Henry Troell
Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(October 5, 1838 - December 19, 1921) A native of Wichmannshausen, Germany, Henry Troell moved to this area sometime prior to 1860. He served in the Confederate Army and in 1872 married area native Johanna Woehler. A successful freighting business enabled him to invest in several local properties and enterprises, including an innovative dam/grist mill operation at this site. He expanded the mill's water and hydroelectric generation capabilities and in the 1890s provided the city its first water and electric utility systems. His entrepreneurial and business legacy represent an important part of the city's development. (1994)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A young immigrant from Wichmannshausen, Germany, Henry Troell settled near Seguin before 1860 and, after service in the Confederate Army, parlayed a freighting business into a web of local enterprises. His dam and grist mill on this site grew into something remarkable for a small Texas town — he added hydroelectric generation and, in the 1890s, gave the city its first municipal water and electric systems.
Why it matters
Troell's mill-turned-power-plant shows how immigrant entrepreneurs brought modern utilities to rural America, electrifying Texas towns one enterprising millwright at a time.
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Related people
- · Henry Troell
- · Johanna Woehler Troell
Themes & tags
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