The Wiemers Oak
Hondo, Medina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The land on which this live oak stands was purchased by German migrant Johann Wiemers, who came here in 1854. The Rev. John Schaper held services under the tree and converted Johann and his wife Aalke to Methodism. They became charter members of the New Fountain Methodist Church. The first church building was erected near this site. This tree also shaded the Wiemers and their neighbors as they met for reunions or used a mule-drawn press in molasses making. The land was inherited by the Wiemers' descendants, who built a home near the ancient oak. (1977)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When German immigrant Johann Wiemers settled this Medina County land in 1854, a spreading live oak became the center of frontier community life. A circuit-riding minister preached beneath its branches and converted the Wiemers to Methodism, making them charter members of the New Fountain church. The same tree shaded family reunions and the mule-drawn press used to make molasses, and it still stands among their descendants' homes.
Why it matters
The oak embodies the immigrant settlement of the Texas Hill Country, where newcomers built faith and community under whatever shelter the land provided.
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Related people
- · Johann Wiemers
- · Aalke Wiemers
- · Rev. John Schaper
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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