Wilhelm Carl August Thielepape (July 10, 1814 – August 7, 1904), was an architect, engineer, teacher, photographer, and lithographer. He was mayor of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, Texas, during part of the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

, and later an attorney in Chicago,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Early years

Wilhelm Thielepape was born July 10, 1814 in Wabern, Hesse, Germany, Texas State Historical Association to Werner Philipp and Elisabeth (Thompson) Thielepape. He married Mathilde Gössling in 1841. After graduation from a gymnasium in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...

, he attended various universities during the 1840s.

Texas

Arrival with Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels

Thielepape arrived in Texas in 1844, with the first

Adelsverein The ''Mainzer Adelsverein at Biebrich am Rhein'' (''Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas'', "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas"), better known as the ''Mainzer Adelsverein'' (, "Nobility Society of Mainz"), orga ...

colony accompanying

Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels Prince Carl (Karl) of Solms-Braunfels (27 July 1812 – 13 November 1875), was a German prince and military officer in both the Austrian army and in the cavalry of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. As Commissioner General of the Adelsverein, he spearhead ...

from Germany. After participating in a tour of the eastern and central United States in 1850, Thielepape settled in Carlshafen ( Indianola), Texas, as a surveyor.

Uvalde County and Comal County

On May 2, 1855,

Reading Wood Black Reading Wood Black (September 23, 1830 – October 3, 1867), was the father of Uvalde County, Texas and city of Uvalde, Texas, which he founded as the town of Encina. In 1979, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 4209 was placed in the Hillcrest Ce ...

hired Thielepape, to plat and lay out Encina, the town later known as

Uvalde, Texas Uvalde is a city and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,217 at the 2020 census. Uvalde is located in the Texas Hill Country, west of downtown San Antonio and east of the Mexico–United States bord ...

. City of Uvalde For a short time, Thielepape lived in

Comal County Comal County ( ) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 161,501. Comal County is known for its rich German-Texan and European history. Its county seat is New Braunfels. ...

where he designed the 1860 courthouse.

San Antonio

Thielepape moved to San Antonio in 1854. On April 2, 1858, he was among the organizers of the San Antonio's German-English School. In 1857, Thielepape designed the

Casino Club The Casino Club is a historic German-American social club in San Antonio, Texas. It was established in 1854 with gatherings of 20 German-Americans and chartered in 1857 with 106 members. The club debuted a building known as Casino Hall on Marlet ...

on Market Street, which opened in 1858. The club had its beginnings as a social gathering in 1854 in the home of Carl Hummel. When the club was chartered in 1857, its membership consisted of 106

German Texan German Texan (german: Deutschtexaner) is both a term to describe immigrants who arrived in the Republic of Texas from Germany from the 1830s onward and an ethnic category that includes their descendants in today's state of Texas. The arriving Ger ...

men. The Market Street location hosted family entertainment, balls, social gatherings, music, activities, lectures and plays. Thielepape was a tenor who also founded the Beethoven Männerchor (men's choir) on February 23, 1867, to preserve German song, music, and language. He conducted the Beethoven Männerchor at the Casino. Wilhelm Thielepape was among those who raised the Union flag over the

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

on July 21, 1865, and who also passed out wine and songbooks in celebration of the Union victory. The four-month delay between the end of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

in April and this celebration is not long in light of the 2½ years between the

Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War. The Proclamation changed the legal sta ...

and the news of it being delivered in

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

, a date now denoted as the

Juneteenth Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, i ...

US national holiday. Thielepape was appointed Reconstruction

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of San Antonio on November 8, 1867. In his tenure as mayor, Thielepape's administration built bridges, laid macadam streets, and strengthened the public schools. On March 12, 1872, Thielepape was removed from office and succeeded by Francois P. Giraud, but he remained active in the community. In April 1874, Thielepape turned the Beethoven Männerchor over to Andreas Scheidemantel.

Chicago and later years

Thielepape then moved to Chicago to participate in the building boom that followed the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

. By 1887, he was an attorney with the Germania Life Insurance Company in Chicago. He died in Chicago on August 7, 1904.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thielepape, Wilhelm 1814 births 1904 deaths German emigrants to the Republic of Texas German emigrants to the United States German-American history German-American culture in Texas Mayors of San Antonio Architects from Chicago 19th-century American architects 19th-century American politicians Architects from Texas