiated with the Comanche, enabling Fredericksburg Castell and New Braunfels, with counties including Concho Kimble Llano Mason McCulloch Menard San Saba Schleicher Sutton and Tom Green forming from the grant.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fredericksburg
Castell
Meusebach
Llano County
Concho
Kimble
Llano
Mason
McCulloch
Menard
San Saba
Schleicher
Sutton
Tom Green
Communistic settlement near Castel and Betina in Texas history
The article notes settlers moved to the south bank of the river near Castel, with Betina named for Bettina von Arnim near Elm Creek. Authorized by the Emigration Company, forty young professionals founded the Communistic settlement in fall 1847, aiming for self support but abandoned within a year after company supplies ran out.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Castel
Bettina
Bettina von Arnim
Elm Creek
Llano
Texas
Llano County History Markers Planned at Three Sites
Llano County prepares three historic marker installations Castell Tow Bluffton Salt Works and the Fisher Miller Grant marker will be placed at Kingsland to highlight regional history. The page reproduces information sent to the Texas State Survey Committee for these sites.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Llano County
Castell
Tow-Bluffton Salt Works
Fisher-Miller Grant
Kingsland
Texas State Survey Committee
Doc Walker of Llano County Early Life and Legion Valley Role
Elbart M. Doc Walker an early Llano County resident born in 1842 in Walker County and lifelong here served in the Home Guard. He witnessed the Legion Valley Massacre scene where two babies died and volunteered to retrieve the bodies with John C. Batman. they tracked an Indian camp and proceeded with caution afterward. Walker was the father of Mrs. K L Masters of Liano.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Elbart M
Doc) Walker
Llano County
Walker County
Home Guard
Legion Valley
Loyal Valley
Walker
John C. Batman
Also Mentioned on This Page
Stolz
Texas Crushed Stone Company
Emil Kriewitz
Kriewitz
Leiningen
Llano River
Southern Pacific Company
Cedar Lodge
Lake Shore Drive
Buchanan Dam
Chism Lodges
Island Village
RayMond and
Marthlyn
Bluffton, Texas
E. L. Allison
The
Redes
the Bluebonnet Cafe
Lake Shore Drive-In Cafe
Faugh
Cragin
Lake Hardware & Sporting Goods
Lake Shore
Early
Bluffton and
Tow Salt Works
Lakeland Lodge
Harriet and Louis Marks Owners & Mars
Doc Walker
Elbert M
Shroyer Lodge
Les
Lakeshore
Bim Johnson
Buchanan Lake
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!