Texas German and English Academy, 1876-1902

Originally printed in the Austin Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol 16, #1, 1975

Among the ten volumes of records of Jacob Bickler’s Texas German and English Academy which were preserved by the Bickler family are Ledgers (of accounts), Teacher’s Daily Registers (of attendance), and Model Roll Books (of attendance and grades).

Often a pupil attended only part of a year. When one left the academy, his name was scratched out and another written above it, making it difficult to decide whose father and age were written to the right of the name. Some books have entries skipping from, say, 1883 to 1897, with the intervening years found in other volumes.

Comments:
1893: 22 Sep– “J. B. unwell” 20 Oct–“Field Day at Hyde Park. Fine day and Much Enjoyment.” 9 Nov–“Fire broke out at about 4.30 P.M. Thursday afternoon while the First Nine was playing a match game with the St Edward’s Nine in Horst’s Grove. Roof of Church partly burned; some damage to school.” 23 Nov–“Match Games by First and Sec. Nines with St Edwards Boys on their grounds. Ours lost. St Edwards furnished umpires!!!” 24 Nov–“Miss Carter broke her hip.” 6 Dec–“Alvah Thrasher died of typhoid fever. Aged 14” 11-15 Dec–“Sick with the Grippe” (presumably Professor Bickler)

1894: 15 June–“Closing Exercises at Millett’s Opera House” Oct–“Picnic at Hart’s Pasture”

1895: 8 Feb–“No School on account of cold weather” 14-15 Feb–“Heavy Snows and very cold” 21 Apr–“San Jacinto Day Lake Excursion”

1896: 22 Feb–“Celebrated Washington’s Birthday at Musical Union Hall in temporary Capitol Building” Dec–Christmas entertainment at Turner Hall (date uncertain)

1897: Last weekend in March–“Walk to the woods on upper Shoal Creek. Fine weather. Much fun.” 21 Apt–“Picnic at Barton’s Creek” 1 Oct–“moved School to residence, 1904 San Antonio St.”

1898: “Annual Picnic in Pease’s Park. Fine weather. Frank Brown and Dudley Smythe, cavalrymen, present.” 9 Dec–“Snow, Sleet & Ice”

1899: 12-13 Feb–“3 degrees below zero” March–“Went to hear William J. Bryan speak in the University Auditorium…a fine speech.” 3 May–“Confederate Reunion” 27 Oct–“School children’s Day at Travel County Fair (a rainy day)”

1900: 22 Feb–“Washington’s Birthday and Mamma’s” 7 Apr–“Bursting of Dam and Cave-in of Power House” 8 May–“23rd State Saengerfest held at Austin” 19 Oct–“Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show”