DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. The community of New Berlin, out in Guadalupe County, grew up the way a lot of Central Texas towns did — German settlers arriving in the 1840s, putting down roots, building businesses and schools and churches until a place that had been nothing but open land started to feel like somewhere. And somewhere, eventually, needs a store.
In 1898, three men — Luedger Kuehler, H. E. Kalies, and Otto J.
Muelder — decided to make themselves that somewhere. They formed a partnership, called it L. Kuehler and Company, and set up shop with a general merchandise store, a saloon, and a cotton gin.
They also brokered cotton for area farmers, which means they were woven into just about every part of New Berlin's economic life from the jump. Now, if you wanted something, or needed credit, or had cotton to move — well, you knew where to go. Then, in 1916, Luedger and Hulda Kuehler sold the whole operation — store, saloon, cotton gin and all — to Otto and Blanche Muelder.
The names of the various businesses changed to reflect the Muelders' ownership, and just like that, a new chapter opened on that same corner of Guadalupe County. The Muelder family carried on what the marker calls 'the tradition of service and sales,' and that phrase earns its weight when you understand what it actually meant. Local farm families were dependent on the speculative nature of cash crops — cotton doesn't always pay what you need it to pay, and seasons don't always cooperate — and the Muelder Store provided vital credit to keep those families going.
That is no small thing. Now, here's where the story tests itself. In 1927, a hunting accident resulted in Otto Muelder's death.
A lesser operation might have quietly folded. It didn't. The store kept going.
Then, in 1946, the Muelder Store and family home burned to the ground. And here is where you learn what a community actually is — because following that fire, New Berlin showed up. With help and encouragement from the people around them, the store relocated to what had been the Muelder Saloon and reopened for business in a matter of days.
Days. The original store building, you should know, had occupied more than five thousand square feet, and for a time it held the only telephone in the community. That's not just a store — that's a lifeline with a front porch.
The Muelder family's association with that store stretched across ninety-five years, and it was a gathering place the whole time. In 1993, the store was sold out of the Muelder family, and the following year the building was demolished. But the marker standing on this site makes the case that history doesn't disappear just because a building does.
The social and economic heritage of this part of Guadalupe County still carries those ninety-five years in it — every season of cotton, every line of credit, every neighbor who walked through that door because that's just what you did in New Berlin.
What the marker says
Site of Muelder Store The community of New Berlin developed as German settlers came to the area in the 1840s. Businesses, schools and churches were established to serve its residents. In 1898, Luedger Kuehler, H. E. Kalies and Otto J. Muelder entered into a partnership, which they called l. Kuehler and Company. The partners operated a general merchandise store, saloon and cotton gin, and brokered cotton for area farmers. In 1916, Luedger and Hulda Kuehler sold the store, saloon and cotton gin property to Otto (1872-1927) and Blanche (1876-1955) Muelder. The names of the various businesses then were changed to reflect the Muelders' ownership. The Muelder family carried on the tradition of service and sales to the New Berlin Community, providing vital credit to local farm families dependent on the speculative nature of cash crops. The business remained in operation after a 1927 hunting accident resulted in Otto's death and later, when the Muelder Store and family home burned to the ground in 1946. With help and encouragement from the community following the fire, the store relocated to what had been the Muelder Saloon and reopened for business in a matter of days. In its 95-year association with the Muelders, the store was a gathering place for the area. The original store building occupied more than 5,000 square feet and, for a time, was the location of the only telephone in the community. The store was sold out of the Muelder family in 1993, and the building was demolished the following year. Its history, however, remains an important part of the social and economic heritage of this part of Guadalupe County. (2002)