Doss, Texas
Encyclopedia
Doss is an unincorporated farming and ranching community
at the crossroads juncture of FM 783 and FM 648 in northwestern Gillespie County
, Texas
, United States
. It is 19 miles NW of Fredericksburg and 14 miles NW of Harper. Postal zip code is 78618. Elevation is 1729 feet.
and Travis
counties.While the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of non-German Anglo names.
There was a Lange post office in 1898 with Julius Lange as postmaster. The community received its mail delivery from Cherry Spring until 1917, at which time Doss began to service this community.
was the second husband of the widowed Auguste Lehmann and stepfather to her sons Herman and Willie. Both children were kidnapped by Apache
s. Willie was released after days, but Herman Lehmann
didn't return for 9 years and became the area's most famous Apache captive and later adopted son of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker
of 2000 of 2000, there were 225 people
, pecan
trees, a variety of oak
and mesquite
trees, and abundant wildflower
varieties blanket the Doss area of Gillespie County.
Doss has farm livestock and the armadillo
and Texas horned lizard
. The nature lover will also find
whitetail deer and birds including spotted towhee
, painted bunting
, white-crowned sparrow
, summer tanager
, hummingbird
, chickadee
, kinglet
, goldfinch
, warbler
, finch
and lark sparrow
.
in 1985. from State of Texas states the school was begun in 1884 on Doss-Spring Creek Road. 1894 land for current site was donated by Tom Nixon, and a small frame structure was built. In 1905, a limestone schoolhouse was built, and in 1927 the present building was added.
Doss Elementary School is across the street from St. Peter Luthern Church. The K-8 grades have 25 students, 48% male and 52% female, and two teachers.
Doss VFD Fish Fry annual fundraiser is held Labor Day Weekend.
Almost 3,000 pounds of catfish are fried and served up with homemade potato salad and coleslaw, plus all the trimmings. This benefits the Doss VFD. Entertainment is provided.
has this to say:
, sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War
for the 60th anniversary of the iconic battle. The event was held on February 19, 2005, ending with a the famous
raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi — which was re-enacted on top of Welge Point in Doss.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
at the crossroads juncture of FM 783 and FM 648 in northwestern Gillespie County
Gillespie County, Texas
Gillespie County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 24,837. It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, who came to Texas in 1837. He was a Texas Ranger, an Indian fighter, a...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is 19 miles NW of Fredericksburg and 14 miles NW of Harper. Postal zip code is 78618. Elevation is 1729 feet.
- The U.S. Census for year 2000 shows a total population of 225
- 1914 Lange's Mill community population was 150
History
On December 15, 1847, a petition was submitted to create Gillespie County. In 1848, the legislature formed Gillespie County from BexarBexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
and Travis
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
counties.While the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of non-German Anglo names.
Ground Zero
The Handbook of Texas provides the area's basic history:
Doss, Tx was founded in 1849 by brothers John E. and Thomas C. Doss, who built a gristmill and distillery on Threadgill Creek in 1856 and later added a dam and sawmill. They sold the dam in 1864 to August Steiness, who tore down the distillery and expanded the gristmill's capabilities. A room he added onto the house served for many years as a mail delivery station for the community. After Steinesz's death in 1866, his widow sold the mill to William F. Lange, a German immigrant, who built a larger dam. This dam, which was destroyed by a flood, was rebuilt between 1872 and 1875 by stonemason Philip Buchmeyer , and the mill came to be known as Lange's Mill.
The Doss school was founded in 1884. A post office called Lange was opened in F. W. Lange's store in 1898, but in 1907 the name was changed to Doss, and the office was moved to what is now the Doss townsite, two miles south of the mill.
Thomas C Doss
Sept 8, 1852 Thomas C. Doss was Postmaster of "Fredericksburgh"The 1860 Gillespie Co Census-Cherry Spring Cherry Spring, Texas Cherry Spring is an unincorporated farming and ranching community established in 1852 in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located on Cherry Spring Creek, which runs from north of Fredericksburg to Llano. The creek was also sometimes known as Cherry Springs Creek by residents...
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Thomas C. Doss final resting place: Der Stadt Friedhof Der Stadt Friedhof Der Stadt Friedhof is a pioneer cemetery established in 1846 along Barons Creek on the corner of East Schubert Street and Lee Street, in Fredericksburg, Texas. It is the oldest known cemetery within Fredericksburg and is the final resting place for many of the original German colonists who arrived... (English translation: The City Cemetery) in Fredericksburg. |
John E Doss
The 1860 Gillespie Co Census-South Grape Creek (Luckenbach Luckenbach Luckenbach is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-Location:The village lies northeast of Koblenz in the valley of the Kleine Nister... ):
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LDS Family Research database:
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Lange's Mill Cemetery
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Lange's Mill Historical Marker
The State of Texas placed a 1936 historical marker at Lange's Mill. Contrasting information from the Handbook of Texas, the marker offers this timeline on operation of the mill:
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There was a Lange post office in 1898 with Julius Lange as postmaster. The community received its mail delivery from Cherry Spring until 1917, at which time Doss began to service this community.
