Biography included in “A History of Texas and Texans, Volume 4”
(excerpted) by Francis White Johnson
Published by the American Historical Society 1914
TEXAS AND TEXANS 1877
IGNATIUS GEORGE GAAL. His position as superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso, which he has held since 1899, is only one of many relations of interest and value which Ignatius G. Gaal sustains to West Texas, and particularly El Paso County. He is one of the real pioneers of that district, having located there before the advent of railroads, and his own life story is an important chapter in the local history of that part of Texas.
Mr. Gaal was born at Somolnok, in the Department of Sepeshi Varas, Hungary, July 13, 1843. His parents were Frank and Elizabeth Gaal, his father a tanner by trade. His early training for life was unusually varied and efficient. For a time he studied medicine under Dr. Jacob Heidel, who was later one of the able corps in the General Hospital at Vienna. His commercial experience included work in general merchandising and in the drug trade, and at the age of eighteen, in 1865, he came to America. A short time was spent in New York looking for work, and from there he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and for some six months was employed in a furniture factory. Having acquired considerable familiarity with the English language, he then bought a wagon and team and began selling goods as a peddler over Northern Ohio. With a Mr. White as partner, he was for several years head of the firm of Gaal & Company, wholesale liquor dealers in Cleveland.
The career of Mr. Gaal has led him into many states and sections of America, and in 1869 he became one of the pioneers of Washington county, in Northern Kansas, locating in the valley of the Little Blue when there were very few neighbors in that region. While in that section of Kansas be helped to lay out the town of Hanover and part of the town of Waterville. After two years of residence in Kansas, he went to St. Louis in 1871, and later in the same year set out for California. After a brief residence in San Francisco, he located at Sacramento and became connected with the Central Pacific Railway, now a part of the Southern Pacific system. Mr. Gaal acquired large and valuable real estate interests in the vicinity of Sacramento and Humboldt County and continued to prosper as a resident of the Pacific coast until 1880.
It was in 1880 that Mr. Gaal first became identified with West Texas and with the vicinity of El Paso. El Paso as a city had not yet begun. The village of Franklin was all there was to distinguish the locality. The Southern Pacific Railway had not yet been completed to the town, but was finished in 1881. On coming to West Texas, Mr. Gaal bought 6,000 acres of land in El Paso County, but first gave little attention to its management or development, and lived in town and had charge of the construction work on the Southern Pacific car shops until the shops were completed. For about a year he managed the furniture store of Robinson & Carrico, on San Antonio Street, and thus became identified with some of the very earliest enterprises of the present city of El Paso. At that time the county seat of El Paso County was Ysleta, and in the summer of 1883 Mr. Gaal bought some property in that town and established a general store there. It was the largest town in El Paso County and largely due to the commercial leadership and the civic enterprise of Mr. Gaal, it developed into a city, and he was instrumental in changing its public free school into an independent free school district. With the prospering of his business he extended his operations to include general contracting for the Southern Pacific Railway. He sold the company thousands of cords of wood, and besides a good deal of work along the Rio Grande River in protecting the road from wash-outs, he built twenty-one miles of railroad tracks when the line was changed from the river valley to the foothills.
Mr. Gaal is a veteran whose reminiscences cover every detail of the early political life of El Paso County. He first entered actively into politics when it was proposed to move the county seat, from Ysleta to El Paso, and naturally enlisted himself with all his energy and enthusiasm to keep the seat of justice at his home town. The ensuing election, however, resulted in the removal of the court house to El Paso in 1885. Mr. Gaal, on locating in Ysleta in 1883, found that his position in politics was practically unique. A Republican, he was able to find only one other citizen of his political faith in the town. That was a Mexican named Pablo Romero, who confessed to Republican principles, but was afraid for his life if his politics should become a part of public knowledge. Mr. Gaal has always been a man of convictions and did not allow considerations of personal danger or partisan prejudice to influence him, and for several years was active in promulgating and spreading his political belief, and reformed a good many Democrats into Republicans, and by 1886 bad a following of several hundred men of that party. As a leader of a large section of citizenship, in 1886 Mr. Gaal's name was presented as candidate for county commissioner on the Republican ticket, and his defeat was due to a very small majority. In 1888 he was elected mayor of Ysleta and county commissioner by a Republican majority of six to one over his opponent, and was elected mayor again in 1890 and also in 1894.
