In 1855, Johann Traugott Wandke (1808-1870) emigrated with his wife Christiane (1808-1900) and his two daughters, Karoline (1837-1910) and Christine, from Prussia to La Grange, Texas. A skilled craftsman and organ-maker, Wandke built seven organs in various Lutheran churches in Texas. In 1860, Wandke and his wife moved to Round Top to live with Karoline and her husband, Zöllestin Pochmann (1835-1862). The surname Wandke changed to Wantke, after the family’s emigration to America.
Sources:
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Round Top, TX, http://0-www.tshaonline.org.sapl.sat.lib.tx.us/handbook/online/articles/hnr48 (accessed October 26, 2010).
From the guide to the Wandke Family, Johann Traugott, Papers 86-96., 1853-1972, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)
