Friedrich Diercks
Johann Friedrich Ernst, born Christian Friedrich Diercks ( born June 18, 1796 Castle Gödens at Neustadtgödens (now Sande ( Friesland) ), Duchy of Oldenburg); †, Texas, United States was 16 May to 10 July 1848 in Industry, Austin County with his family, the first German settlers in Texas and became the "father of immigrants ".
Family
He was the son of My Dierks († 1800) and Sybille Grimm. But since his escape from Oldenburg (1829 ), he called himself only Friedrich Ernst.
Diercks married on October 25, 1818 in Oldenburg, Louise Gesine Auguste Weber ( born July 30, 1800 Ovelgönne, Duchy of Oldenburg, † 1888 in Industy, Austin County, Texas, USA), the daughter of Jacob Ludwig August Weber and Catharina Friederike Sophie Meyer. The couple had seven children, including the daughter of Caroline Ernst. After the death of her husband (1848 ) Luise married his second wife on February 7, 1849 Constantin Stoehr († 1858 ). Luise Ernst / Stoehr later told a reporter of the newspaper " Texas Post" in Galveston from their lives. These memories were published in 1884 in German in the journal " The German pioneer".
Life
Soon after his father's death (1800), the staff was at the castle Gödens, his mother moved with him to Varel ( Duchy of Oldenburg). Initially, he worked as a simple gardener. However, in February 1814 Diercks entered the Oldenburg Regiment of Duke Peter of Oldenburg and served as a soldier until 1819. As such, he took part at the beginning nor at the Sixth Coalition War against Napoleon Bonaparte. In June 1819 he left the military with the rank of quartermaster and the Duke made him an officer in the ducal post office to Oldenburg.
But ten years later, in September 1829, Diercks had with his wife and 5 children flee (two children had already died ) because he was persecuted by the new Grand Duke August of Oldenburg for embezzlement of a large sum of money. From now on he called himself only Friedrich Ernst.
The Ernst family fled via Bremen, Osnabrück and Münster to Brussels ( Belgium) and mounted in Le Havre ( France) a sailing ship to New York, where she arrived the end of the year.
For the first time they came in New York in a boarding house, where they met the Germans Charles Fordtran. Ernst and Fordtran became friends and decided to go together to Missouri. But on the ship to New Orleans, they read a brochure about the excellent conditions and the allocation of land to the west of the colony of a certain Stephen F. Austin in Texas (now Austin County), immediately changed their plan and got into New Orleans on the schooner " Saltillo " to Harrisburg (Texas ) to. They reached Texas as the first German settlers on 9 March 1831st
On April 16, 1831 Ernst took in Austin's Colony, a 1,600 -acre piece of land on the west bank of a tributary of Mill Creek in possession, about 50 kilometers northwest of San Felipe ( Texas), and Charles Fordtran was his neighbor.
In February 1832 Ernst wrote a long letter to a friend in the German home in which he glorified the living conditions in Texas and Texas as it were imagined as a paradise on earth, even though he and his wife and five children, only in a hut with a thatched roof, no windows or doors lived. After his forced flight to the contrary would have been a shame. But this letter Ernst solved unconsciously and unintentionally an emigration wave in northern Germany from: The letter was there widespread, even in some newspapers and in 1834 published as a booklet and encouraged as other emigrants mainly from the Duchy of Oldenburg, from Holstein and Westphalia - whether from economic or political reasons (see " thirties " ) - to emigrate to Texas.
In the aftermath Ernst was the true benefactor of his people: He introduced the newcomers to his house available, entertained them and supported them, as far as he could, even financially. The result was his nickname "Father of immigrants ". Robert Justus Kleberg and also Albrecht von Roeder and their families were among his first guests. In later years, Ernst served as Justice of the Peace of Austin County.
In 1838 he sold his shares land ownership to new immigrants. From this growing settlement gradually developed the place Industry (Texas ), the first German city in Texas. The Austin County became the origin of the relatively closed German settlement area ( German Belt) in Texas. Former neighbors in Germany were often in Texas again neighbors, so that German language, customs and traditions are still maintained.
Ernst was active over the years in various fields: He planted fruit trees, built and established tobacco cigars, which he sold in San Felipe ( Texas), Houston and Galveston (Texas ). The evolving cigar industry was his home later named " Industry". Ernst drew the weather data (precipitation and temperatures) on his farm. He founded in 1841 the inhabitants of Industry and Catspring (Texas ) the German " Teutonia " medal. He interceded with the Texas Congress for the promotion of German immigration.
The Texan president Mirabeau B. Lamar (1798-1859) wanted to send him as ambassador to the Netherlands even once. But Ernst died in 1848 at the age of 52 years.