It will illustrate some of the vicissitudes of early political life in that section of Texas to recount what has already been published concerning Mr. Gaal's administration as mayor of Ysleta. His last election to the office in 1894 was in the nature of a vindication of his previous work. Mr. Gaal was engaged on the reconstruction of the Acequia Madre irrigation ditch of Ysleta for the use and benefit of the citizens of that corporation, and as mayor of the town had many men in his employ. That was in 1890. In this irrigation project a number of people were opposed to him, giving their support to another company who sought to construct another ditch. The matter was largely one of politics rather than one of engineering or business judgment or opinion. The troubles between the two factions kept growing until they almost resulted in civil war. Mr. Gaal went on regardless of personal safety, and at one time was barricaded in his own home with his family for several hours, while his enemies fired thousands of shots, but the siege was finally raised by the friends of Mr. Gaal. Out of the turmoil and excitement Mr. Gaal came with the complete respect and esteem of all better classes of citizens, and for his course had the endorsement of county officials and many prominent men. Many of those who were his bitterest opponents in those days have since become convinced that his way was the right way, and have given him their warm friendship and regard.
While his business interests have always been important, Mr. Gaal has been more or less closely identified with public affairs ever since coming to El Paso. In 1891 he was appointed inspector and deputy collector of customs, in charge of Ysleta under Webster Flannagan, who was then the chief collector of customs for the El Paso district. He held that position until 1895. He also served as president of the school board of Ysleta for seven years, and in 1899 was chosen superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso. His administration of the hospital for fifteen years has been one of economy and efficiency, and, while never neglecting his duty in any way to the inmates, he has regulated the fiscal affairs of the institution in such a way as to constitute the least burden upon the taxpayers.
Outside of business and public life, Mr. Gaal is also prominent in connection with fraternal affairs. Several of his relations with the older orders were begun during his residence in California. At Sacramento he joined Industrial Lodge No. 157, I. 0. 0. F., and also Lodge No. 11 of the Knights of Pythias at Sacramento, having become a member of both lodges in 1873. He is also a member of the Veteran Knights of Pythias Association of Sacramento. Since June 28, 1905, he has been a life member of El Paso Lodge No. 187, B. P.0. E., and since 1910 has had affiliations with El Paso Lodge No. 289, T. F. B. He has a position on the executive committee of the Pioneer Society of El Paso, and belongs to the El Paso Club and the Cactus Bowling and Athletic Club of El Paso.
On May 29, 1878, at Sacramento, California, Mr. Gaal married Frances Concordia America Rademacher. She was born in Willimantic (Connecticut). The names of their children and brief record are as follows: Rose Gaal, born in Arcata, Humboldt County, California, on Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1879, died the same day, that date being also the birthday of her grandfather, J. C. Rademacher; Charles Bismarck Gaal, born in Arcata, Humbolt county, California, April 16, 1880; Ignatius George Gaal, Jr., born in El Paso on the McKinley birthday, January 29, 1882, died August 10, 1882; Lillian Mary Gaal, born at Ysleta, El Paso county, December 16, 1885, on the birthday of her grandmother, Maria Rademacher; Frank Felix Gaal was born in Ysleta January 14, 1888; George Washington Gaal was born at Ysleta, February 22, 1895, that being the birthday of his aunt, Mrs. B. Ostendorf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WIFE:
Francisca C. A. Rademacher
B: 9 May 1850 in Willimantic, CT
D: 13 April 1920 in El Paso, TX
Buried: San Francisco, CA
source: TX death certificate
CHILDREN:
(1) Rose Gaal
B: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
(2) Charles Bismark Gaal (married Genoveva Gutierrez Morales)
B: 16 Apr 1880 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 19 Aug 1954 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(3) Ignatius George Gaal, Jr.
B: 29 Jan 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
D: 10 Aug 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(4) Lillian Mary Gaal (married William H. Eden)
B: 16 Dec 1885 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 05 Apr 1967 - Houston, Harris, TX
(5) Frank Felix Gaal (married Concepcion "Pearl" Terrazas)
B: 14 Jan 1888 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 09 Jun 1962 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(6) George Washington Gaal (married Mary O. Valle)
B: 22 Feb 1895 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 28 Jun 1958 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(excerpted) by Francis White Johnson
Published by the American Historical Society 1914
TEXAS AND TEXANS 1877
IGNATIUS GEORGE GAAL. His position as superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso, which he has held since 1899, is only one of many relations of interest and value which Ignatius G. Gaal sustains to West Texas, and particularly El Paso County. He is one of the real pioneers of that district, having located there before the advent of railroads, and his own life story is an important chapter in the local history of that part of Texas.
Mr. Gaal was born at Somolnok, in the Department of Sepeshi Varas, Hungary, July 13, 1843. His parents were Frank and Elizabeth Gaal, his father a tanner by trade. His early training for life was unusually varied and efficient. For a time he studied medicine under Dr. Jacob Heidel, who was later one of the able corps in the General Hospital at Vienna. His commercial experience included work in general merchandising and in the drug trade, and at the age of eighteen, in 1865, he came to America. A short time was spent in New York looking for work, and from there he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and for some six months was employed in a furniture factory. Having acquired considerable familiarity with the English language, he then bought a wagon and team and began selling goods as a peddler over Northern Ohio. With a Mr. White as partner, he was for several years head of the firm of Gaal & Company, wholesale liquor dealers in Cleveland.
The career of Mr. Gaal has led him into many states and sections of America, and in 1869 he became one of the pioneers of Washington county, in Northern Kansas, locating in the valley of the Little Blue when there were very few neighbors in that region. While in that section of Kansas be helped to lay out the town of Hanover and part of the town of Waterville. After two years of residence in Kansas, he went to St. Louis in 1871, and later in the same year set out for California. After a brief residence in San Francisco, he located at Sacramento and became connected with the Central Pacific Railway, now a part of the Southern Pacific system. Mr. Gaal acquired large and valuable real estate interests in the vicinity of Sacramento and Humboldt County and continued to prosper as a resident of the Pacific coast until 1880.
It was in 1880 that Mr. Gaal first became identified with West Texas and with the vicinity of El Paso. El Paso as a city had not yet begun. The village of Franklin was all there was to distinguish the locality. The Southern Pacific Railway had not yet been completed to the town, but was finished in 1881. On coming to West Texas, Mr. Gaal bought 6,000 acres of land in El Paso County, but first gave little attention to its management or development, and lived in town and had charge of the construction work on the Southern Pacific car shops until the shops were completed. For about a year he managed the furniture store of Robinson & Carrico, on San Antonio Street, and thus became identified with some of the very earliest enterprises of the present city of El Paso. At that time the county seat of El Paso County was Ysleta, and in the summer of 1883 Mr. Gaal bought some property in that town and established a general store there. It was the largest town in El Paso County and largely due to the commercial leadership and the civic enterprise of Mr. Gaal, it developed into a city, and he was instrumental in changing its public free school into an independent free school district. With the prospering of his business he extended his operations to include general contracting for the Southern Pacific Railway. He sold the company thousands of cords of wood, and besides a good deal of work along the Rio Grande River in protecting the road from wash-outs, he built twenty-one miles of railroad tracks when the line was changed from the river valley to the foothills.
Mr. Gaal is a veteran whose reminiscences cover every detail of the early political life of El Paso County. He first entered actively into politics when it was proposed to move the county seat, from Ysleta to El Paso, and naturally enlisted himself with all his energy and enthusiasm to keep the seat of justice at his home town. The ensuing election, however, resulted in the removal of the court house to El Paso in 1885. Mr. Gaal, on locating in Ysleta in 1883, found that his position in politics was practically unique. A Republican, he was able to find only one other citizen of his political faith in the town. That was a Mexican named Pablo Romero, who confessed to Republican principles, but was afraid for his life if his politics should become a part of public knowledge. Mr. Gaal has always been a man of convictions and did not allow considerations of personal danger or partisan prejudice to influence him, and for several years was active in promulgating and spreading his political belief, and reformed a good many Democrats into Republicans, and by 1886 bad a following of several hundred men of that party. As a leader of a large section of citizenship, in 1886 Mr. Gaal's name was presented as candidate for county commissioner on the Republican ticket, and his defeat was due to a very small majority. In 1888 he was elected mayor of Ysleta and county commissioner by a Republican majority of six to one over his opponent, and was elected mayor again in 1890 and also in 1894.
