Born in Mereklingen, Germany, Christian Friedrich Duerr (1815-1873), a merchant by profession, emigrated to the United States in 1833. In 1840, he married Mary Standley Dell (1822-1878) in Alachua County, Florida. The couple had at least two daughters, Mary Agnes (b. 1841), and Alice. Duerr moved to Houston, Texas, around 1841, and eventually relocated to Clear Creek. He died in Hockley and is buried in Rose Hill alongside his wife.
Source:
Redman, Steven Harn.
The Christian Friedrich Duerr Papers, 1832-1844, consist of two volumes of typescripts of Duerr’s papers written between 1832 and 1844. The first volume containing a typescript of his journal written between 1832 and 1833, documents his emigration from Stuttgart, Germany, to Baltimore, Maryland. Written in German, the journal contains excerpts of poems, a description of his boat journey, and his impressions of America. The second volume, written in English between 1839 and 1844, consists of copies of letters, journal entries, and a deed of trust. The latter includes business and personal correspondence as well as descriptions of travel between Suwanne, Florida, and Houston, Texas. Additionally, Duerr mentions encounters with Sam Houston and the political atmosphere following the Texas Revolution.
This collection is open for research use.
Christian Friedrich Duerr Papers, 1832-1844, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
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