urn:taro:utexas.cah.01451 A Guide to the Oscar Haas Papers, 1844-1955 Original EAD encoding by Jessi Fishman according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. April 2010 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Haas, Oscar Haas, Oscar Papers 1844-1955 Materials are written in English. 62-18; 62-22; 62-26; 62-59; 63-22; 63-34; 63-75; 63-76; 63-126 7 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Correspondence, military records, business records, newspaper clippings, photographs, church history, singing-society history, biographical sketches, brochures, pamphlets, and booklets of Oscar Haas, historical and newspaper correspondent for the New Braunfels Herald. Biographical Sketch

Oscar Haas (1885-1981) was an historian of New Braunfels and Comal County and a descendent of German New Braunfels settlers. Haas married Clara Amelia Conring in June 1918, and they eventually started working together translating and annotating German materials. Early in his adult life, Haas was employed as a men's-wear salesman. In 1934 he was elected Comal county treasurer, a position he held for twenty-eight years. As a hobby, Haas began to collect and translate material on old New Braunfels and Comal County and its citizens, specifically relating to the German settlement of that area, and eventually he began writing for publication, in the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung and the New Braunfels Herald.

In 1961 Haas and his wife began writing a weekly history series, Comal County in the Civil War, and one year later Haas retired from his office as country treasurer in order to work on his History of New Braunfels and Comal County, Texas, 1844–1946,which was published in 1968. His other well known published works include Chronological History of the Singers of German Songs in Texas (1948), The First Protestant Church, Its History and Its People: 1845–1955 (1955), and a translation of the Civil War diary of Capt. Julius Giesecke of New Braunfels.

Oscar Haas was the recipient of many awards for historical writing as well as community service. Additionally, he belonged to a number of German singing societies and he was also a collector of Indian artifacts. Haas died in Boerne, Texas, in 1981.

Source: Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Haas, Oscar, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/HH/fhadj.html (accessed May 19, 2010).

 Scope and Contents

The Oscar Haas Papers, 1844-1955, contain correspondence, military records, business records, newspaper clippings, photographs, church history, singing-society history, biographical sketches, brochures, pamphlets, and booklets. The papers concern the New Braunfels area during the Civil War; translation of the Carl H. Guenther papers; Joseph Faust and Henry Steele letters; German political resolutions, 1854; Joseph Faust's experience on the march from Texas to Camp Dona Ana, New Mexico Territory, 1862; and a description of a battle with the Civil War cannon boat Harriet Lane. Additionally, they relate to singers leagues and singing societies, such as Saengerfest, and include a church history and church council notes.

 Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Haas, Oscar, b. 1885--Archives. Haas family Guenther, Carl Hilmar, 1826-1902 Subjects (Organizations) Comal County Singers League--Texas Subjects Choral societies--Germany--Texas Church history--United States Religion--United States Places Baton Rouge (La.) New Orleans (La.) Austin (Tex.) San Antonio (Tex.) United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 New Braunfels (Tex.)--Church history Comal County (Tex.)--History Preferred Citation

Oscar Haas Papers, 1844-1955, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 2N269 Haas family papers 2N269 C. H. Guenther papers 2N269 Newspaper clippings 2N269 Military records 2N269 Joseph Faust, Hermann Seele letters, 1861-1864 2N269 Robert Bechem items 2N269 German political resolutions, 1854 2N404 History of the Singers League in Texas, 1850-1948 2N404 Church council 2N404 Church history 2N404 Church pastors 2N404 Comal County Singers League 2N404 50th Saengerfest 2N404 18th Saengerfest 2N404 100th Saengerfest