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History
in a Pecan Shell
German Lutherans
were the first settlers here around the time the Civil War was ending.
The modest population was bolstered somewhat by Wends
who transmigated from Serbin
in Lee County. The Philadelphia Lutheran Church was opened in 1867
and the community got its own post office ten years later. The population
in 1884 was a mere 35 people which reached the high-water mark of
100 in 1896. The decline set in just after 1900 and the post office
was discontinued in 1906.
The community's proximity to Schulenburg
and the county seat in La
Grange dashed any hopes of growth (if there had been any). Swiss
Alp sat content for decades becoming famous for its community
dance hall. Three nearby Lutheran churches formed the United Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Swiss Alp in 1967. The region remains a cattle
producing area and the population has increased from a mere 30 in
the late 60s to 46 in 1990.
The community has a cemetery of its own but nearby are the Kaase,
Philadelphia and Ammannsville
cemeteries.
United Evangelical Lutheran Church
"Three church congregations combined to make United Evangelical
Lutheran Church - the Philadelphia Lutheran Church at Swiss Alp, the
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church at Black
Jack Springs and the Salem Lutheran Church at Freyburg."
- Carolyn
Heinsohn, Fayette County Historical Commission |
 |
United Evangelical
Lutheran Church
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, June 2014 |
United Evangelical
Lutheran Cemetery
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, June 2014 |
United Evangelical
Lutheran Cemetery Historic Marker
(2038 FM 3171)
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, June 2014 |
United Evangelical
Lutheran Cemetery
(Philadelphia Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery)
The Swiss Alp
community was settled about 1865. Within a short time, the Philadelphia
Evangelical Lutheran Church was established and began meeting on land
given by John and Christina Knippa in 1867. The first recorded burial
on this site is that of Emma Gertraut Ritter, who died in October
1867. She was soon followed by Anna Rudi, the wife of Pastor C. C.
Rudi. Ten more church members were interred here before the site was
formally established as a cemetery in February 1877. Other members
of the Rudi family are interred here along with numerous church members.
After several small area churches merged in 1967 the church name was
changed to United Evangelical Lutheran Church and Cemetery. The historic
graveyard contains both marked and unmarked burials.
(1999) |
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Philadelphia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1910
"Image from a small museum at the United Evangelical Lutheran
Church at Swiss Alp".
Submitted by Carolyn
Heinsohn, Fayette County Historical Commission |
Philadelphia
Evangelical Lutheran Church
Second oldest congregation
in the Texas-Louisiana Synod, United Lutheran Church in America. The
founding occurred on March 24, 1867, under leadership of the Rev.
C. C. Rudi, who had just moved to the Swiss Alp area. A ten-acre church
site was donated by John and Christina Knippa by deed of March 29,
1869. Cedar was donated by J. F. Melcher and the Knippas, and original
log church was built in 1869. In Feb. 1877 the cemetery was established
and in Nov. 1877 an adjoining tract of 44.5 acres was added. The present
church building was erected in 1889-90.
1974 |
Philadelphia
Evangelical Lutheran Church Historical Marker
West of U.S. 77 on FM 3171
(about 9 miles SW of La Grange)
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, June 2014 |
Sign to United
Evangelical Lutheran Church sign
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, June 2014 |
Egon Tietjen's
Store, 1954
Courtesy Egon Tietjen family collection
Submitted by Carolyn
Heinsohn, Fayette County Historical Commission |
| Vintage
photo courtesy Fayette Heritage Museum |
Old
Washington School in Swiss Alp
Image of a photo "in a small museum at the United Evangelical
Lutheran Church at Swiss Alp".
Submitted by Carolyn
Heinsohn, Fayette County Historical Commission |
1897-1947 Swiss
Alp Public School marker
TE photo, 2006 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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