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History in
a Pecan Shell
Father Joseph R.
Reisdorff and Hugo Herchenbach are credited with settling the community
in 1895. These men formed a German Catholic colony with the cooperation
of J. C. League who donated 12,000 which was named for the Rhineland
region in Germany.
It was officially established in February 1895, but despite an aggressive
newspaper ad campaign, the town got off to a slow start. It wasn't
until 1899 when a schoolhouse was first built - and a more substantial
brick building was built in 1926, providing schooling through high
school.
The population was a mere 75 people in 1950 although it had increased
to nearly 200 by 1980. The Rhineland post office closed and the school
merged with those in nearby Munday.
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Rhineland,
Texas Forum
Subject:
Oldest resident of Rhineland
My grandma, Rose Decker Birkenfeld was born in 1909 at Rhineland,
Texas. She raised 8 children (Alber Leslie, Bryan, Clarence, Joe
Lynn, John Ronald, Carol, Stephane, Vernie) When she was 60 years
old, after the loss of one of her sons and husband she took in 2
grandkids (Kirsten and Bridget) to raise them as her own. She quilted
and painted some, but her heart was in cooking. She lived in her
Nazareth
home until the ripe age of 95 1/2. She then moved into a nursing
home. In 1997 she became the oldest resident of Nazareth.
Being 97 is no shock to the Decker family. Her oldest brother lived
in Rhineland until he was 106 years. They mentioned at Rhineland's
100th year anniversary that Joe Decker was older than the town.
Rose's brother Frank lived in Alberqueque until he was 96, her sister,
Annie, lived in Oklahoma until she was 92, and her oldest sister,
Mary, lived to be 96. Thank you. - Bridget Birkenfeld, March 19,
2006
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Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
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