Established by German
settlers 1854. Wearied by their journey from New
Braunfels, the small group was so pleased by the picturesque site
and pure water that they named it "Camp
Comfort." With its abundance of vintage structures,
much of the midtown area is on the National Register of
Historic Places. Today a popular tourist area with
numerous camps along the Guadalupe River operated by various
civic organizations. Visitors enjoy fishing, swimming and
camping during summer months, hunting during fall and
winter; interesting shops and art gallery year round.
A historical marker
recognizes the 1930 art deco Comfort Theater, scene of
live theater and the "Hill Country Opry."
Treue der Union
Monument -
The Germans who settled
here abhorred the idea of slavery and supported Governor
Sam Houston's opposition to secession. When the Civil War
started some openly expressed their loyalty to the Union
and refused to sign the individual "oath of
allegiance" to the Confederacy. This led to open
hostility and harassment that included pillaging and
burning of farms by Confederate supporters. In August 1862,
a group of German settlers from the area around Comfort
decided to escape through Mexico and join the Union
forces.
About 65 men headed south.
They didn't realize they were being followed by a
Confederate cavalry unit. They were surprised at their camp
on the Nueces River. Nineteen settlers were killed in the
battle and another 15 were captured and executed. The
rest escaped, either to Mexico or back to the Comfort
area. The bodies were left unburied.
After the war, relatives,
friends, and some of the survivors, who had escaped to
fight with the Union and returned, gathered the bones of
the victims and buried them in a common grave in Comfort.
In 1866 they erected this monument in tribute to the men
who were true to the Union. It is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places. With the exception of those
in national cemeteries, it is believed to be the only
monument to the Union in a former Confederate state. |