Spring Branch Central in Houston in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Hard Times on the Frontier
Life was unimaginably difficult for Spring Branch settlers in the early years, as evidenced by cemetery burial records. Yellow fever, malaria, typhoid and cholera made all too frequent visits to the struggling new community.
"1849 was an unusually wet year... The mosquitoes came in such droves that at night we could sleep only by keeping cover over us even during the hot summer time. One after another we were down with malaria, spending more time in bed than working. My father [Carl Wilhelm Rummel] had a siege of eighteen months; we others from four to six months. My dear grandmother [Christiane Carolina Bauer] ...was just able to walk when one of those cold northers blew up - she took a severe cold and took to her bed again, and never recovered; soon to be followed by our sweet little sister, Minna. " - William Rummel
"All my family were down with malaria; I was the only one able to wait on them. I was so busy attending to them day and night, I had no time for the family washing. When they finally recovered, I took my soiled clothing of many weeks out to wash; and was heartsick to discover that all the clothes on the bottom of the heap had rotted from the damp. The rabbits had done much harm to the garden; but even more havoc had been wreaked by roving cattle and hogs, which broke down the fences and ate our beans and potatoes. " Carolina Bauer Rummel
"During this time we [had] lost all our cows and oxen....Also we were without money. After I was able to be up, I went to look for the animals. After eleven days on horseback trying to round them up, I found only one ox. The cows we never saw again. One night [on the search] my horse went through water up to his knees and swam several creeks. Night came on and the horse could not be made to go any farther. There was nothing else to do but to spend the night in the open prairie between Cedar Island and Lang's Bayou. A cold norther blew up and the horse and I were chilled to the bone...." - William Rummel
Captions
Carl Wilhelm Rummel
Southern Plow Team, Illustrated by J. Wells Champney, From The Great South, a Record of Journeys, by Edward King, 1875
Christine Carolina Bauer
Erected by Memorial Villages Heritage Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.
Location. 29° 48.056′ N, 95° 30.751′ W. Marker is in Houston, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Spring Branch Central. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Long Point Road and Campbell Road. The marker is located behind the St. Peter Church by the entrance to the cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9022 Long Point Road, Houston TX 77055, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. St. Peter Cemetery (here, next to this marker); A First Thanksgiving at Spring Branch (here, next to this marker); St. Peter Church (within shouting distance of this marker); The Pioneer Spring Branch Community (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Schroeder Family and Hedwig Village (approx. 1.4 miles away); Jacob Schroeder and Early Spring Branch Community (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Rummel-Hildebrandt-Bauer Sawmill (approx. 1.6 miles away); a different marker also named The Rummel-Hildebrandt-Bauer Sawmill (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houston.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.