Betty Holekamp
Encyclopedia
Betty Holekamp was a German
colonist and pioneer in Texas
. She is recognized for several "firsts" as a Texas pioneer, such as being the first to sew an American
flag upon Texas's acceptance into the Union, and thus is known as the Betsy Ross
of Texas. She was also among the first residents in four Texas Hill Country
communities: New Braunfels
, Fredericksburg
, Sisterdale
, and Comfort
.
. She was the daughter of Henry Christian Abbethern who was the ministerial accountant to King Ernest Augustus of Hannover
and she grew up in the household of the King. She was schooled with the King's daughter, and was being trained to be a governess.
While playing music together at court gatherings, she met Georg Friedrich "Fritz" Holekamp (1812-1862), the son of a wealthy Hannover builder and an educated Royal Architect and musician. Once engaged, the couple learned of opportunities in Texas from Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
. They wed in March of 1844. On September 16, 1844, Fritz Holekamp entered into a contract with the German Immigration Company, and soon there after the couple boarded the ship Johann Dethard arriving at Galveston and then at Indianola
in November, 1844.
, the pioneers found the river too high to cross due to the winter rains. Prince Solms, perhaps wishing to impress the others with his bravado, plunged into the raging waters and crossed the swolen river on horseback. Not to be outdone by anyone, Betty Holekamp immediately followed and successfully crossed the river to the astonishment of her felllow colonists and perhaps to the shagrin of the Prince. Thus Betty Holekamp is known as the first white woman to cross the Guadalupe on horseback.
When word first broke of Texas being admitted to the Union in 1845, Betty Holekamp gathered pieces of cloth from her home and from her neighbors and used them to sew a 6 foot by 3 foot size United States flag (with a lone star in the field of blue) that was unfurled and flown in the town square of New Braunfels. This was the first American flag flown in New Braunfels, and believed to be the first flown in Texas. The sewing of that flag was a bold political statement for the time. Prince Solms, having come from the world of European aristocracy, governed New Bruanfels as a king, however the flying of the flag symbolized to the Prince and to the populous that Texas was now part of a free and democratic nation.
. On January 18, 1847, Fritz Holekamp received 320 acres of land, just outside Fredericksburg, from the Fisher-Miller Land Grant
colonization. He added his signature to the December 15, 1847 List of Petitioners to Create Gillespie County.
from Nicolaus Zink
and became the third family to settle in the new German colony. It was there that Betty Holekamp gave birth to her second son, Julius, who was born on June 10, 1849, making him the first white child born in Kendall County
. While in Sisterdale, Betty Holekamp became an expert marksman who was known to shoot as well as any of the men. She hunted bear and panthers, and suffered regular raids from Indians who became adept at stealing food from settlers.
in 1854. Fritz Holekamp worked with surveyor Ernst Altgelt in the laying out and founding of the city of Comfort. The Holekamps built the first house in the town (Fritz and his son George started construction before Comfort was officially founded) and Fritz was in charge of Comfort's cannon.
When the American Civil War
started, Fritz Holekamp joined The Confederacy at the rank of Captain working as a surgeon because he had some medical training in Germany. It is thought that Fritz Holekamp may have joined the army in exchange for sparing his teenage sons from the draft. In seeming contrast to the Holekamps, most German immigrants from the Texas Hill Country were supporters of the Union
. (Many Comfort area residents were victims of the Nueces Massacre
and the Treue der Union Monument
is located in Comfort.) Fritz Holekamp was killed in battle in 1862.
Widowed, Betty Holekamp took in boarders and opened a sewing and washing business in order to provide for her 7 children (her son, Ernest, would later become the first mayor of Junction, Texas
). Remaining in Comfort, she never remarried and outlived her husband by 40 years.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
colonist and pioneer in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. She is recognized for several "firsts" as a Texas pioneer, such as being the first to sew an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
flag upon Texas's acceptance into the Union, and thus is known as the Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross is widely credited with making the first American flag. There is, however, no credible historical evidence that the story is true.-Early life:...
of Texas. She was also among the first residents in four Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
communities: New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
, Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
, Sisterdale
Sisterdale, Texas
Sisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1847 and located north of Boerne in Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25...
, and Comfort
Comfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
Life in Germany
Betty Holekamp was born Betty Wilhelmine Abbethern in Hannover, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She was the daughter of Henry Christian Abbethern who was the ministerial accountant to King Ernest Augustus of Hannover
Ernest Augustus I of Hanover
Ernest Augustus I was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death. He was the fifth son and eighth child of George III, who reigned in both the United Kingdom and Hanover...
and she grew up in the household of the King. She was schooled with the King's daughter, and was being trained to be a governess.
While playing music together at court gatherings, she met Georg Friedrich "Fritz" Holekamp (1812-1862), the son of a wealthy Hannover builder and an educated Royal Architect and musician. Once engaged, the couple learned of opportunities in Texas from Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels , was a German prince and military officer in both the Austrian army and in the cavalry of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. As Commissioner General of the Adelsverein, he spearheaded the establishment of colonies of German immigrants in Texas...
