Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen Gammel
Encyclopedia
Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen Gammel (September 24, 1854 - February 11, 1931) was an author and bookseller. He served as editor and publisher of a series of books reporting Texas legislation enacted by each congressional and legislative session. His first publication consisted of 10 volumes and covered 75 years of Texas legal history. The Laws of Texas 1822-1897 has long been a primary resource for the study of Texas legal history during the Nineteenth Century.
, Aarhus County
, Denmark
. He was the son of Niels Hansen Gammel and
Mittie Marie Brugger. Looking for a better life, he followed his sister to the United States. Gammel and his brother Niels traveled through the western U.S. peddling jewelry and trinkets, looking for a stake in a gold mine. Gammel sent for the family, who eventually caught up with him in Austin, Texas
.
burned to the ground. In order to earn a little extra money to help support his growing family, Gammel took the contract to haul away the debris.Gammel gathered papers and charred documents from the debris scattered on the Capitol grounds. He loaded them in a wagon and took them to his home. He and his wife gradually dried the pages on a clotheslines and stored them with their belongings.
Gammel sorted and edited the crinkled papers, then published them beginning in 1898 as the first ten volumes of Gammel’s Laws of Texas, 1822-1897. This work won acclaim and was supplemented by additional volumes after each legislature to bring the set up to date until 1937.
when he was 16. After Anna's death from typhoid in late 1888, Hans married Swedish-born Josephine Matilda Ledel, who bore him eight children.
Background
Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen Gammel was born in Grenaa(Grenå), in Region MidtjyllandRegion Midtjylland
Central Denmark Region or Central Jutland Region is an administrative region of Denmark established on January 1, 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which replaced the traditional counties with five larger regions. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger...
, Aarhus County
Aarhus County
Aarhus County or Århus County is a former county in central Denmark on the Jutland peninsula. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when almost all of it merged into Region Midtjylland . A very small portion was merged into Region Nordjylland...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He was the son of Niels Hansen Gammel and
Mittie Marie Brugger. Looking for a better life, he followed his sister to the United States. Gammel and his brother Niels traveled through the western U.S. peddling jewelry and trinkets, looking for a stake in a gold mine. Gammel sent for the family, who eventually caught up with him in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Career
Gammel rented a little place in Austin and he set up a stand. He sold writing paper, bits of jewelry, lemonade, and books. In 1881, the old Texas State CapitolTexas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
burned to the ground. In order to earn a little extra money to help support his growing family, Gammel took the contract to haul away the debris.Gammel gathered papers and charred documents from the debris scattered on the Capitol grounds. He loaded them in a wagon and took them to his home. He and his wife gradually dried the pages on a clotheslines and stored them with their belongings.
Gammel sorted and edited the crinkled papers, then published them beginning in 1898 as the first ten volumes of Gammel’s Laws of Texas, 1822-1897. This work won acclaim and was supplemented by additional volumes after each legislature to bring the set up to date until 1937.
Personal life
Gammel married Anna Marie Andersen in DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
when he was 16. After Anna's death from typhoid in late 1888, Hans married Swedish-born Josephine Matilda Ledel, who bore him eight children.
Selected works
- The Laws of Texas, 1897-1902 Vol 11 - (1902)
- The Laws of Texas, 1903-1905 Vol 12 - (1906)
- The Laws of Texas, 1907 Volume 13 - (1907)
- The Laws of Texas, 1909-1910 Vol 14 - (1910)
- The Laws of Texas, 1911 Volume 15 - (1911)
- The Laws of Texas, 1913-1914 Vol 16 - (1914)
- The Laws of Texas, 1917-1918 Vol 18 - (1918)
- The Laws of Texas, 1919 Volume 19 - (1919)
- The Laws of Texas, 1920-1921 Vol 20 - (1921)
- The Laws of Texas, 1923-1925 Vol 22 - (1925)
- The Laws of Texas, 1925 Volume 23 - (1925)
- The Laws of Texas, 1929-1931 Vol 27 - (1931)
Primary Source
- Bohlender, Dorothy G. and Frances T. McCallum H. P. N. Gammel, Texas Bookman (Waco, Texas: Texian Press. 1985)
- Davis, John L. The Danish Texans (San Antonio: University of Texas. 1979)
External links
- Gammel's Laws of Texas Online at the University of North Texas Libraries' Government Information Connection