Peters-Hacienda Schuetzenverein

Peters itself is a railroad town. Anglo-American settlers lived in the area from the mid-1820s, but the town was founded about 1880 as a station on the Bellville-Sealy spur of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway and named for an early resident, Albert Peters. It got a post office in 1883. About 125 people lived there in 1925 and about seventy by 1943, when the town had two businesses, and the post office closed in the mid-1940s. In the early 1980s Peters had a hospital, a church, a clubhouse and three businesses.

What the plaque says

Peters-Hacienda Schuetzenverein Peters Hall was originally built for the Peters-Hacienda Schuetzenverein, a shooting and traditional sportsmans' club organized in 1897. German immigrants moved to this area in droves after Friedrich Ernst (1796-1848) arrived in 1831 and wrote descriptions of Texas to be published in Germany. The Germans created fraternal associations devoted to literature, singing, agriculture, sportsmanship and mutual aid. The Schuetzenverein kept up the sporting tradition deriving from medieval Europe when contests on marksmanship and archery were conducted to maintain a community's skills in case of combat. However, dancing became the building's main activity. The first structure was a dance platform built on the Hoff family pasture in 1898-99. German immigrant Joachim Hintz (1841-1920) built an eight-sided hall that included a large dance floor and a cupola for ventilation. Dances were held every second Saturday of the month. Only men would pay admission and there are tales of women using pieces of their calico dresses as tickets in the early 1900s. The popular events included May Fest, masquerades, and Christmas and New Year's dances. In 1943, Peters Hall was renamed Austin County Gun Club before becoming Peters-Hacienda Community Hall in 1995. The town of Peters, also known as Millheim Station, was named after an early resident, Albert Peters (1882-1958). In the 1870's, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was extended near the community, and a post office was open from 1883 to the mid-1940s. The town had several businesses, a church, a hospital and two schools: Peters School and Hacienda School. Although these places are gone, the hall still stands, preserving and creating new memories. (2019)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

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