Guadalupe River at Kerrville (Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau)
Water Street, ca. 1910s (DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)
Christian Dietert (UTSA Special Collections Library)
Old Mill Dam on the Guadalupe River. (Kerr County Genealogical Society)
Mules working at Dietert Mill. (Kerr County Genealogical Society)
Mill dam, early 1900s. (Kerr County Genealogical Society)
Christian Dietert emigrated from Germany in 1854 and settled in Comfort. A millwright by trade, Dietert built mills at Cypress Creek and Fredericksburg before moving to Kerrville in 1857. With the assistance of a young German miller named Balthasar Lich, he constructed a mill and dam to serve the pioneer settlers of the community. Dietert's Guadalupe River milling operation played an important role in the growth of Kerrville by processing crops and providing lumber for area homes and buildings. In 1880, the mill was sold and enlarged by Captain Charles Schreiner, a prominent local merchant.
Dietert was a Union sympathizer during the Civil War, as were any German immigrant in the area. He served as Kerrville’s postmaster from 1867-1888, though it was his wife, Rosalie, who assumed most duties and responsibilities related to the office. Christian Dietert died in 1902, and is interred in Glen Rest Cemetery in Kerrville.
Today, Kerrville is a regional center for visual and performing arts, and the Guadalupe River provides numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Christian Dietert Mill Historical Marker
- 917 Water St., Kerrville, TX
- Along the Guadalupe River at the old mill dam site
Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau
