Texas State Historical Association

On this day in 1849, C. F. Carl (Charles) Steinhagen, early Texas cabinetmaker and German emigrant, arrived in Galveston from Bremen aboard the Galliott Flora. He was a wheelwright by trade who made furniture for his family as a hobby. Steinhagen settled in Anderson, where he died in 1893. Ima Hogg, who collected many of his fine pieces of household furniture for the University of Texas Winedale Properties at Roundtop, described Steinhagen as "one of the most outstanding-if not the finest-cabinetmaker who came to early Texas."

The piece of furniture featured is the Empire Sofa by Carl Steinhagen. Image Courtesy of the Winedale Historical Complex, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

On this day in 1836, a large force of Comanche warriors, accompanied by Kiowa and Kichai allies, attacked Fort Parker, located on the headwaters of the Navasota River in what is now Limestone County. During the raid the Comanches seized five captives, including Cynthia Ann Parker. The other four were eventually released, but Cynthia remained with the Indians for almost twenty-five years, forgot white ways, and became thoroughly Comanche. She was perhaps the most famous Indian captive in Texas history. Her son Quanah became a celebrated Comanche chief.