. They wed in March of 1844. On September 16, 1844, Fritz Holekamp entered into a contract with the German Immigration Company, and soon there after the couple boarded the ship Johann Dethard arriving at Galveston and then at Indianola
Indianola, Texas
Indianola is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The community, once the county seat of Calhoun County, is a part of the Victoria, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1875, the city had a population of 5,000, but on September 15 of that year, a...
in November, 1844.
New Braunfels
Led by Prince Solms, the 228 immigrants from the Johann Dethard proceeded overland from Indianola to the site chosen to be the first German settlement in Texas, New Braunfels. (It was later discovered that Prince Solms purposely chose the more remote and difficult route from Indianola, instead of from Galveston, in order to isolate the colonists from the local Texans.) Upon reaching the Guadalupe RiverGuadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
, the pioneers found the river too high to cross due to the winter rains. Prince Solms, perhaps wishing to impress the others with his bravado, plunged into the raging waters and crossed the swolen river on horseback. Not to be outdone by anyone, Betty Holekamp immediately followed and successfully crossed the river to the astonishment of her felllow colonists and perhaps to the shagrin of the Prince. Thus Betty Holekamp is known as the first white woman to cross the Guadalupe on horseback.
When word first broke of Texas being admitted to the Union in 1845, Betty Holekamp gathered pieces of cloth from her home and from her neighbors and used them to sew a 6 foot by 3 foot size United States flag (with a lone star in the field of blue) that was unfurled and flown in the town square of New Braunfels. This was the first American flag flown in New Braunfels, and believed to be the first flown in Texas. The sewing of that flag was a bold political statement for the time. Prince Solms, having come from the world of European aristocracy, governed New Bruanfels as a king, however the flying of the flag symbolized to the Prince and to the populous that Texas was now part of a free and democratic nation.
Fredericksburg
After about two years in New Braunfels, the Holekamps moved and were among the first residents of FredericksburgFredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
. On January 18, 1847, Fritz Holekamp received 320 acres of land, just outside Fredericksburg, from the Fisher-Miller Land Grant
Fisher-Miller Land Grant
The Fisher-Miller Land Grant was part of an early colonization effort of the Republic of Texas. Its 3,878,000 acres covered between the Llano River and Colorado River. Originally granted to Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller, the grant was sold to the German colonization company of Adelsverein...
colonization. He added his signature to the December 15, 1847 List of Petitioners to Create Gillespie County.
Sisterdale
After two years outside Fredericksburg, the Holekamps purchased 55 acres in SisterdaleSisterdale, Texas
Sisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1847 and located north of Boerne in Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25...
from Nicolaus Zink
Nicolaus Zink
Nicolaus Zink was the founder of Sisterdale, Texas and builder of the fort Zinkenburg. Under the direction of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Zink led a caravan of new settlers from Indianola to New Braunfels. He laid out the town and divided the original allotted farm acreage...
and became the third family to settle in the new German colony. It was there that Betty Holekamp gave birth to her second son, Julius, who was born on June 10, 1849, making him the first white child born in Kendall County
Kendall County, Texas
Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2008 census, its population was 32,886. Its seat is Boerne....
. While in Sisterdale, Betty Holekamp became an expert marksman who was known to shoot as well as any of the men. She hunted bear and panthers, and suffered regular raids from Indians who became adept at stealing food from settlers.
Comfort
After briefly living in San Antonio, the Holekamp family settled in ComfortComfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in 1854. Fritz Holekamp worked with surveyor Ernst Altgelt in the laying out and founding of the city of Comfort. The Holekamps built the first house in the town (Fritz and his son George started construction before Comfort was officially founded) and Fritz was in charge of Comfort's cannon.
When the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
started, Fritz Holekamp joined The Confederacy at the rank of Captain working as a surgeon because he had some medical training in Germany. It is thought that Fritz Holekamp may have joined the army in exchange for sparing his teenage sons from the draft. In seeming contrast to the Holekamps, most German immigrants from the Texas Hill Country were supporters of the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
. (Many Comfort area residents were victims of the Nueces Massacre
Nueces massacre
The Nueces massacre was a violent confrontation between Confederate soldiers and German Texans on August 10, 1862 in Kinney County, Texas. Many Germans in Central Texas were first-generation immigrants from Germany. They tended to support the Union and were opposed to the institution of slavery. ...
and the Treue der Union Monument
Treüe der Union Monument
The German-language Treue der Union Monument , in Comfort, Texas, was dedicated on August 10, 1866 to commemorate those who died at the 1862 Nueces massacre. Thirty-four were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. With the exception of those drowned in the Rio Grande, the remains of the...
is located in Comfort.) Fritz Holekamp was killed in battle in 1862.
Widowed, Betty Holekamp took in boarders and opened a sewing and washing business in order to provide for her 7 children (her son, Ernest, would later become the first mayor of Junction, Texas
Junction, Texas
Junction is a city in and the county seat of Kimble County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,618 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
). Remaining in Comfort, she never remarried and outlived her husband by 40 years.