Meusebach, John O., 1812-1897

Born in Dillenburg, Germany, Baron Otfried Hans Freiherr von Meusebach, or John O. Meusebach (1812-1897), was one of four children to Baron Carl Hartwig Gregor von Meusebach and Ernestine von Witzleben. After studying law at the University of Bonn in 1832, Meusebach transferred to the University of Halle and took his bar examinations in 1836. A fluent speaker of English, Meusebach was appointed as commissioner general of the Adelsverein (Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas) in 1845. Arriving in Galveston, Texas, that same year, Meusebach adopted the name John Otfried in place of his noble title and established his post in New Braunfels. Despite the large influx of immigrants, the lack of funds, and a number of other setbacks, Meusebach managed to found the settlements of Castell, Fredericksburg, and Leiningen. Determined that more land could be acquired for German immigrants through the Fisher-Miller Land Grant, Meusebach and Comanche chiefs Buffalo Hump, Santa Anna, and Mopechucope negotiated and signed Meusebach-Comanche Treaty on May 9, 1847, in an effort to protect surveyors and colonists. Following his success as commissioner general, Meusebach was elected to the Texas Senate to represent Bexar, Comal, and Medina counties in 1851, advocating successfully for a bill that established public schools in 1852. That same year, Meusebach married Countess Agnes Coreth, with whom he had eleven children.

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