Reichenau Gap
London, Kimble County, Texas
Marker Inscription
For more than 100 years, travelers followed road from Mason to Junction through this pass. Named for Adolph A. Reichenau, a German emigrant who settled near pass in 1860 as an early landholder in nearby Big Saline Valley. He moved in 1866 because of Indian depredations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
For more than a century, travelers on the road from Mason to Junction threaded through this Hill Country pass. It carries the name of Adolph A. Reichenau, a German emigrant who settled nearby in the Big Saline Valley in 1860 as one of the area's early landholders โ only to move on in 1866 amid the dangers of frontier raids. The pass was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1966.
Why it matters
Named passes and roadways trace the routes that opened the Texas frontier to settlement and commerce.
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Related people
- ยท Adolph A. Reichenau
Themes & tags
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