VICTORIA COUNTY, TEXAS (A part of the TXGenWeb project and the USGenWeb Project.)

John Joseph Linn was born June 19, 1798, in County Antrim, Ireland. His father, John Linn, participated in the Irish rebellion of 1798 but escaped to New York, bringing his family around 1800. In 1822 John J. Linn established a merchant business in New Orleans. He became interested in DeLeon's colony and in 1829 settled in Guadalupe Victoria, where he established his residence and business. Linn, who was fluent in Spanish, was a liaison between Mexican and Irish colonists. He was very popular with the Mexicans who called him Juan Linn. Linn married Margaret C. Daniels of New Orleans in 1833. They had fourteen children, four of whom were Charles Carroll, John Jr., William F. and Edward Daniel Linn.

Linn, who was among the first to oppose Santa Anna, became quartermaster of the Texas army in 1835. In 1836 he was elected alcalde of Guadalupe. Linn was elected to the Convention of 1836, which declared the independence of Texas from Mexico. However he did not reach Washington-on-the-Brazos to sign the document, because of problems with the Mexican army in Victoria. During the Republic of Texas era, Linn was elected the first mayor of Victoria in 1839. He served in the House of the Second and Third congresses of the Republic in 1837-39. He became mayor again in 1865. On October 27, 1885, John J. Linn died in the home he had built fifty-six years earlier. (The source for this information was Handbook of Texas Online, "LINN, JOHN JOSEPH," and more information may be found at their website.)

John J. Linn House, ca. 1890	John J. Linn Half Stock Plains Rifle, ca.1845 on loan to Victoria Preservation Inc. (All pictures courtesy of Victoria County Heritage Department)

by Loretta Martinez Williams

Early Goliad leader RAFAEL ANTONIO MANCHOLA was born to a Spanish aristocratiac family circa 1800. In 1822 he arrived in La Bahia and two years later he wed MARIA DE JESUS DE LEON, daughter of Empresario MARTIN DE LEON and PATRICIA DE LA GARZA. Manchola served as attorney and business agent for DeLeon and became one of the region's principal advocates for its citizens. He became commander of Presidio of Nuestra Senora de Loreto and in 1828 became State Deputy in the Coahuila and Texas Legislature. He also served as Alcalde in Goliad.

During the 1829 Legislative session Manchola helped establish the Municipality of Guadalupe Victoria. He was also honored by being included as one of the ten trusted and principal citizens who were engaged in the business of policy making and advocated for the welfare of the community. The main street of Victoria would be named after the ten most trusted individuals of the colony and was called �Calle de los Diez Amigos,� or �The Street of the Ten Friends.� Those ten friends included DON MARTIN DE LEON, his two oldest sons FERNANDO DE LEON, SILVESTRE DE LEON, three of his sons-in-law, RAFAEL MANCHOLA, JOSE MARIA JESUS CARBAJAL, PLACIDO BENAVIDES, two of Martin De Leon in-laws, VALENTIN GARCIA, JULIAN DE LA GARZA, and two land owners PEDRO GALLARDO and LEONARDO Manso. He also corresponded with STEPHEN F. AUSTIN about Texas' welfare and he declared his support for the separated statehood of Coahuila and Texas. That year he petitioned the state to change La Bahia's name to Goliad, an anagram of the name of Father MIGUEL HIDALGO, hero of the Mexican Revolution.

Throughout his career, Manchola's work included strong advocacy for democracy and for increasing Anglo settlement. In 1832, he planned to accompany WILLIAM WHARTON to Mexico City to petition for statehood for Coahuila and Texas but the trip was cancelled. The following July he died of cholera during an epidemic, leaving behind his wife and seven year old daughter Francisca. Although his widow received several land grants, she and the DeLeons fled Texas due to anti-Mexican sentiment during the Texas Revolution, despite their connection to early support of settlement and independence.

The family of LAURENT NAVARRO PERRON are 8th generation Texans. DON MARTIN DeLEON is an ancestor by way of his daughter, REFUJIA DeLEON, marrying JOSE MARIA J. CARBAJAL, Stephen F. Austin's surveyor. The son of Refujia and Jose was TONY CARBAJAL. Jose M.J. Carbjal's sister, THEODORA CARBAJAL, married LUCIANO NAVARRO, the brother of the Texas Patriot Jose Antonio Navarro. The union of Luciano and Theodora produced several children including my great aunt AMELIA NAVARRO. Amelia married her cousin TONY CARBAJAL and my grandmother FELIA CARAJAL was one of their children. Felia married MARIUS PERRON just before the turn of the century. Their first born, MARIUS PERRON Jr., was my father. He died in May of 2002 at the young age of 100.

