In 1855, Johann Traugott Wandke (1808-1870) emigrated with his wife Christiane (1808-1900) and his two daughters, Karoline (1837-1910) and Christine, from Prussia to La Grange, Texas. A skilled craftsman and organ-maker, Wandke built seven organs in various Lutheran churches in Texas. In 1860, Wandke and his wife moved to Round Top to live with Karoline and her husband, Zöllestin Pochmann (1835-1862). The surname Wandke changed to Wantke, after the family’s emigration to America.
Sources:
The Johann Traugott Wandke Family Papers, 1853-1972, are comprised of eight journals and notebooks written in German, legal and financial records, correspondence, and accompanying translations. In one journal, Wandke describes his 1855 journey from Bremen, Germany, to Galveston, and then to La Grange. One of Wandke’s notebooks contains written music with an alphabetical list of hymns, while another is a manual for building organs that includes calculations and specifications. A third notebook contains magical cures, charms, and incantations. In addition to Wandke’s journals and notebooks, the collection includes Zöllestin Pochmann’s travel journal from 1853 to 1856, and Wandke’s and Pochmann’s deeds for land in Fayette County, Texas, dated March 19, 1863, and October 30, 1860, respectively. The collection also contains genealogical items.
The surname Wandke was originally Wantke.
This collection is open for research use.
Johann Traugott Wandke Family Papers, 1853-1972, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Some material has been separated to the Artifacts Collection.
See also
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s