Anhalt, Texas, Comal County ghost town. (original) (raw)

Anhalt May Fest
TE photo, February 2009

History in a Pecan Shell

First known as Krause Settlement (after storekeeper George Krause) when it was settled in the late 1850s, Anhalt may have been named after a place in Germany or is a derivative of a German word for a �stopping place� � descriptive of the store or the post office it contained. The Anhalt post office closed its doors in 1907.

The Germania Farmers Verein was organized here in the 1870s for the protection of members' livestock. This organization later expanded to include insurance for members and to serve social functions of the German settlers. Germania Insurance continues in business to this day with it�s headquarters in Brenham, Texas.

In 1887 a meeting hall was built at Anhalt for social functions. Although there are no population figures available, it appears residents have always been few. Expanded in the mid 1890s, the Anhalt Hall became the center of seasonal celebrations and musical events.

A peeling painted sign on Highway 46 notes the town while a more freshly painted sign announces a Maifest. The road appears to be a long cul-de-sac, terminating at a cattle guard and locked gate. There are several nearby cemeteries shown on the Comal County map � one of them designated Krause.

The peeling painted sign on Highway 46
TE photo, February 2009

The Road to Anhalt
TE photo, February 2009

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