Archives: Tours
Arriving in Texas in the mid 1840s, German farmers became the first settlers of what is now known as Gruene, Texas. Ernst Gruene, a German immigrant, and his bride Antoinette, had reached the newly established city of New Braunfels in 1845, but acreage was scarce. Thus, Ernst and his two sons purchased land just down […]
During the early days of Texas history, the current site of the historic Gruene Bridge was the best option for a low-water crossing within 100 miles in either direction. The ford became a popular crossing point, utilized by wagon trains, cattle drivers and stagecoaches following the El Camino Real de los Tejas trail during westward expansion. Despite this easy access, the […]
1299 Gruene Road – The building which currently houses Cantina del Rio was not originally constructed in Gruene. It was built in the early 1900s in Martindale, Texas, and was relocated to its current riverside vantage, overlooking the Historic Gruene Bridge, in 1983.
Above Gruene Hall In the early 1900s, it became evident that the burgeoning town of Gruene needed a standing supply of water for industry and irrigation. The original tower was built of cypress and served the locals well until it was destroyed by fire in 1922. The same fire also destroyed the nearby cotton gin, which was the center of the […]
1287 Gruene Road This historic building went up in 1878, in order to save local cotton farmers from the pain-staking task of separating seeds out of their bales. This steampowered technological wonder was kept in motion by water from the Guadalupe River and provided reliable jobs those not already employed in the farm fields. The efficiency of the gin was a boon […]
1601 Hunter Road Henry D. Gruene (1850-1920) was a visionary merchant who helped bring about the prosperity and notoriety of this historic town. It was on this spot in 1878 that he chose to begin his mercantile business, having come back to the town of Goodwin after a stint selling goods in nearby Wimberley, Texas. The current structure was built in 1904, […]
1629 Hunter Road By 1914, automobiles were replacing horses on the dusty roads of Texas. In order to facilitate these thirsty new contraptions, the Gruene Brothers opened a garage on this spot. When the boll weevil plague killed the local cotton industry and left Gruene as a ghost town, this and many buildings lay dormant and rotting. In the 1970s, a San […]
1640 Hunter Road This southern-style home was a wedding gift for H.D.’s daughter, Paula Gruene, when she wed Fritz hamper, Jr. in December of 1886. The lovely home was resultantly known as “The Hampe House” for decades to come. It now houses the Black Swan Antique Store.
1632 Hunter Road This beautiful Victorian, restored in 2008 by the current owners, Beth Fuselier and Oscar Duenas, was constructed as a wedding gift in 1897. H.D. Gruene bestowed the building and property to his daughter, Ella, on the advent of her marriage, and it went on to be known as the Ella Ogletree House. The historic spot now houses a trendy […]
1632 Hunter Road Built in 1878, this store served the families working in H.D. Gruene’s cotton fields, supplying food, clothing, and household goods as well as farming implements and feed. Travelers aboard the Brown and Tartox stage line also turned to the store as a rest stop for refreshments and supplies. When H.D. became postmaster in 1890, his mercantile also served as […]