DUANE
Duane's take
Here's the story as the official marker tells it — my job is just to do it justice. Now, picture a man who crossed an ocean, worked his way through New Orleans, and ended up right here in Nacogdoches, helping to shape the destiny of a place that wasn't even a state yet. That man was Nicholas Adolphus Sterne, born April 5, 1801.
By 1817, he'd arrived in New Orleans — a German-Jewish emigrant finding his footing in a brand new world. He became a merchant, joined the Masonic Lodge, and by all accounts, he was a man who knew how to plant roots in uncertain ground. Then came 1826, and Sterne made his way to Nacogdoches.
That move made him one of the first Scottish Rite Masons in the whole of Texas. Now that's a distinction worth noting — not just a joiner, but a trailblazer in the fraternal order of things. And when the cause of Texas independence needed aiding, Sterne was there.
The Fredonian Rebellion, the Texas Revolution — he lent his support through both of those defining struggles. Between those fights and his civic life, he held several public offices locally and served in the State Legislature. A merchant, a Mason, a public servant.
He was married to Eva Catherine Rosine Ruff, and together they had seven children. Nicholas Adolphus Sterne died March 27, 1852. He'd seen New Orleans, seen Nacogdoches, seen Texas go from rebellion to republic to state.
Not a bad run for a man who started out on the other side of the ocean.
What the marker says
(April 5, 1801 - March 27, 1852) Arriving in New Orleans in 1817, German-Jewish emigrant Adolphus Sterne became a merchant and joined the Masonic Lodge. In 1826, when he settled in Nacogdoches, he became one of the first Scottish Rite Masons in Texas. He aided this cause of Texas independence during the Fredonian Rebellion and Texas Revolution. Sterne held several public offices locally and served in the State Legislature. He was married to Eva Catherine Rosine Ruff and had seven children.