Stonemason Philip Buchmeyer
Buchmeyerwas the second husband of the widowed Auguste Lehmann and stepfather to her sons Herman and Willie. Both children were kidnapped by Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
s. Willie was released after days, but Herman Lehmann
Herman Lehmann
Herman Lehmann was captured as a child by Native Americans. He lived first among the Apache and then the Comanche but eventually returned to his family later on in his life. The phenomenon of a "white boy" raised by "Indians" made him a notable figure in the United States...
didn't return for 9 years and became the area's most famous Apache captive and later adopted son of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker
Quanah Parker
Quanah Parker was a Comanche chief, a leader in the Native American Church, and the last leader of the powerful Quahadi band before they surrendered their battle of the Great Plains and went to a reservation in Indian Territory...
Doss Post Masters
Partial list of Doss postmasters:
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Climate
Doss experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and a generally mild winter. Temperatures range from 81 °F (27.2 C) in the summer to 45 °F (7.2 C) during winter.Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000 of 2000, there were 225 people
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Flora and fauna
Prickly pear cactusOpuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
, pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
trees, a variety of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
trees, and abundant wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
varieties blanket the Doss area of Gillespie County.
Doss has farm livestock and the armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
and Texas horned lizard
Texas horned lizard
The Texas horned lizard is one of about 14 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards. P. cornutum ranges from Colorado and Kansas to northern Mexico , and from southeastern Arizona to Texas. There are also isolated, introduced populations in the Carolinas, Georgia, and...
. The nature lover will also find
whitetail deer and birds including spotted towhee
Spotted Towhee
The Spotted Towhee is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been debated in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the Eastern Towhee were considered a single species, the Rufous-sided Towhee...
, painted bunting
Painted Bunting
The Painted Bunting is a species of bird in the Cardinal family, Cardinalidae, that is native to North America.-Taxonomy:...
, white-crowned sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
The White-crowned Sparrow is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America.- Description :Adults are long and have black and white stripes on their head, a grey face, brown streaked upper parts and a long tail. The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Their bill is pink or yellow...
, summer tanager
Summer Tanager
The Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family , it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family...
, hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
, chickadee
Chickadee
Chickadee is a group of birds in the Paridae familyChickadee may also refer to:* USS Chickadee , a minesweeper in the United States Navy* Chickadee , a Canadian children's magazine-See also:* Black-capped Chickadee...
, kinglet
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
, goldfinch
Goldfinch
Goldfinch may refer to any of the following species of bird from the genus Carduelis:* American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis* European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis* Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei...
, warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
, finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
and lark sparrow
Lark Sparrow
The Lark Sparrow is a fairly large American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Chondestes.This passerine bird breeds in southern Canada, much of the United States, and northern Mexico. It is much less common in the east, where its range is contracting...
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Churches
- St. Peter Lutheran Church founded 1896 under leadership of Rev. Hugo G.A. Krienke. 1989 dedicated historical marker by Texas Historical Commission.
- Squaw Creek Primitive Baptist Church constituted 1901 in the Squaw Creek School and Community Building, Elder S. N. Redford, first pastor. 2002 dedicated historical marker by Texas Historical Commission.
Doss Consolidated Common School District
Designated a Recorded Texas Historic LandmarkRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
in 1985. from State of Texas states the school was begun in 1884 on Doss-Spring Creek Road. 1894 land for current site was donated by Tom Nixon, and a small frame structure was built. In 1905, a limestone schoolhouse was built, and in 1927 the present building was added.
Doss Elementary School is across the street from St. Peter Luthern Church. The K-8 grades have 25 students, 48% male and 52% female, and two teachers.
- District total revenue is $297,000
- District expenditure $293,000
- Doss Public School annual play:
Every year the Doss Public school holds a play performed by the school children. The little room, grades Kindergarten through 4th grade, and the big room, 5th grade through 8th grade, hold plays. The presentation is accompanied by a bake sale and raffle held by the local residents and by the Doss 4H members.
Doss Volunteer Fire Department
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Doss VFD Fish Fry annual fundraiser is held Labor Day Weekend.
Almost 3,000 pounds of catfish are fried and served up with homemade potato salad and coleslaw, plus all the trimmings. This benefits the Doss VFD. Entertainment is provided.