LAURENT JESSELL emigrated to Texas from Alsace Lorraine in the early 1830s and landed in Galveston. He first settled in Orange, Texas, and started a business hauling freight up and down the gulf in a schooner. After a hurricane took Laurent's oldest son and schooner to the bottom of the gulf, they sold out and moved to Victoria. There Laurent bought land and began developing it, naming the streets after himself and his two sons. This was the origin of the name of Laurent Street in Victoria. His only daughter HELEN JESSELL later married a fellow Alsatian named JOHN MARIE MARIUS PERRON, several years her senior. Their first born was MARIUS PERRON Jr., my grandfather. (Note: Laurent Navarro Perron writes that he has the immigration papers of Laurent Jessell, as well as the original map of the streets and blocks of Jessell's land with hand written names of those streets, all part of his Jessell Addition to the town of Victoria. He also has an article which was printed in the Victoria Advocate in 1958. It was one of Sid Felder's Long Horns Short Tales. In the piece, Felder interviewed MARIUS PERRON, who recounted his historical connections to Victoria and his wife's famous ancestors JOSE ANTONIO NAVARRO and DeLEON. Perron's father and sister traveled to Victoria sometime in the 1970s to be a part of a ceremony commemorating a statue of MARTIN DeLEON.)

HELEN JESSEL, was born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, 1843. Came with parents LAURENT JESSEL and CATHERINE JESSEL and two brothers, LOUIS and CHARLES, to the new state of Texas in the 1850's, where the father Laurent had had earlier got land in Orange, Texas. Helen soon married a young sailor named GRIMALDI, had a son EUGENE, and was divorced from Grimaldi in 1859 after the birth of Eugene. The U.S. was about to plunge the country into the Civil War, and gave notice that Texans had 30 days in which to leave the country if they did not wish to fight with the Union Army. The Jessels did not want to fight their newly adopted country, the U.S.; nor did they want to fight the Confederacy, with whom they were not doing business, by hauling supplies along the Gulf Coast in Jessel's schooner. Son Charles offered to stay and operated the shipping, while the rest of the family sold all and headed for Mexico in covered wagon.....In Monterrey, Mexico, where the family stopped one night, the family was invited to attend a party and dance, probably owing to the fact of a pretty girl's being in evidence. Helen sang and danced, it is recorded, and received the attentions of a young colonel of the army of Emperor Maximilian. We have letters (in both German and French), in which reference is made to "the colonel" visits. Helen and Col. SALVADOR YGLESIAS were married about 1864 in Mexico City. When the Civil War ended, the Jessels returned, now to Victoria. The family bought and sold real estate (the "Jessel addition" is well known in Victoria today). The shipping business died when a Gulf Coast hurricane sent the schooner and its captain Charles to the bottom. The new Yglesias family enjoyed court life in the capital, then were transferred to the port of Matamoros, where Col. Yglesias administered, with a contingent of 200 soldiers, French regulars. When the Mexican revolted under Juarez, Maximilian and his officers faced firing squads. The widow with her 8 year-old Eugene and now pregnant with MELITA, were interned till Melita was born (1868). In 1869 she was allowed to leave. Came to Texas and met a newly arrived Frenchman, JEAN MARIE MARIUS PERRON, age 52, who had opened a small store in Atascosa County, not far from Victoria where the Jessel family lived. In 1871 Perron and Helen married, and moved to Laredo, where Perron had a position as manager and accountant in the business of a leading business man, RAYMOND MARTIN. When Perron's first son was born he was given the middle name of Raymond. When Perron died in 1885, Helen was appointed U.S. Customs Inspectress at Laredo. She died in 1888 of cervical cancer.

JULES was the son of a Prussian emigrant WILLIAM BORNEFELD who was born in 1815 in Mouchen-Gladbach near Colon in Rhine Valley, Germany. William came to America in 1839 nine years after his father's death. In Cincinnati, Ohio, William married BARBARA GOEPPERT August 29, 1841. They moved to New Orleans with their first son WILLIAM J. BORNEFELD before JULES was born April 24, 1846. By the 1850 census William, with his second wife JOHANNA, was a "beerkeeper" and was running a boarding house in New Orleans. By 1860 census, they had moved to Indianola Texas in Calhoun County and their family had grown with the addition of AUGUST, BERTHA and MARY.

