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New Bielau Community Center Being Roofed
1955 photo courtesy Nesbitt Memorial
Library, Columbus,
Texas |
History
in a Pecan ShellPrior
to the Civil War, German farming families established in Industry,
Texas (Austin County) made the 50 mile trip south to settle across the Colorado
River just south of Weimar. Bolstered
by freshly arrived immigrants in the 1870s, the community named itself after Bielau,
Germany just as Weimar, New
Berlin, Westphialia,
and other German-Texas settlements had named themselves after prosperous Germany
cities and regional centers.
A school was in operation in the 1870s and
a Methodist church was built in 1879. A second church building (Trinity Evangelical)
was completed in 1888. The community's proximity to Weimar
prevented its growth; but it maintained a distinct and separate identity and supported
a general store. New Beilau never developed a town center since its residents
were spread across the landscape. The New Bielau school merged with Weimar
schools in the late 40s.
Anglo-Texan settlers maintained a separate nearby
community named Content. Churches and school were
shared by both communities and both are still served by the Trinity Church.
Photographer's
Note:
Subject:
Visiting New Bielau and Content
These
are photos of 2 communities united. Only a mile or so apart they seemed to be
joined in many ways. These communities were located about 4 miles south of Weimar
in Colorado County and centered close to the intersection of FM155 & FM2144. -
William
Beauchamp |
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Colorado County Historic School Site plaque
Photo courtesy William
Beauchamp, December 2009 |
Trinity
Evangelical Lutheran Church
in
Content and New Bielau |
Historical
Marker TextTrinity
Evangelical Lutheran ChurchThe
Rev. G. Geiger organized this congregation on June 2, 1886, with a membership
of six families. The church serves two communities, Content
and New Bielau, located within one mile of each other. In 1888 the members constructed
this church building on a three-acre tract of land they purchased two years later.
A cemetery adjoins the frame structure. In 1896 a bell, named "Concordia," was
placed in the steeple. A balcony and Sunday School rooms were added to the building
in 1914. | |
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