Dittmar Family Papers, 1874-1944 (bulk 1909-1944)
Description
Part of the wave of German immigration to Texas in the mid nineteenth century, Albert Dittmar (1833-1887) came to south-central Texas with his parents in the 1850s. He amassed a considerable amount of San Antonio-area real estate, which became the basis of the family business. After serving in the Civil War, Albert Dittmar returned to his hometown of Darmstadt, Germany, and married Emmy von Rehfues (1850-1941), a relative of the Herff family, likewise prominent German-Texans.
Correspondence, property records, legal and financial documents, printed material, and photographs record the business and personal activities of several Dittmar family members. The first, and more extensive, series is Business and Professional Papers, which relate primarily to business entities formed to develop family real estate holdings. A significant portion is connected to the Emmy Dittmar Improvement Company, and a majority of these papers are associated with Charles Dittmar and his brother John. The second series, Personal Papers, documents the non-business activities of the family and is primarily related to Emmy Dittmar and her daughter Mattie.