Book wins Genealogical Society nod as 2023’ s best

BOERNE -- The Genealogical Society of Kendall County has named “Comanches, Captives and Germans” winner of the 2023 Ed Mergele Book Award.

The Ed Mergele Award is given annually to a book that makes a substantial contribution to genealogy or history. The award was presented December 16 during the Genealogical Society’s general meeting held at the Patrick Heath Public Library.

“Comanches, Captives and Germans” is based on the analysis of three old drawings. The authors identified the drawings as Wilhelm Frederich’s work and dated them to approximately 1848.

One drawing depicts Comanches watching an ox-drawn wagon train of German immigrants, and two show the Germans buying the freedom of a captive girl from the Comanches.

Comanches, who were suburb horsemen, built a dominant culture and an economy based on trading horses and slaves. The Germans attempted to maintain peaceful relations with the Indians. Frederich himself may have had a role in the Meusebach Peace Treaty between the early German settlers and the Comanches.

Frederich and Dr. Ferdinand Herff were members of “The Forty,” a group of idealistic young German university students who came to Texas seeking to establish model communities. After their first effort at Bettina failed, Frederich acquired land in what would become the Boerne area. One of the Frederich drawings is on display at the Herff farmhouse.

The authors used their combined knowledge of Comanche culture, German immigration, art, and Hill County history to reveal the many layers of meaning in Frederich’s drawings.

Taking part in the GSKC presentation were authors Christopher J. Wickham, Daniel J. Gelo and Bryden Moon. Author C.B. “Hoppy” Hopkins was not on hand for the recogniton.

Bryden Moon is a prominent local historian; Christopher Wickham is a professor of German and humanities at University of Texas-San Antonio; Daniel J. Gelo is a professor emeritus of anthropology at UTSA, and C.B. “Hoppy” Hopkins is an architectural and cultural historian.

GSKC maintains a genealogical library and research center, which is open to the public, at 114 E. Blanco Road in Boerne.