Following the storm of 1886, most Indianola residents moved inland to Cuero, New Braunfels and Victoria. But before he moved from Indianola, JULES joined the Confederate cause at age 17. He enlisted in Company A, Hobby's Regiment, Shea's Battalion, Texas Volunteer Infantry, March 12, 1864, and served until the end of the war in 1865. As was reported in the Victoria newspaper, JULES was a gallant veteran of the Confederacy and received a cross of honor for his distinguished service. His distinguished servicewas when JULES had to swim across Galveston Bay to deliver important messages while evading Union troops and ships. At several times he had to swim under water and under ships to avoid detection. Following the Civil War, he returned to Indianola. JULES left Indianola and moved to Victoria in 1871. He married Miss HERMINA "MINNIE" PILGRIM, the daughter of MATHEW and ANNIE PILGRIM, on January 9, 1872. In 1873 they moved to Austin where JULES set up his business carrying on one of the trades of his father. As sole proprietor and agent, he opened the Palace Saloon and Billiard parlor serving Parole whiskey and Tony Faust Beer. The saloon was located at 901 Congress Avenue at the corner of East 9th. in Austin, directly across from the State Capital. They continued to live in Austin until moving back to Victoria in 1897.

JULES ALBERT BORNEFELD, died at his home in Victoria, Tuesday, May 11, 1915. It was reported "Mr. Bornefeld is survived by his widow and five children. The children are: Mrs. Dr. E. KRUEGER, of Austin; Mrs. L. I. JECKER, of Los Angeles, California; GROVER CLEVELAND BORNEFELD, of Buenos Aires, Argentine, S.A., and Miss JULIET BORNEFELD and JULIUS BORNEFELD. He is also survived by two half-sisters and a half-brother: Mrs. MARY WHITE and Mrs. BERTHA GOFF of Albuquerque, N.M. and GUS BORNEFELD." "The funeral will take place from his late residence at 507 East Commercial Street tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 10 o'clock. Rev. E. A. SIEVERT, Pastor of the German Lutheran Church, will conduct the obsequies, and the internment will be made in the Evergreen Cemetery. The members of the William R. Scurry Camp, U.C.V., William P. Rogers chapter, U.D.C., and William R. Scurry Camp, S.C.V. will attend the funeral in a body."

LOUIS/LUDWIG ZIRJACKS was born April 17, 1823 in Detershagen, Buckow, Mecklenberg-Schwerin, Germany. He immigrated to America in 1850 from Buetsow on the ship Leibniz and reached Indianola by way of New Orleans and Galveston on August 31, 1850 with a group who migrated to be near friends who had arrived earlier with the COUNT VON BRAUNFELS Expedition. The passengers on the ship contacted cholera, many of whom died and the rest stayed in Victoria, Texas near Spring Creek, to regain their health.

He settled in Victoria and became involved in the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He attended the first meeting on December 14, 1851 and is listed as one of the twenty eight who subscribed funds for the support of the pastor. He was later listed as a charter member when the church was officially formed December 5, 1852. The church is now known as Trinity Lutheran Church located at 106 N. DeLeon. Louis purchased a three-room Mexican style home on December 20, 1853 on Main Street in Victoria. Members of the family still live at this location. On March 4, 1854 he was married to CATHERINE GRAMUNDER, born October 27, 1833 to ______ and ANN GRAMUNDER in Himmelsberg-Kernten, Austria. The family GRAMUNDER had come to Victoria in 1853 where the father died the first year. He was buried in Memorial Square. Seven children were born to Louis and Catherine Zirjacks; one child died in infancy. Those surviving were AMALIE born July 18, 1856 (m. F.C. SCHAEFER, LOUIS F. born January 28, 1858 (m. ANNA TOMFORDE),FRANK C. born March 24, 1860 (m. JULIA WINKELMAN),ANNA born September 6,1863 (m. JOHN TOMFORDE), CHARLES C. born May 3, 1869 (m. KATE LETZERICH), his twin KATIE never married.

