Did You Know? Spring Branch Post Office - Bulverde Spring Branch Highlights - Jul. 2024

The history of the Spring Branch post office goes back to the 1850s. The first post office was established in 1858 with Louis Willke as the postmaster. It was located at the Porter Store after being temporarily housed at the Valentin Horne homestead. Dr. Porter became the postmaster in 1860 until his untimely death when all his holdings ceased to function. That included his store, the post office and the mills along Spring Branch Creek.

When the Civil War broke out all government post offices were closed. The Comal Ranch, a Confederate post about a mile from Spring Branch, was designated as the post office with William DeForest Holly as the postmaster in 1861. Col. Charles Power was appointed in 1862 and that post office remained until after the Civil War in 1865. Unfortunately, the New Braunfels post office was re-opened with Spring Branch residents having to check notices in the New Braunfels Zeitung newspaper that mail had arrived for them.

In 1867, Christian Gottlieb Elbel began serving as postmaster out of his homestead in Spring Branch, eleven miles from the Twin Sisters post office and eleven miles from the Smithson Valley post office. Mail was delivered between New Braunfels and Fredericksburg through Spring Branch by mail horse rider Adolph Jonas. He served more than eleven years. A coach line was finally established from Austin to Blanco to Fredericksburg and San Saba.

The 1867 to 1872 Spring Branch post office is still standing and is located at 170 Rittimann Road. Bernard Monken served as postmaster from 1872 to 1875 and afterwards by Hans Specht from 1875 to 1906. William Specht, the postmaster from 1906 to 1907 moved the post office to the general store at old Spring Branch or Knibbeville. Charles Knibbe bought the store and served as postmaster between 1907 and 1914. Herman J. Knibbe took over until 1949. The post office was moved to the new Spring Branch Store located at US Hwy 281 and FM 311 after a fire destroyed the original building and operated until 1984. A new post office was built in 1984 on US Hwy 281. The current post office on US Hwy 281 was opened in 2017.

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