The Bluff Schuetzen Verein
The Bluff Schuetzen Verein, a German shooting club, was organized in the late 1860s by Heinrich L. Kreische, best known as the builder and brewmaster of the Kreische Brewery, which was operated from circa 1860 to 1884. Having been a stonemason before his brewing endeavors, he built a number of homes, stone bridges and commercial buildings in the area, as well as the second courthouse and an early jail.
Kreische built a pavilion on “Kreische’s Bluff ” or Monument Hill for the shooting club activities, as well as for other entertainment. He also operated and coordinated the activities at the pavilion, which was located very near the tomb at Monument Hill and only about 200 yards from the Kreische family home. The shooting club paid rent to the Kreisches for the use of the pavilion and the surrounding area for their tournaments. It has been documented that the club paid the Kreische family $25 to $30 rent per month in the early 1900s. After his father’s death in 1882, Henry Louis Kreische continued to operate the pavilion and was more than likely paid by the Verein for his work there as well.
The pavilion was a popular destination for people of the area, who came dressed in their Sunday finery, not only for the shooting tournaments, but for dances, picnics and other celebrations as depicted in various old photographs. In the earlier days, those who came from La Grange had to cross the river with their wagons or carriages on Kreische’s ferry and travel along a road under the bluff alongside the river and wind their way up and around the escarpment to the top of the bluff. The trip, undoubtedly, was arduous, but worth the effort for a weekend outing. The first Travis Street bridge was built across the river in 1883, and then a bridge over Buckner’s Creek was completed in 1886, so the people from La Grange could cross both bridges and travel along the old Bluff Road that was built through what is now the Frisch Auf golf course up to the top of the bluff, which was a considerably easier trip. The members of the Verein were all from the La Grange and rural Bluff area, so attending an event was an all-day affair.
In September 1883, the La Grange Journal described one event: “The Bluff Schuetzen Verein had a big time on the Bluff last Sunday. Music, dancing and target shooting being the amusements engaged in during the day. The Biegel company (military company) passed through town early in the morning, headed by their brass band, and joined the Bluff company (Fayette Light Guard) in the festivities of the day. All who went over report having had a splendid time.” The Fayette Light Guard was an organization of men who participated in competitive military drills. According to a newspaper article in The La Grange Journal in 1888, the group, led by Captain George Willrich, participated in a drill in Austin, at which they were awarded fourth place. Apparently, they also used the pavilion and grounds for their activities.
Each year a “King Shoot”, a traditional German festival that included competitive shooting, was held by the members of the Verein on Pentecost Sunday with shooting commencing at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 12 noon. In the dawn of the morning on the day the King Shoot was to be held, three anvils were loaded with a heavy charge and fired at close intervals. Then the echoes of these anvil shots could be heard from eight to ten miles away from the Bluff. This was done as an awakening to let the people know that another King Shoot was to be held. Another source states that the event was held in late May or early June, so perhaps the dates changed throughout the years. Shooting was conducted
Shooting was conducted from a bench rest or a large post in the ground notched to rest a rifle on it for a standing position. The targets used at that time were made of wooden boards with 12-13 hand-painted black rings. Three shots were allowed to each member while the person scoring the most rings was crowned King for the year. Then he chose his wife or daughter for his queen. Generally around 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the members of the Verein and a band would march around and into the pavilion where the coronation took place and awards were given to the top riflemen of the day. The Schuetzen Verein pavil
The Schuetzen Verein pavilion continued to be an important social center for the people in the area into the early 1900s, and the old crumbling brewery was the site for picnics and a destination for outdoor excursions. The Shooting Club was discontinued in the early 1920s, thus becoming nothing more than a memory and part of the history of the Bluff community. The old Schuetzen Verein pavilion was eventually dismantled, and the wood was acquired by George Adamcik, who used it to build his home nearby. That home is still standing, so in a sense, a part of the history of the Schuetzen Verein is still existing in another form.
Sources:
Appelt, Anton, A. The Life Story of the Kreische Family 1849-1952. Yoakum Herald-Times, Yoakum, Texas; 1967
Fayette County, Texas Heritage, Vol. 1; The Fayette County History Book Committee. Curtis Media, Inc.; 1996
Leffler, John J. The Kreisches and Their World: The Kreische Family, the Bluff Community and Life on “Kreische’s Bluff ”, 1840-1960. Texas Parks & Wildlife; Morgan Printing, Austin, Texas; 2008
Footprints Of Fayette
Fayette County is one of the most historic counties in Texas. In this weekly feature from the County Historical Commission, a rotating group of writers looks back at local history.