German pioneers celebrate first Christmas in Texas

By Murray Montgomery

Staff Writer

As the old saying goes, “it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” and this edition of our newspaper certainly fits that narrative. The communities here in Lavaca County are certainly in the celebration mode. In Hallettsville, the Lavaca County Courthouse is adorned with its annual light spectacle and folks from all over come to witness the beauty of the old structure.

Shiner, Yoakum, and Moulton are going all out to celebrate the season with festivities of their own; including parades, parties, and pageants. The essence of Christmas is not limited to the towns. As you travel across the countryside, you will no doubt see farmhouses, fences, barns, and other structures adorned with lights, tucked back away from the road, piercing the darkness with their own traditional splendor.

I have been told by some people I was born 100 years too late; it would be foolish for me to argue the point because I do always seem to wonder how life was like back in “the day”— I do that during the Christmas season as well. How did our ancestors celebrate Christmas? What was their life like during the special time?

In her book Recollections of Boerne and Kendall County, author Edith A. Gray gives us a true look at how some German pioneers in Texas lived and how they celebrated the birth of Christ. Not unlike other folks who came to the Lone Star State back then, the German communities had their own customs, from the old country, they endeavored to keep alive.

One of the German communities featured in Gray’s book is Comfort. The writer of the segment is identified as “Mrs. Herman Schulze.” She had a very colorful and entertaining writing style while taking the reader back in time to the founding of Comfort. Schulze wrote the first people who came to the area, that would later become Comfort, arrived on Aug. 27, 1854. She describes the group as a small party of men from New Braunfels led by a fellow named Ernst Altgelt who was acting as agent for the propertyholder who lived in New Orleans.

When the men arrived, there was only one person living there and he made the newcomers feel right at home. He helped them in every way he could— evidently, they felt so much at home they named the place “Camp Comfort,” according to Mrs. Schulze.

By the time winter rolled around, a few log houses had been built providing the settlers with shelter, and their food supply was adequate. The people were grateful for the mild Texas winter and the group survived it fairly well. Then, came Christmas time and although they were far away from the Fatherland, the people of Camp Comfort were determined to make it a joyous occasion.

Their leader and founder, Ernst Altgelt, had built a small store and the entire group gathered there to celebrate. A small Cypress was brought in to serve as their Christmas tree. Although there were few ornaments, lights, and even fewer presents, it was the best substitute they could produce for the tree they had always had at home,” wrote Schulze. It was also reported Altgelt had not neglected to bring a supply of wine from New Braunfels— that surely must have livened up the party quite a bit.

They sang Christmas carols and the old German songs they loved so well. The narrative continued, “Neiphferig played his clarinet or violin moving his hearers to tears or laughter. Merry Christmas, was shouted over and over again, and they drank health and happiness one to the other and prosperity to Camp Comfort.”

Soon Christmas came to an end in the settlement and it was time to celebrate the new year. There was much frolicking and they did it in style. According to the writer, “Several parties of people had been added to the colony. Every wagon that came brought new members of young men. Leader Altgelt had donated 12 charges of powder, and with their small brass cannon the settlers shot out the old and rang in the new year.”

It seems the people of Camp Comfort did not let the hardships of pioneer life take them down when it came to celebrating Christmas and the New Year. Perhaps we should let them be an example and try to put aside our problems long enough to celebrate the birth of Christ while looking forward to a new beginning with hopes better things will come with the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.