Dining, entertainment, accommodations
- Doss General Store and Post Office were formerly run under one roof by Fred Itz (1914–2003) and Ruby Oehler Itz (1917–1990).
- Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine
has this to say:
Sadly, the Doss store has closed, but the new Doss Country Store, opened in 2001, has become a gathering place for hunters in the area. It has a rock front, and there is a metal roof over the wide, spacious front porch, which is populated with dogs as often as people. Patrons sit on split cedar benches on the porch and watch cattle graze in a field across the town’s main street. Inside, the counter and tables are covered with glass plate, under which old newspaper clippings chronicle local events spanning almost a hundred years.
- Hill Top Cafe fashioned out of an old gas station, and boasting of Texas comfort foods, as well as Cajun and Greek cuisine, this little spot on Highway 87 between Fredericksburg and Doss also offers bed and breakfast accommodations and the "Old Garage" meeting room. Proprietor Johnny NicholasJohnny NicholasJohnny Nicholas is an American blues musician. He is most noted for being a member of the Grammy Award winning group, Asleep at the Wheel.-Biography:...
is a blues musician who opened the establishment shortly after marrying Brenda. Live music features "Songwriters in the Round".
- Quiet Hill Ranch bed and breakfast is a combination spa and dude ranch, with a bird watching observatory catering to wildlife enthusiasts.
Battle of Iwo Jima re-enactment
Welge Ranch in Doss was the site of a re-enactment of Battle of Iwo JimaBattle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
, sponsored by the National Museum of the Pacific War
National Museum of the Pacific War
The National Museum of the Pacific War is located in Fredericksburg, Texas, the boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Fleet Admiral Nimitz served as CinCPAC, Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet during World War II...
for the 60th anniversary of the iconic battle. The event was held on February 19, 2005, ending with a the famous
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely...
raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi — which was re-enacted on top of Welge Point in Doss.
See also
- AdelsvereinAdelsvereinSociety for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
- Albert, TexasAlbert, TexasAlbert, originally Martinsburg, is a ghost town southeast of Fredericksburg and west of the Blanco County line in southeastern Gillespie County, Texas, United States...
- Cherry SpringCherry Spring, TexasCherry Spring is an unincorporated farming and ranching community established in 1852 in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located on Cherry Spring Creek, which runs from north of Fredericksburg to Llano. The creek was also sometimes known as Cherry Springs Creek by residents...
- Cherry Springs Dance HallCherry Springs Dance HallCherry Springs Dance Hall, is one of the oldest and most historic dance halls in Texas. It is located at 17662 North U.S. Highway 87, Cherry Springs, TX 78624. miles NW of Fredericksburg, Texas in Gillespie County's portion of the Texas Hill Country is the Texas farming community of Cherry Spring...
- Easter FireEaster FireEaster fires are typically bonfires lit before, during, or after Easter Sunday as part of secular and religious celebrations.-Easter Vigil:Fire can feature prominently during solemn Easter Vigil celebrations held after sunset on Holy Saturday...
- Enchanted RockEnchanted RockEnchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton rock formation located in the Llano Uplift approximately north of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA and south of Llano, Texas. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans the border between Gillespie...
- Fredericksburg, TexasFredericksburg, TexasFredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
- German TexanGerman TexanGerman Texan is an ethnic category that includes residents of the state of Texas with German ancestry who identify with the term. This identification may include cultural agreements—German language, German cuisine, feasts, music, hard work, frugality, and close family ties. From their first...
- Harper, TexasHarper, TexasHarper is a census-designated place , located west of Fredericksburg on U.S. Highway 290, in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 1,192 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Harper is located at...
- Loyal Valley, TexasLoyal Valley, TexasLoyal Valley is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1858, and is north of Cherry Spring in the southeastern corner of Mason County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located near Cold Spring Creek, which runs east for to its mouth on Marschall Creek in...
- Luckenbach, TexasLuckenbach, TexasLuckenbach is an unincorporated community thirteen miles from Fredericksburg in southeastern Gillespie County, Texas, United States, part of the Texas Hill Country. It consists of between South Grape Creek and Snail Creek, just south of U.S. Highway 290 on the south side of Farm to Market Road...
- Sisterdale, TexasSisterdale, TexasSisterdale, Texas, is an unincorporated farming and ranching community, established in 1847 and located north of Boerne in Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The community is located in the valley of Sister Creek. The current 2010 population is 25...
- Stonewall, TexasStonewall, TexasStonewall is a census-designated place in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. It was named for Thomas J. Jackson, by Israel P. Nunez, who established a stage station near the site in 1870....
- Texas Hill CountryTexas Hill CountryThe Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
- Willow City, TexasWillow City, TexasWillow City is an unincorporated community in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 75 in 2000. The school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas on May 6, 2005, NRHP Reference...