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Civil WarReconstruction & Gilded Age

Wunderlich Farm

Klein, Harris County, Texas

Marker Inscription

J. Peter Wunderlich (1828-1864) migrated from Germany to Texas in 1852. He married Maria Hofius and in 1854 bought 120 acres of farmland in Klein in north Harris County. Peter was killed in 1864 at a gunpowder mill he helped operate during the Civil War. Sons Peter and William Wunderlich continued to farm the land. Peter bought 56 acres of land here in 1887, and built this house in 1891 for his new wife Sophie Krimmel. Originally the house contained four rooms, but four more rooms were soon added. The house was occupied by Wunderlich family members until 1995.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

J. Peter Wunderlich left Germany for Texas in 1852, married Maria Hofius, and in 1854 bought 120 acres in the German farming settlement of Klein in north Harris County. He was killed in 1864 while working at a gunpowder mill during the Civil War, but his sons carried on the farm; son Peter built this house in 1891 for his bride Sophie Krimmel, expanding it from four rooms to eight. Wunderlich family members lived here until 1995.

Why it matters

The farm traces four generations of a German immigrant family whose migration helped make the Texas Hill Country and Harris County countryside one of the most heavily German-settled regions in America.

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Related people

  • · J. Peter Wunderlich
  • · Maria Hofius
  • · Sophie Krimmel

Themes & tags

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