"A man named F. H. Schladoer owned the gristmill here for several years, and probably built it; he also operated a small sawmill in connection, and sawed lumber and made shingles from cypress timber. In 1870 a great flood in the Medina River practically ruined the Schladoer Mill, but later it was replaced with another mill, using waterpower through the same mill-race, and was operated for many years, changing to steam-power some time in the 90's, and in 1900 this mill was washed away entirely by a great flood in the Medina River."

"Bandera suffered through the Civil War, but recovered during reconstruction because of the cypress trade. The need for cypress lumber grew even greater as more forts were built along the western frontier. The cypress mills at Bandera supplied cypress shingles for Fort Inge, Camp Wood, Camp Verde, Fort Lincoln and Fort Concho, the forts built by the United States Army in an arc on the western frontier, known then as the ?Comanche Barrier.?

On January 28, 1867, John Herndon sold to F. H. Schladoer, ?the rights and privileges and control of the race and the dam, also all the oxen, yokes, chains, carts, wagons, and blacksmith tools. Horses and everything pertaining to the saw and grist mills.? On February 25, 1867, Schladoer bought two more lots on the millrace from Charles Schmidtke.

In 1869, Charles Schmidtke joined George Hay in business. On November 1, 1870, Hay and Schmidtke, with investors H. C. McKay and Henry ?Buck? Hamilton, bought the mill from F. H. Schladoer and John James. The partnership of Hay and Schmidtke brought the millrace from 14th Street upriver to Main Street on January 3, 1871. The system was improved. New saws were bought to cut shingles and turn out good lumber. A flour mill was added. The power for these mills was a turbine water wheel in the river."

"Approximately eight years subsequent to this time (1867) the home belonging to my grandparents(1) was washed away by a flood in the Medina. He had at this time owned a stock ranch on Mason Creek and had recently received cash in the amount of $800.00 - all in $20.00 gold pieces from the sale of a bunch of beeves. The cash, together with the house, etc. was all swept down the river and no part of it was ever reported as having been recovered. Temperamentally the old gentleman by nature possessed no great amount of the spirit of forgiveness and therefore as a result of this tragic episode he lost no time in disposing of his remaining assets and with grandmother and their two youngest children, unceremoniously left for the State of Oregon as their destination. There were five children in the family: Ida(2), who was my mother; William(3), Sam, Theodore and Magdalena. The latter, in 1889, was married to Harry Chandler, who in later years, became publisher of the Los Angeles Times."

(1)F. H. and Francis Wiedenfeld Schladoer
(2)Ida Schladoer Heinen, wife of Johann P. Heinen of Bandera
(3)William Schladoer served as a mail carrier in Bandera County for several years in the 1880s