It will illustrate some of the vicissitudes of early political life in that section of Texas to recount what has already been published concerning Mr. Gaal's administration as mayor of Ysleta. His last election to the office in 1894 was in the nature of a vindication of his previous work. Mr. Gaal was engaged on the reconstruction of the Acequia Madre irrigation ditch of Ysleta for the use and benefit of the citizens of that corporation, and as mayor of the town had many men in his employ. That was in 1890. In this irrigation project a number of people were opposed to him, giving their support to another company who sought to construct another ditch. The matter was largely one of politics rather than one of engineering or business judgment or opinion. The troubles between the two factions kept growing until they almost resulted in civil war. Mr. Gaal went on regardless of personal safety, and at one time was barricaded in his own home with his family for several hours, while his enemies fired thousands of shots, but the siege was finally raised by the friends of Mr. Gaal. Out of the turmoil and excitement Mr. Gaal came with the complete respect and esteem of all better classes of citizens, and for his course had the endorsement of county officials and many prominent men. Many of those who were his bitterest opponents in those days have since become convinced that his way was the right way, and have given him their warm friendship and regard.
While his business interests have always been important, Mr. Gaal has been more or less closely identified with public affairs ever since coming to El Paso. In 1891 he was appointed inspector and deputy collector of customs, in charge of Ysleta under Webster Flannagan, who was then the chief collector of customs for the El Paso district. He held that position until 1895. He also served as president of the school board of Ysleta for seven years, and in 1899 was chosen superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso. His administration of the hospital for fifteen years has been one of economy and efficiency, and, while never neglecting his duty in any way to the inmates, he has regulated the fiscal affairs of the institution in such a way as to constitute the least burden upon the taxpayers.
Outside of business and public life, Mr. Gaal is also prominent in connection with fraternal affairs. Several of his relations with the older orders were begun during his residence in California. At Sacramento he joined Industrial Lodge No. 157, I. 0. 0. F., and also Lodge No. 11 of the Knights of Pythias at Sacramento, having become a member of both lodges in 1873. He is also a member of the Veteran Knights of Pythias Association of Sacramento. Since June 28, 1905, he has been a life member of El Paso Lodge No. 187, B. P.0. E., and since 1910 has had affiliations with El Paso Lodge No. 289, T. F. B. He has a position on the executive committee of the Pioneer Society of El Paso, and belongs to the El Paso Club and the Cactus Bowling and Athletic Club of El Paso.
On May 29, 1878, at Sacramento, California, Mr. Gaal married Frances Concordia America Rademacher. She was born in Willimantic (Connecticut). The names of their children and brief record are as follows: Rose Gaal, born in Arcata, Humboldt County, California, on Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1879, died the same day, that date being also the birthday of her grandfather, J. C. Rademacher; Charles Bismarck Gaal, born in Arcata, Humbolt county, California, April 16, 1880; Ignatius George Gaal, Jr., born in El Paso on the McKinley birthday, January 29, 1882, died August 10, 1882; Lillian Mary Gaal, born at Ysleta, El Paso county, December 16, 1885, on the birthday of her grandmother, Maria Rademacher; Frank Felix Gaal was born in Ysleta January 14, 1888; George Washington Gaal was born at Ysleta, February 22, 1895, that being the birthday of his aunt, Mrs. B. Ostendorf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WIFE:
Francisca C. A. Rademacher
B: 9 May 1850 in Willimantic, CT
D: 13 April 1920 in El Paso, TX
Buried: San Francisco, CA
source: TX death certificate
CHILDREN:
(1) Rose Gaal
B: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
(2) Charles Bismark Gaal (married Genoveva Gutierrez Morales)
B: 16 Apr 1880 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 19 Aug 1954 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(3) Ignatius George Gaal, Jr.