The elder Zirjacks was a blacksmith by trade as was his father, DANIEL FRIEDRICH LUDWIG ZIRJACKS, who remained in Germany; and his brother CHRISTIAN who came to Texas in 1854 and worked for Louis until he opened his own blacksmith shop. His son, FRANK ZIRJACKS, learned the blacksmith trade from Christian and became a prominent citizen of Victoria. He operated his blacksmith business on the corner of Goodwin and Libery Street. Louis Zirjacks became a United States citizen on March 6, 1856 and enlisted in the Confederate States Army, 24th Brigade, Texas Militia, Victoria County, Town Precinct, June 1, 1861. He died of pneumonia on October 27, 1871 (age 48) and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. His wife Catherine remained in the wood frame home,said to have been built in 1870,on Main Street and daughter Katie lived with her. Catherine Zirjacks died September 24, 1917 and was buried by Ludwig. Mother Anna Gramunder, born January 8, 1810 in Kernten, Austria made her home with the Louis Zirjacks family. She died June 8, 1901 and was buried by their side.

JOHANN FRIEDRICH PETER ZIRJACKS, brother of Louis and Christian Zirjacks was born October 14, 1835 in Detershagen, Germany; married in Bernitt June 27, 1867 to MARIA KLINGENBERG, born August 22, 1837 in Bernitt; death date unknown. Johann was a budner, tailor, and merchant and died in Bernitt June 21, 1908. Issue, FREIDRICH,1874 and FRANZ, 1877. Daniel Friedrich Ludwig Zirjacks, father of Ludwig, Christian and Johann was born in Dobberson, Germany May 10,1787; married about 1820 in Detershagen oder Moltenow to CHARLOTTE LOUISE SCHRODER, born 1802 in Zurow; she died January 14, 1857 in Moltenow. Daniel Friedrich Ludwig Zirjacks was a blacksmith and a budner. He died April 30,1862 in Moltenow, Germany. (Note: Budner= craft of working with fairly small items made of iron.)

FRANK ZIRJACKS, son of LOUIS/LUDWIG and CATHERINE GRAMUNDER ZIRJACKS Zirjacks who were pioneer settlers of Victoria, Texas, was born March 24, 1860 at the Zirjacks home on Main Street in Victoria. He was christened FRANZ CHRISTIAN on May 13, 1860 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church with his Grandmother ANNA GRAMUNDER and his Uncle CHRISTIAN ZIRJACKS as sponsors. He was reared and educated in Victoria and quite evidently walked in his ancestors footsteps as he learned the trade of blacksmith. The art of craftmanship in iron work had been handed down from generation to generation in this family since the early seventeen hundreds in Germany. First in Rechnitz, then Dobbersen, Moltnow and then Detershagen in Mecklenberg-Schwerin, Germany, where Frank�s father LOUIS was born to DANIEL FRIEDRICH LUDWIG ZIRJACKS and CHARLOTTE LUISE SCHRODER. Louis Zirjacks died of pneumonia, October 27, 1871, at the age of 48 years. Surviving besides his widow, Catherine, was her mother, ANNA GRAMUNDER, and six children. Besides Frank they were; AMALIA, born July 18,1856; LOUIS F., born January 28,1858; ANNA, born September 6, 1863; and twins, CHARLES and KATIE, born May 3, 1869. The family continued to live on Main Street in Victoria and Louis� brother, CHRISTIAN ZIRJACKS became a father figure to all the children. Frank was eleven years old when his father died.

Frank Zirjacks learned the blacksmith trade under the able hands of his Uncle Christian who was the oldest established blacksmith in Victoria. He lived in the 400 block of East Constitution Street and had his shop at 103 South Wheeler. Frank started in business for himself in 1883 when he opened The Zirjacks Blacksmith Shop at 205 North Liberty. By diligence, hard work and integrity, he built up a good business and became a prominent citizen of Victoria. On November 23, 1887 Frank Zirjacks and JULIA WINKELMAN were married in the Evangelical Lutheran Church by the Reverend KARL WEISS, with LOUIS BUCKERT and ADAM SCHAFER as witnesses. They first lived in the house at 304 North Glass Street which Frank purchased from the Zirjacks� estate. Three children were born to them in this house; DORIS, born September 16, 1888, never married; WALTER H., born October 3, 1890, married JOSEPHINE ALBRECHT February 16, 1915; and FRANCES, born March 21, 1892, married ARTHUR SCHROEDER June 6, 1923; LEONIE was born August 3, 1896 in their next home on East Goodwin Street and married ALVIN B. MILLER June 26, 1923.

