Ahrenbeck-Urban Home
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Raven
N 30° 05.617 W 096° 04.947
14R E 781187 N 3332750
A plaque and medallion by a private residence in downtown Hempstead, Waller county; its original owner was one of the city's mayors during the Reconstruction Era (along with his brother).
Waymark Code: WMNAV9
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/02/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
Views: 3

Some brief annotations on William Ahrenbeck, the residence's original owner, per his own and his brother's Find A Grave webpages:

Wilhelm (William) Ahrenbeck was born on Aug. 13, 1828, in Hanover, Germany to Heinrich Friederich 'Bernhard' Ahrenbeck and Wilhelmina Martens Ahrenbeck. William had at least one older brother, Daniel (born in 1822), which he remained in close contact for his entire life: both as business partners and later on as civil servants (as well as town mayor/alderman during the post-war Reconstruction Period, per a copy of the local Texas Countryman newspaper).

The Ahrenbeck Family arrived in Galveston, Texas on 28 Nov 1847, on a ship called the "Barque Franziska". They originally settled in the Spring Branch section of Houston, and were founding members of St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church. William eventually settled in Hempstead, Texas, along with his brothers Daniel and Johannes 'Christian', as well as sister, Minnie Ahrenbeck Hauser. Another brother, John Bernhard Ahrenbeck, settled in Waco, Texas.

Per a person who once personally knew the Ahrenbeck brothers: (visit link)

"[...] In Hempstead, I got acquainted with the Ahrenbeck family. They were building a cotton seed oil mill, then the first one in the state. Will Ahrenbeck, a brother, before the war had large blacksmith shop and wagon shop in town. During the war the Confederacy leased the plant and made wagons for the army. At the end of the war the Confederate states owed him a lot of money in promises to pay signed by General Mc Gruder. All was lost when the south lost and the Ahrenbeck brothers had to start from the beginning. D. Ahrenbeck had a corn mill and a small flour mill and cotton gin in connection. W. Ahrenbeck had been in the mercantile business but had lost out. He had a little left so he got Daniel to go in with him again and decided to go in the plow and wagon business again. While they were putting up the building a salesman happened in; and when he saw a large pile of cotton seed in the yard going to waste, he told them they made oil out of that in New Orleans. He knew a Mr. Callahan of Dayton Ohio who was making machinery for oil mills. He gave them the address. They wrote to him and later got acquainted with him. He was a jolly Irishman. They told him of the financial conditions after the war. He was liberal and sold them the machinery mostly on credit. I was anxious to see the oil going so I made myself useful wherever I could and was only anxious to please, especially Daniel and his daughter Minnie. I could not keep her out of my mind.

When the first oil was made, W. Ahrenbeck was running the press. Later we had seven, in fact 14, according to the capacity of the first. As we put in double mats, making two cakes instead of one. The arrangement for pumping the oil in large tanks was not finished, so I was employed for that day to dip the oil out of a small tank into a barrel with a dipper. When the barrel was full, I was told by W. Ahrenbeck to go tell John Tuffy, old citizen of Hempstead, to come and bring his spoon, that the barrel of oil was ready for him. He had promised to eat all the oil they could get out of seed. He came but no spoon. One half of Hempstead came to see the show. This was 1870. [...]"

The Ahrenbeck brothers apparently also ran their own personal business chits, as can be attested by the following digital copy: (visit link)
Marker Number: 9373

Marker Text:
This two-story galleried Greek Revival residence was built about 1872 by German native William Ahrenbeck (1828-1888). A prominent area civic leader and builder, he also served as postmaster and mayor of Hempstead. His daughter Ella Justine Ahrenbeck (1866-1949) lived here following his death. In 1917 she sold the property to businessman R. R. Urban (1873-1930). Additions to the home, which remained in his family until 1965, were built during his ownership. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980


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