Nicholas Adolphus Sterne
Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(April 5, 1801 - March 27, 1852) Arriving in New Orleans in 1817, German-Jewish emigrant Adolphus Sterne became a merchant and joined the Masonic Lodge. In 1826, when he settled in Nacogdoches, he became one of the first Scottish Rite Masons in Texas. He aided this cause of Texas independence during the Fredonian Rebellion and Texas Revolution. Sterne held several public offices locally and served in the State Legislature. He was married to Eva Catherine Rosine Ruff and had seven children.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Germany and arriving in New Orleans in 1817, Adolphus Sterne was a Jewish emigrant who settled in Nacogdoches in 1826 and threw himself into the turbulent birth of Texas. A merchant and early Scottish Rite Mason, he backed the Fredonian Rebellion and the Texas Revolution with money and influence, then served in public office and the state legislature. His home became a gathering place in a raw frontier town on the edge of a new republic.
Why it matters
Sterne's story is a reminder that immigrants and Jewish Americans helped finance and shape Texas independence, weaving diverse newcomers into the founding of the American Southwest.
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Related people
- · Adolphus Sterne
Related events
- · Fredonian Rebellion
- · Texas Revolution
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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