 | German Immigrants, among them the “Free Thinkers” who settled the experimental socialistic communes of Castell, Leiningen, Bettina, Schoenburg, Meerholz, Darmstadler Farm
and Tusculum (only Castell survived, others not shown) then Boerne, Sisterdale and Comfort.
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 | Early settlements by shingle makers using Cypress
trees to satisfy the demand by nearby San Antonio for roof shingles.
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 | Alsacian Immigrants, with both French and German heritage. Not shown: The settlement of Quihi founded in 1844, the failed colony of Vandenburg and Hondo, a former Spanish village
that Alsacians first settled permanently.
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Coalson-Pullen Colony: 1870 Indian attack whereby a woman dons men’s clothing and holds
off the Indians single-handedly until her husband returned.
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Outlaws of Pegleg Station – 1878 killing by Rangers of one of a member of a gang who
robbed the US Mail at Pegleg Station; the others were captured and convicted.
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Whorlie Well: 1875 killing and scalping of deputy sheriff here led to shootouts leaving 10
dead sparked by alleged cattle rustling and lawmen’s harsh treatment of the accused in
what’s known as the Mason County War or Hoodoo War.
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Bandera Pass: Indian, Texas Ranger and U.S. Army Route and site of many Indian battles;
most famous: Texas Ranger, Cpt. Jack Hays, and 40 Texas Rangers vs. 100s of Comanche
Indians in 1841.
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Cross mountain and the Easter Fires: Wooden cross erected by Spanish missionaries replaced
in 1849 and then 1946 with a large metal cross; part of hills surrounding Fredericksburg on
which Comanche Indians lit huge signal fires after they signed a major peace treaty with the
whites in 1847; the tradition was carried on by the German settlers in each year of their
peace.
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Battle of Enchanted Rock: Cpt. Jack Hays has shootout in 1841 with Indians from atop
Enchanted Rock.
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Battle of Packsaddle Mountain: In 1873 ranchers routed Indians despite being outnumbered
3-1; last Indian battle of Llano Co.
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Longhorn Caverns: Legends include the rescue of a girl from Indians by Texas Rangers and
outlaw Sam Bass’ hiding place of $2 million. Prehistoric shelter and bones of bison, elephant
and bear found.
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1865 Peyton Colony: Freed slave colony; another freed slave colony existed just north of
Hondo called Mission Valley, started in 1869.
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1840s boundary between Texas Proper and Texas Indian Territory.
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* Note: Just before the 1850s, Texas joined the Union and the U.S. Government took over the fight
with the Indians, erecting forts from a day's ride apart from the Red River to the Rio Grande to
protect settlers, many becoming towns themselves like Mason, Llano and Camp Verde, where they
experimented with the use of camels. As a result of the added protection, many more towns were
founded during the 1850s and are not shown here.
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