Comal Community

In the mid-19th century, several German families left nearby New Braunfels and established farms in what would become the village of Comal, Texas. At varying times, Comal has been known as “Wenzel” for one of these founding families, and “Eight-Mile” or “Seven-Mile” for its location in relation to New Braunfels. Comal settlers were among some of the first Germans to emigrate to Texas in the 1840s. The Schwab, Friesenhahn, Wenzel, Fey, Schaefer, Syring and Sahm families established farms, some of which remain productive and run by descendants of these pioneering families. Throughout the 20th century, Comal remained a small and close-knit agricultural village. The Friesenhahn brothers, influenced by the community’s reliance on cotton as a cash crop, organized a community cooperative gin in 1900 and established a corn shelling plant that served area farmers. Kneupper’s Grocery, in business from 1906 to 1973, provided the community with goods and was a center for social gatherings on Friday and Saturday evenings. A blacksmith shop, owned by the Wenzel and Schwab families, remains standing near the center of town. Most of the infrastructure is present as a reminder of the community. Education and religious commitment among the first settlers (both Catholic and Protestant) was a first priority and many of the Comal family patriarchs were instrumental leaders in forming the first school and church institutions in Comal as well as in New Braunfels. These families and several others built Comal into a thriving and prosperous farming community that survived against difficult odds and helped make Comal, Texas such a storied and historic place. (2012)

Comal Community is a historical marker in Garden Ridge, Comal County, dedicated in 2012. It is one of 106 historical markers documented in Comal County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 256 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.6456, -98.2236 near Garden Ridge. The nearest cataloged historic site is St. Joseph's Cemetery (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Carolina Schwab Grave Site, Schwab Cemetery, and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery #2.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017149. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.