Schumansville, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Schumansville, Texas
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 Schumansville, Texas
Location in Texas
Schumansville, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Guadalupe |
| Elevation | 630 ft (190 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 830 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1384865 |
Schumansville is a special place in Guadalupe County, Texas, USA. It's a historic community where German settlers made their homes a long time ago. Even today, it's a small area that doesn't have its own city government.
Contents
A Look Back: Schumansville's History
Early German Settlers Arrive
German families first came to this area in the 1840s. They were looking for new homes and opportunities. Schumansville got its name from August Wilhelm Schumann, who was one of the first people to own land and settle here.
The community is located right by the Guadalupe River. This river is in the western part of Guadalupe County. The land where Schumansville now stands was first surveyed by Ignatius S. Johnson. In 1846, the President of Texas, Anson Jones, officially granted the land to Mr. Johnson. It was a large piece of land, about 18 "labors" in size, which was a way to measure land back then.
Building a New Life in Texas
August Wilhelm Schumann (1791-1858) traveled all the way from Kothen, West Prussia, which is now part of Germany. He arrived in Texas with his family in 1846. He bought a huge amount of land, over 3,000 acres, from Ignatius S. Johnson.
A few months later, a group of immigrants from West Prussia arrived by wagon train. Mr. Schumann agreed to sell them parts of his land near the Guadalupe River. About 350 acres were divided into 15 long strips of land, each about a mile long. The new settlers built their houses about 200 feet apart. They also built a shared fence around their properties. This fence helped protect their crops from local animals.
Challenges and Community Spirit
Life was not always easy for the early settlers. It was hard to cross the river to get to Seguin, Texas, which was the county seat. The county seat is where the main government offices are located. Because of this difficult journey, the settlers asked the Texas Legislature in 1849 to change the county lines. They wanted their German community to be part of Comal County, where other German families lived.
However, their request was not approved. They remained part of Guadalupe County. So, in September 1850, they made the trip to Seguin to officially register their land deeds.
Education and Growth
Education was very important to the people of Schumansville. In 1851, they built a school for the community's children. Some people from Schumansville even crossed to the east side of the Guadalupe River. In 1860, they helped start a new town called Geronimo, Texas.
By 1904, the school system in Schumansville had grown. There were two schools, each with one teacher, serving 49 students. A post office was also built and operated from 1904 to 1906. The number of people living in Schumansville went down in 1933. But after World War II, the population doubled. It has continued to grow steadily ever since.
The Schumannsville Cemetery
The Schumannsville Cemetery is located about one and a half miles north of the original settlement. It's on a part of August Schumann's land. The first person buried there was the schoolteacher, Carl Blumberg, who passed away from yellow fever in 1853. The second burial was the founder himself, August Schumann, who died in 1858. This cemetery is about 2.75 acres in size. It is the resting place for at least 31 of the original German immigrants from Prussia. Their gravestones still have their German writing.
Where is Schumansville?
Schumansville is located about 34 miles (55 km) northeast of downtown San Antonio. It is also about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Austin. You can find Schumansville off FM 725. It's about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Seguin, in the western part of Guadalupe County.
Remembering the Past: Schumansville's Legacy
In 1986, a special marker was placed near the Schumansville cemetery. This marker is called a Texas Sesquicentennial marker. It was put there to honor the long and important history of this area. A sesquicentennial celebrates 150 years of something special!
