The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932 Page: 281
348 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Viktor Friederich Bracht, a Texas Pioneer
description of the city interesting, of which he continues to write
in the same letter:
"The city covers an area that is at least twice that of Duessel-
dorf, it has four or five churches, one theater, wide streets with
brick curbing, and sidewalks with awnings. The houses are all
built of wood. Many of them could be called palaces. Nearly
all are partly surrounded by porches. Some of the houses have
flat roofs. The fever that appeared here to-day is not dangerous,
as it is the ordinary climatic fever, but it caused us to trans-
ship a mile and a half from town. . .. The mosquitoes do
not seem to harm me, as I have found some on me frequently
without feeling anything. Yesterday I bathed in the Gulf. Fig
trees, China trees and peach trees give the streets of Galveston a
pleasant appearance. ."
Not Galveston, however, but New Braunfels, where the first
colonists had arrived in March, was the goal of his journey. In
the same letter written from Galveston, June 19, 1845, he speaks
of his intention to continue his journey to join the colony of the
Verein :
"I shall postpone writing in detail until I reach our colony,
and shall send my diary when an opportunity to do so presents
itself. I am feeling well and cheerful and have true friends
among the emigrants, and shall find more in the colony. During
the march an experienced man will assist me. A fine settlement
has been made twenty or twenty-five miles from Bexar; that is
our destination .
Having arrived at New Braunfels, he soon engaged in the mer-
cantile business, his choice for his life's work. In 1855 he moved
to San Antonio, where he was wholesale grocer till 1860. Al-
though engaged in business of his own, Viktor Bracht was always
thinking in terms of a greater Texas. He writes in his book:
"Notwithstanding the numerous, bitter opponents of Texas, this
state, in my opiinon, will soon attract the largest number of Ger-
man emigrants. Within a few years the German population will
have a large majority throughout the western portion. Even now
many of my acquaintances are joyfully looking forward to the
time when one must be able to speak German in order to travel
there and be understood by the people. I am sure their expecta-
tions will soon be justified by results !"
No one could have loved his adopted country much more than281
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932, periodical, 1932; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101092/m1/285/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.