Frank�s wife, Julia Winkelman Zirjacks, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana March 23,1865, the daughter of FRANK EDWARD and DORIS BIERMAN WINKELMAN, who had come to Texas from Germany and settled in Indianola about 1860. Winkelman was a cabinet maker by profession, having apprenticed this trade in Germany. They had a son named Frank, date of death and birth unknown. Julia�s mother died from yellow fever about 1867 and her father married ANNA MEYE October 1, 1870. From this union were born two children; HENRIETTA, July 9,1871 and HERMAN, June 21, 1873. The family was living at Indianola during the terrible 1875 hurricane. The rest of the family rode out the storm and later came to Victoria, but Winkelman, ill and in the hospital, was never found. Julia�s older brother, Frank, who was working in Cuero, escaped the storm only to be lost years later while with a surveying crew in New Mexico, about 1890.

As Frank Zirjacks prospered as a �practical blacksmith and horse-shoer,� he continued to expand his business on the south east corner of Liberty and Goodwin Street and moved his family to a two story house on the northeast corner of the same street. The house on Glass Street, (now occupied by Victoria Preservation, Inc.), was rented out until 1953 when it was sold. About 1898 he bought 500 acres on the Garcitas Creek near Inez and moved with his family to that location. Walter and Doris Zirjacks stayed with their grandmother on Main Street in Victoria for a while to go to school in town. Fred Sommers ran the blacksmith shop and rented the house on Goodwin Street during the period the Zirjacks family lived near Inez. In 1900, Zirjacks was elected County Commissioner and having proved to be a faithful and efficient officer was re-elected in 1902. After serving the second term he moved his family from Inez back to Victoria, and resumed his work in the blacksmith business. About 1905 he built a fine two story home �in the country.� The country being ten acres on the south east corner of Navarro and Airline Street, (now one of the busiest intersections in Victoria.) The home had an ideal country setting with screen porches both upstairs and down, a large barn for horses with a raised carriage section, outbuildings for sheep, a cow, chickens, a beautiful garden spot for vegetables and flowers, an elevated cistern, and a generator to supply electricity to the house. Here they were to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary November 23, 1937. Zirjacks continued working in the blacksmith business until he retired in 1915 when his son, Walter, having learned the blacksmith trade under his father took over the business and operated it until his death in 1923. Although the Zirjacks family led a busy life, tending the animals and the garden, and with all members involved in Church work, they took time out for travel to visit family and friends. They made numerous trips to the coast where they enjoyed the gulf breeze and fishing at Indianola and Port Oconner. Medina Lake was another favorite spot to visit. Summers are remembered by friends and family for home made ice cream served on Sunday afternoon in special �ice cream dishes.� The young grandchildren retired to a place of their own in the upstairs store room where they could read old funny papers, play games or just catch up on visiting. Such was their life �in the country� during the early to mid nineteen hundreds.

Frank Zirjacks was devoted to family, church and community. He served on the Victoria City Council, the School Board, and was a member of the Victoria Volunteer Fire Department. He was a life long member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he served on the council for thirty nine years. He died August 30, 1940. His wife Julia, died October 24, 1953. Both are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, Victoria, Texas.

Samuel Klein and his wife, Friederika Klein,�came to Victoria in 1869. They arrived via Indianola, on the ship "Iris" from Bremerhaven Germany. They were from the town of Gurkow in Prussia (the part that is now Poland). Their children, August H. (15 yrs.), Hugo Felix (5), Carl Franz (3) and Elelie Ottie(1) were with them.

August Klein married Augusta Gramann, who was the daughter of Henry Carl Gramann and Anna M. Steiner Gramann.� They were members of the Catholic faith and attended St. Mary's church.� Anna Marie sang the first Mass in St. Mary's.� Anna Marie had two sisters, Minnie and Ida.� They taught music for many years and Ida played the organ at Our Lady of Lourdes and was also the organist for the Synagogue.

Augusta Gramann and August Klein�had several children.� They were Alfred H. Klein, Edwin W. Klein, Walter G. Klein, George Klein, August L. Klein, Victoria Klein, Arthur Klein, Viola Klein, and Milton J. Klein. All the above mentioned people are buried in Evergreen Cemetery (as well as I can remember)

.� Edwin was sheriff in about 1923, and August Klein was mayor in 1913-14, and then again 1917-18.� Otto Klein was a member of Woodmen of the World and August Klein was also a saddler with a store "down town".

I have much more information about the Steiner's and Gramanns, but thought I would try and stick to the Gramann-Klein information.� This is the family history of my husband.�
Written by Tina Klein

This family history was contributed by Eddie U Garcia � (760)252-3588