Texas Historical Marker #14781
Friedens Church. German immigrants helped settle Riesel in the late 19th century. In July 1903, eight families organized the Friedens (Peace) Church. After meeting in a schoolhouse, the congregation built its own sanctuary two miles east of riesel (Present Friedens Cemetery). Pastors H. J. Leemhuis and H.S. Schulz officiated a dedication service in April 1904. Four years later, the church house was put on skids and moved by mules to the current site. Rev. D.A. Jud became the first resident pastor in 1929. Services continued in German until the 1940s, and in 1952 the congregation built a new sanctuary. More than a century after its founding, Friedens Church continues to impact the community. #14781
?, Riesel, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04265
Riesel. Fertile soil, good water,and available rial transportation attracted cotton farmers to this area after the Civil War. They were soon joined by German settlers from Washington County led by the Rev. Friedrick Von Schleumbach. A nearby postal station known as Roddy first served the area, but a town developed here following construction of a cotton gin by William Henry Riesel in 1890. The townsite of Riesel was platted by the Rev. Von Schleumbach and the new settlement grew as an early agricultural center of southeastern McLennan County. #4265
?, Riesel, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #03320
Meier Settlement Methodist Church. Founded in 1887 by members of the Methodist Congregation in nearby Perry, this church first was known as the Zion Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Construction of a sanctuary began on March 5, 1887. With a membership made up of German immigrants, the congregation conducted all worship services in German until 1922. The church building was used as a public schoolhouse for a time, with the Pastors serving as teachers. In 1915 the name was changed to Meier Settlement Methodist Church. It continues to serve the community. #3320
?, Riesel, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #06533
Trinity Lutheran Church. The first Lutheran worship service in this area of Falls County was conducted in 1882 by a traveling missionary, The Rev. John J. Trinklein. Speaking to a largely German congregation, he encouraged the organization of a Lutheran church. By June 1883 Trinity Lutheran Church was established, and the members had purchased four acres of land and had erected a chapel. Within ten years, growth in membership at the church near Riesel necessitated the construction of a new sanctuary. The building was completed in 1891, only to be destroyed by a tornado the following year. A new church building was dedicated in June 1893. The fellowship now worships in a sanctuary completed in 1937 during the pastorate of the Rev. E. A. Heckmann. Trinity Lutheran Church has been served by numerous pastors, including the Rev. F. Wunderlich, who founded a Christian day school that was operated by the church for more than 80 years. The Rev. H. Studtman served this fellowship form 1904 until 1926, when he was appointed first president of Concordia Lutheran College in Austin. The Rev. Louis Boriack translated the church's constitution from the original German and rewrote it in English during his 1951-56 pastorate. Elements of the church's German heritage are still visible today. #6533
?, Riesel, TX, United States