This is a transcription of papers written by George Henry Feuerbacher, son of Paul Frank Feuerbacher, son of Alwin F Feuerbacher & Emma Hernsdorf. According to George's son David G Feuerbacher, George made these notes based on his memories of what his father (Paul) and grandfather (Alwin) told him of the family history. The original pages were obtained from David G Feuerbacher. Transcribed by Kaye Wykoff, June 2016. Transcriber's notations and/or comments & corrections in brackets [ ].
Last updated: 2023-03-24


Page 1
9-9-46
Father [Alwin] 1845-1925
Powl [Paul-oldest son] 6/27/1871-1956

P's father
Alvin Frederic was born in Dresden [2022: discovered birth was in Laubegast near Dresden] in 1846 to a middle class family. He received a ---?--- school education, which was the equivalent of about two years in college. He could speak & read and write in English as well as German. Was also able to read and write Spanish and French. At 16 he was apprenticed to the owner of a cabinet shop. His seventh apprenticed year, his “Wander Jar” [should be, Jahr, meaning year], he spent wandering around Germany. Wherever he went he was welcomed by local cabinet makers showing his “master cabinet maker's” card, which he'd received at the end of his six years service, and he was bedded & boarded for 3 days or given a job if he desired to stay longer.

From the time of Alvin's birth Germany was in a state of foment. Inspired by or as a result of the French Revolution attempts were made to establish a German parliament: 1848 anarchy in Berlin, Louis I of Bavaria abdicated to son, war with Denmark. In 1850 Prussia was granted a constitution. 1864-2nd war with Denmark. 1866 Prussia & Austria @ war. Dresden occupied 6-18. Pruss wins @ Sadowa. 1867 constitution adopted. Universal military service. 7-19-70 [1870] war with France.

In 1870 [between 18 Aug 1869 and September 1870] Al. (Alwin) married Emma Hernsdorf in Dresden [probably]. June 27 1871 P. [Paul] was born. Shortly after that Al. was made stage carpenter of the large Vienna theater [In 2022, it was discovered that this was not Vienna, but Pilsen, Bohemia, now Cezch Republic] and took his family there. They moved into a large apartment house. Across the hall was a French speaking family with a boy of P's age. P. soon learned some French & the other boy some German [rest of sentence barely legible-paper stained]. [Current records (found in 2022) show they were in Pilsen by 10 Feb 1875. By April 13 they are found in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) records. They were probably in Karlovy Vary until 1882, just before he left for America. The 1882 year is based on the given birthplace of the children thru Hugo, with Anna the only one saying she was born in Meissen]

Soon after he was born P. feet [illegible] by a mass of deep sores.

P's maternal grandma the who was a regular visitor was for some reason treated as a great lady by his parents, but not by him. The reason To them she was addressed by the formal “si” [sie]. He addressed her as “du” Grossmuter” [the informal address]. Probably her indulgence resulted from his crippled foot condition. Shortly after he was born his feet became a mass of deep sores. Until he was past 4 years old he was unable to walk & had to get around on all fours. His grandmother saw another old lady gathering walnut leaves in the park. She learned that these leaves were to make a medicine for ---?--- sores. When she brought the lady to P's house the old lady proceeded to gather up the collection of P's medicines and threw them in the trash. She gave his mother some of the walnut leaves & told her to brew a tea of them with which she was to soak the boy's feet there several times a day. In less than a month his feet were well & he was walking.

Note from KW: The above represents 4 pages of handwritten notes. I've transcribed the notes exactly as written, with the original punctuation and grammar. I fact checked the historical dates and events mentioned in the narrative and they all have proven to be correct: revolutions throughout Europe broke out in 1848-49 including in Berlin in March 1848 won by the anarchists, King Ludwig I abdicated to his son, in June of 1848, the Danes were the victors in a civil war with Germany, the Constitution of Prussia was adopted on 31 Jan 1850, there was a 2nd war with Denmark called 2nd Schleswig War, the Seven Weeks War between Austria & Prussia was in 1866, Prussia occupied Dresden on July 7, 1866, Prussia defeated Austria at the Battle of Sadowa on July 3, 1866, the North German Constitution was adopted on April 16, 1867, the Franco-Prussian War was also known as the War of 1870. Transcriber's note: Pilsen and Karlovy Vary were located in the district of Karlovy Vary in the state of Bohemia in the German Empire


