Founder's Oak

Founder's Oak. A Sesquicentennial Project. , 1700 This tree began as a seedling in this major campsite of Central Texas Indians. Archeology has traced the Indians presence here to 13,000 years ago. Early settlers told that Indians left messages to those who followed by weighing down the upper stem of such young trees horizontally to show the direction they had traveled. The resulting distortion from vertical may be evident in this ancient tree. , 1718 San Antonio founded by Spain. Spanish Standard raised on junction of Comal and Guadalupe rivers., 1756 Spanish mission, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, began on Mission west of New Braunfels and abandoned after three years because of massacre at San Saba Mission by Comanche Indians. , 1776 U.S. adopted its Declaration of Independence. , 1803 U.S purchased Louisiana from Napoleon of France. , 1821 Stephen F. Austin's first American Colony, "Old Three Hundred" established in southeast Mexican Texas, Mexican Independence ended three centuries of Spanish Texas., 1836 Major battle fought at Alamo and Republic of Texas founded. Ferdinand Lindheimer arrived in Texas on April 22 at San Jacinto to help in Texas Revolution against Mexico., 1840 Lindheimer collected and classified botanical specimens from Central Texas area and earned the title "Father of Texas Botany". Restored home at 491 Comal Street., 1845 New Braunfels founded by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Germany as the first wagon with immigrants crossed the Guadalupe river on Good Friday, March 21. Prince Carl lived on site of Sophienburg Museum. Herman Seele taught first German-English classes under trees at foot of hill near museum., 1846 Comal County organized , 1850 Census showed New Braunfels was Texas' fourth largest town., 1852 Lindheimer published first weekly issue of New Braunfelser Zeitung. Not one issue ever missed, even during the civil war., 1860 Joseph Landa, German Merchant and Industrialist, purchased Comal Springs and river area for water power., 1861 Comal County sent about 500 men to Confederate forces., 1866 City Ordinance prohibited flammable roofs resulting in New Braunfels becoming the City of Tin Roofs., 1876 New Braunfels celebrated America's Centennial greater than any other Texas city. , 1880 First train, the International and Great Northern Railroad arrived in New Braunfels., 1886 New Braunfels volunteer Fire Department established, making it third oldest in Texas., 1888 New pink granite state capitol in Austin completed. , 1890 Electric power first used in New Braunfels homes. , 1895 First park activities held in privately owned Landa Park., 1898 New Limestone County courthouse on Main Plaza completed. Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders trained in San Antonio., 1907 First automobile, a Ford, registered in Comal County. City set an 8 mph speed limit. , 1915 Liberty Bell passed through New Braunfels by train from San Francisco and was seen by large crowd., 1918 Armistice in Europe: end of World War I., 1936 Texas celebrated its centennial. New Braunfels purchased Landa Park., 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and Comal County sent 1,200 men and women to World War II., 1956 Three year drought completely dried Landa Springs and lake., 1961 Annual celebration called Wurstfest (Sausage Festival) begun., 1963 Lyndon B. Johnson became 36th president of the United States., 1969 U.S. put first man on the moon. , 1972 Severe flood devastated park and city taking 18 lives. , 1986 Texas celebrated its sesquicentennial.