If you have ever played the 9th hole at Cordillera Ranch, you’ve seen the rustic little homestead located right behind the ladies tee box.  Little did they know when these early settlers built the home that it would someday be looking down the lush fairway of a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.  As this community has developed, great care has been taken to preserve its historical character as illustrated by the careful routing around this home.

Cordillera’s own Janice Brazil researched the history of this home and the family that built it to bring a little more background to the unique historical landmark that reminds us of those that enjoyed this beautiful area before us.

This was once the home of Carl and Sophia Georg and their family. Born in Prussia in March 1827, Phillip Carl Georg (called Carl), arrived in Texas in 1851 at the age of 24.  He originally resided in New Braunfels and married Sophia Elizabeth Georg on March 21, 1852. According to Carl’s great granddaughter Gloria Georg Schrempp Obst, he hauled freight from Indianola, Texas to San Antonio, New Braunfels and Fredricksburg in ox driven carts. The trip took six months and Carl was one of two masters who split the year in two hauling the freight. While living in New Braunfels, Carl was also one of the early settlers who helped establish Landa Park. He petitioned to become a citizen in the fall of 1857.

By the 1860 census Carl and Sophia had four sons, Rudolph, Edward, Hermann and Moritz. They were living in New Braunfels in Comal County where Carl registered to vote in 1867. But by the time of the 1870 census they are found in precinct one

Their post office was Boerne. Moritz must have died but two more sons, Julius and Charles had been born.

Carl purchased 360 acres of land from C.H. Bergstrom. He added 60 more acres purchased from W. Gilmore and 128 acres of an original grant. They built their home in 1872 which is now known as the Georg House.

Carl and Sophia lost several children during their marriage, and Sophia also passed away sometime before 1880. Their remaining sons, with the exception of one, Louis, married and moved away to start families of their own.

Louis and his family remained to help his father run the farm. Louis died at age thirty-two in 1894 and Carl died sometime after 1900. Sophia, Carl, their twin daughters, Louis, as well as three children of their son Rudoph, are buried in the family cemetery. What little remains of the cemetery is located off the 8th green of the golf course.

After Carl’s death, the family sold the property to Edwin, Walter and Henry Mertz.

Sources:
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 U.S. Censuses
“Gone But Not Forgotten, Vol. I”; p63/ Catharine Schwarz / /printed June 1997; marriage record of Carl and Sophia Georg. Tax records for the years 1880-1890 Naturalization record of Philip Carl Georg “Georg Family” by Gloria Schrempp Obst