Page 2
Powl
Pop's Biography [Paul Frank Feuerbacher]
1845 Pop's father, Alvin, 3rd son of a baker born [actually 1846] (Austria)?
1858 A bright comet appears. As this was its first appearance since just before the coming of Christ, & It also had three tails. It was taken as a sign of great moment. The father sold his bakery & took his family upon a mountaintop to await the end of the world. The comet disappeared after several weeks and the family, along with others, came down off the mountain to take up their lives again. Of course, the bakery was lost. (Donati's 1858 comet-2000 year period)
1861 Alvin apprenticed to a cabinet maker for 7 years. The seventh was the “wander jahr” & Alvin saw a lot of Germany then. Germany was in a state of foment. Prussia steered by Bismark loomed larger & larger on the German horizon. In fact, it was becoming most important to all of Europe.
1870 Alvin married Emma Hermsdorf [Hernsdorf] in Dreden [Dresden]. His father & one brother died of “the plague”. The other bro was killed in the war with France. [1869-1870]
1871 Paul was born 6-26
1871-75 Paul unable to walk because of great sores on his feet. P. is angel in theater where Alvin was a stage carpenter (Vienna's largest theater)
1875 P. has smallpox
1876 Alvin has trouble with authorities because he was a Socialist party local secretary
1877 Alvin moves family to Salsburg, Austria [no proof of living in Salzburg has been found. Proof is available that they were in Pilsen, Bohemia by 1873 and in Karlovy Vary by 1875]
---?--- P. enters school. Has a brutal school master
1881 Alvin saves money to go to U.S. Makes friends with a preacher who is to be sent as a missionary to German East Africa
1883 Alvin takes ship to U.S. Preacher friend (destined for Ger. E Africa) still waiting. Al told his boss that he was going. Alvin lands in Baltimore. Walks to St. Louis. Gets no help from uncle who owns Green Tree brewery. Gets job on levee repair gang. His money stolen from letters home. Family nearly starves in Dresden. Preacher brings church aid. Al's mother had told him when he left that he might see God in the new land [however records found in 2022 show that his mother died inn 1873]. He never did knuckle to church. Alvin works way down Mississippi to New Orleans. Meets another uncle. Learns of building of Texas capitol. Takes train to Austin. Gets job in planing mill.
1885 Saves & sends for family. Feb. 14, [1886] arrives Austin. Rents house on W 5th. Then in own house 1700 Salina. Ed born Dec 12 1885 [should be 1886]. P., Otto, & Frank to Bickler school. P. completes 7th grade.
1887 P. apprenticed to C.J. Armstrong. Night classes under him.
1889 P. & Otto to Mexico. Horseback? Temp Texas Cap. Burns
1891 Al. & family to Dripping Springs. Have hard time
1892 P. & Otto ret. The [they?] swim to the island. The pet ratter snake. P. courts
1892 Mex girl. P. has “Yellow Jack”. Boys return no richer
1893 Fam moves to Oak Hill. P. & Otto to Cherokee Strip v--- Arkansas with “Tuck”. The churn soldering. “Down the road about a mile.” Race for the strip. The Court House lots. Otto returns to Austin. P.'s inventions-R.R ---?--- & steel tie. Meets Mary Watts from Nebraska. [can't read last part because corner is folded up]

[I've fact checked the timeline events and names when possible: Yellow fever was often known as “Yellow Jack”; Donati's is a comet seen last in 1858 and not due to reappear until the 4th millennium; German E Africa was ceded to Norway after WWI; the Green Tree Brewery was founded in 1865 and Max Feuerbacher (of St. Louis) became a partner a little later; there was a Fabacher family in New Orleans but not Feuerbacher-it's been proven that the Fabacher family is not related; Bickler was a school in east Austin. There is another timeline, which is typed, begining in 1922 and is obviously a timeline of happenings in the family of Paul Frank Feuerbacher, first child of Alwin & Emma. This 2nd timeline is not yet included in this transcription.]

Page 3

[Note from KW: The following is a separate, half page hand written paragraph that is not a continuation of any of the other pages. There were anti socialist laws passed in Germany in 1878 and extended 4 times in 1880, 1884, 1886 and 1888. These laws were among the most repressive of Bismarck's attempt to curtail the growth of German Social Democracy. I'm not sure who wrote this paragraph or when, but probably by George.]

Alvin's family increased in size his income not at all. Also, he was be[ing] harassed for his political beliefs. Laws were passed against the Socialists. He began to think of America. America, the country of free people and even free land. He wrote to an uncle in St. Louis and to another in New Orleans. He never received an answer to any of his letters. He began saving for his fare to the new country. He met a preacher who was slated to go on a missionary to German East Africa. This cleric evidently thought that knowing something of the use of woodworking tools ………..