A Guide to the Von Rosenberg Family Papers, 1871-1964

Biographical Note

Ernst von Rosenberg (1852-1915), longstanding draftsman and chief draftsman at the Texas General Land Office, was born in 1852 near Round Top, Texas to Carl Wilhelm and Auguste von Rosenberg. Ernst’s father, Carl Wilhelm (William) von Rosenberg (1821–1901), was also a chief draftsman at the Texas General Land Office and an emigrant with the Adelsverein. The family moved to Austin in 1856, when Ernst was three years old. Public education options were limited in Austin, but Ernst von Rosenberg was self-educated and, following in his father’s footsteps, he was appointed draftsman of the General Land Office in 1876. He was appointed chief draftsman in 1913. With the exception of a two-year period from 1891 to 1893, Ernst von Rosenberg was a draftsman at the Texas General Land Office for thirty-seven years, from 1876 until the time of his death in 1915.

In 1879 von Rosenberg married Helene Lungkwitz, daughter of Texas landscape artist Herman Lungkwitz. Ernst and Helene had eight children, two of whom, Ernest Jacob von Rosenberg and Herman Ursini von Rosenberg, continued the family tradition by pursuing careers at the General Land Office. Ernst von Rosenberg was actively involved in the Austin community throughout his life. As a young man he served in the Travis Rifles, a volunteer infantry company. He was a long-time member of the Austin Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 and served as its secretary-treasurer for forty years; he also served on the board of the Friends in Need Society, an early fraternal benefit society and insurance organization for whites. Von Rosenberg also served as Alderman on the Austin city council.

Carl Wilhelm (William) von Rosenberg (1821–1901) and Auguste von Rosenberg had eleven children in all, including Ernst, Paul, William, Jr., Frederick, Laura, and Emma. Ernest Jacob von Rosenberg (1889-1975), draftsman, was born to Ernst and Helene von Rosenberg in Austin and worked as an engineer at the Reclamation Department, the Texas General Land Office, and at the Texas Highway Department.

Sources

• Von Rosenberg Family. Web. 09 Jan. 2012. http://vonrosenbergfamily.com.
• Von Rosenberg Family Papers (AR.112.VRF). Archives and Records, Texas General Land Office.

Scope and Contents of the Records

Correspondence, land records, financial documents, records of fraternal organizations, and family papers document the business and some personal affairs of Ernst von Rosenberg, as well as land ownership and some personal affairs of family members, including sons Ernest Jacob and Paul von Rosenberg, mother Auguste von Rosenberg, and Charles von Rosenberg. Ernst’s personal land interests are well documented from 1896-1915 through business correspondence, many with his land agent George Myers. More information about family land holdings, in particular lands on the Walker Wilson, J.G. McGehee, Cocke, and Crawford surveys, is found in Land Papers in the Family Papers sub-group. Documentation of Ernst’s employment at the Texas General Land Office is limited to his applications for employment as draftsman in 1899 and chief draftsman in 1903, a printed circular demanding an increase in draftsmen’s salaries, and a paystub for the special project he worked on to determine the extent of vacant public land in 1899. Letters of reference written to Land Commissioner John James Terrell (1857-1920, Land Commissioner 1903-1909) from associates across Texas supporting Ernst’s employment at the land office show his wide and varied support and associations; correspondents of note include George Littlefield, George Myers, and O. W. Williams. The Financial Documents include tax receipts and other household invoices, and illuminate aspects of the Von Rosenberg household as well as local government and businesses in Austin in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Family papers are few and limited to birth and professional certificates of Ernest J. von Rosenberg. Family members are also mentioned in Ernst’s land business and GLO-related correspondence, in the tax receipts, and especially in the Land Papers series mentioned above.

Some insight into Ernst von Rosenberg’s civic life is provided in the Fraternal Organizations papers. The bulk of this series is from the Friends in Need Society. The correspondence, addressed to G. A. Wheatley, the Secretary of the organization, is from members requesting benefits. Also included is limited documentation of the Select Knights of Texas, the Austin Hook & Ladder Fire Co. No. 1, and the Ancient Order United Workmen of Texas. Ernst’s interest in local politics and his opinions about development in the City of Austin and the fire company’s involvement in political elections are shown in the notes and clippings.

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access note

Unrestricted access.

Use restrictions

Materials may be under copyright protection. US copyright law does allow for reproduction of materials under copyright for uses such as critique, criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Von Rosenberg Family Papers (AR.112.VRF). Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Sandra Schenck Baggett, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Virginia A. Lane, 2011.

Processing Information

This collection processed by Laurel Atkins, August 2011. Finding aid updated by Lauren Goodley, November 2011.

Detailed Description of the Collection