Spring Branch, Comal County
Julius August Hermann Bremer (1848-1894) was an early settler on land that is now part of the Mystic Shores neighborhood. He was born in Comal County to German immigrants who, in 1845, were among the Adelsverein’s first founders of New Braunfels. In 1867, at age 19, Julius claimed his land grant of 160 acres near Cranes Mill. The following year, he married German immigrant Emma Amalie Foerster (1850-1923). Between 1869 and 1892, they had nine children; eight survived. The family built a two-story stone house, located at this site. They raised livestock, farmed and provided butcher and dairy services. The Bremers expanded their land holdings to 1,069 acres. Five family members were buried in a family cemetery near this site. In 1882, Julius deeded 5.4 acres of land west of his home for a school and served as a school trustee. The one-room Rebecca Creek School, built of wood, opened that same year. Students walked or rode horses or mules from both sides of the Guadalupe River to attend first through eighth grades. Albert Wunderlich (1853-1889) served as the first teacher from 1882 to 1888, living in the log teacherage. His maternal grandfather, Joachim Pantermuehl, founded the Rebecca Creek settlement in 1854. After nearly 60 years in operation, the school closed in 1941. In 2002, the Comal Independent School District honored the 1882 school’s contributions and heritage by naming a new Rebecca Creek Elementary School nearby. (2020)