John Machemehl
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John Machemehl (August 7, 1816 - April 20 1880) [1] was an early German-Texan settler of Austin County, Texas. He was a German member of the Forty-Eighters who immigrated to Texas in 1849. Once in Texas, Mr. Machemehl led his group of early German Texan settlers to the Bellville area of Austin County, Texas during the early 19th Century. [1] [2] [3] It was here in Bellville that the family settled and continued to be a center of social activity among the German-Texan population of Austin County, Texas. [1]
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[edit] Voyage to Texas and the Civil War Years
The Bownds archive states that the Machemehl name first appears in 1316 in property records from Meiben, near Dresden in Saxony. It literally means Maker of Flour, or Miller. The Machemehl family was brought to Texas by John Machemehl and his father Michael Machemehl, both German members of the Forty-Eighters. They led German immigrants to Texas in 1849. Once in Texas, Mr. Machemehl led these early German Texan settlers to the Bellville area of Austin County, Texas. John, university educated, was the forester for the city of Annaberg in Saxony. His wife Henrietta, born in Switzerland, was a French Huguenot who was a governess for the family of a Russian prince of Courland whose estate was on the Baltic. She met John Machemehl in Saxony while traveling with the Russian family. As John’s wife, Henrietta Borel Machemehl (August 10, 1814 - August 23, 1950) [2], accompanied him on the 10 week sailing voyage to Texas. Henrietta died in Texas in 1850. John married two more times, had four more children, and died in 1880. [3] In 1849, John Machemehl led his family from Annaberg, Saxony, to an area near the present day town of Bellville, Texas. [4] John's son Paul Machemehl would become a leader among the German-Texans of Central Texas during the Civil War years.
[edit] German-Texan Household
After settling into Austin County, Henrietta Borel Machemehl died in Texas in 1850. After this, John married two more times, had four more children. John Machemehl died on April 20 in 1880. [1] John's son Paul Machemehl was also a leader among the German-Texans of Central Texas, and his grandson, Louis A. Machemehl, built the Machemehl Family House where the German-Texans of Central Texas continued their social activity. [4] Decendents of John Machemehl also include Charles W. Machemehl, and Chuck Machemehl, a former Cleveland Indians pitcher. [5]
