SISTERDALE

Sisterdale was originally known as Zink's Settlement for Nicholas Zink, an engineer who had previously laid out the town of New Braunfels for Prince Solm. He saw and fell in love with the valley of the Sister Creeks. In 1847 he built a small log cabin on 1280 acres he purchased. He sold a portion of this to George Frederick Holekamp and the cabin with 58 acres to Dr. Ernst Kapp.

Dr. Kapp established the Kapp Hydropathic Clinic. The many natural mineral springs on the property were used to cure disease. The place is called Badenthal which translates into " natural spring valley."

The second permanent settler in the area was Ottmar von Behr. He built his log home on a bluff overlooking the Guadalupe River. The first post office in the county was in a small room in the Behr home and he had the first library of the county.

These earliest settlers were well-educated intellectuals who had left Germany for political reasons. Their interest in building a good school system reflects their background. When the township was established in 1883 a school lot was platted in the central area of the town.

Source: Kendall County Historical Commission, A History of Kendall County Texas: Rivers, Ranches, Railroads, Recreation, Dallas, Tx., Taylor Publishing Co., 1984.

Return to Home Page