B: 29 Jan 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
D: 10 Aug 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(4) Lillian Mary Gaal (married William H. Eden)
B: 16 Dec 1885 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 05 Apr 1967 - Houston, Harris, TX
(5) Frank Felix Gaal (married Concepcion "Pearl" Terrazas)
B: 14 Jan 1888 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 09 Jun 1962 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(6) George Washington Gaal (married Mary O. Valle)
B: 22 Feb 1895 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 28 Jun 1958 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
Biography included in “A History of Texas and Texans, Volume 4”
(excerpted) by Francis White Johnson
Published by the American Historical Society 1914
TEXAS AND TEXANS 1877
IGNATIUS GEORGE GAAL. His position as superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso, which he has held since 1899, is only one of many relations of interest and value which Ignatius G. Gaal sustains to West Texas, and particularly El Paso County. He is one of the real pioneers of that district, having located there before the advent of railroads, and his own life story is an important chapter in the local history of that part of Texas.
Mr. Gaal was born at Somolnok, in the Department of Sepeshi Varas, Hungary, July 13, 1843. His parents were Frank and Elizabeth Gaal, his father a tanner by trade. His early training for life was unusually varied and efficient. For a time he studied medicine under Dr. Jacob Heidel, who was later one of the able corps in the General Hospital at Vienna. His commercial experience included work in general merchandising and in the drug trade, and at the age of eighteen, in 1865, he came to America. A short time was spent in New York looking for work, and from there he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and for some six months was employed in a furniture factory. Having acquired considerable familiarity with the English language, he then bought a wagon and team and began selling goods as a peddler over Northern Ohio. With a Mr. White as partner, he was for several years head of the firm of Gaal & Company, wholesale liquor dealers in Cleveland.
The career of Mr. Gaal has led him into many states and sections of America, and in 1869 he became one of the pioneers of Washington county, in Northern Kansas, locating in the valley of the Little Blue when there were very few neighbors in that region. While in that section of Kansas be helped to lay out the town of Hanover and part of the town of Waterville. After two years of residence in Kansas, he went to St. Louis in 1871, and later in the same year set out for California. After a brief residence in San Francisco, he located at Sacramento and became connected with the Central Pacific Railway, now a part of the Southern Pacific system. Mr. Gaal acquired large and valuable real estate interests in the vicinity of Sacramento and Humboldt County and continued to prosper as a resident of the Pacific coast until 1880.
It was in 1880 that Mr. Gaal first became identified with West Texas and with the vicinity of El Paso. El Paso as a city had not yet begun. The village of Franklin was all there was to distinguish the locality. The Southern Pacific Railway had not yet been completed to the town, but was finished in 1881. On coming to West Texas, Mr. Gaal bought 6,000 acres of land in El Paso County, but first gave little attention to its management or development, and lived in town and had charge of the construction work on the Southern Pacific car shops until the shops were completed. For about a year he managed the furniture store of Robinson & Carrico, on San Antonio Street, and thus became identified with some of the very earliest enterprises of the present city of El Paso. At that time the county seat of El Paso County was Ysleta, and in the summer of 1883 Mr. Gaal bought some property in that town and established a general store there. It was the largest town in El Paso County and largely due to the commercial leadership and the civic enterprise of Mr. Gaal, it developed into a city, and he was instrumental in changing its public free school into an independent free school district. With the prospering of his business he extended his operations to include general contracting for the Southern Pacific Railway. He sold the company thousands of cords of wood, and besides a good deal of work along the Rio Grande River in protecting the road from wash-outs, he built twenty-one miles of railroad tracks when the line was changed from the river valley to the foothills.
Mr. Gaal is a veteran whose reminiscences cover every detail of the early political life of El Paso County. He first entered actively into politics when it was proposed to move the county seat, from Ysleta to El Paso, and naturally enlisted himself with all his energy and enthusiasm to keep the seat of justice at his home town. The ensuing election, however, resulted in the removal of the court house to El Paso in 1885. Mr. Gaal, on locating in Ysleta in 1883, found that his position in politics was practically unique. A Republican, he was able to find only one other citizen of his political faith in the town. That was a Mexican named Pablo Romero, who confessed to Republican principles, but was afraid for his life if his politics should become a part of public knowledge. Mr. Gaal has always been a man of convictions and did not allow considerations of personal danger or partisan prejudice to influence him, and for several years was active in promulgating and spreading his political belief, and reformed a good many Democrats into Republicans, and by 1886 bad a following of several hundred men of that party. As a leader of a large section of citizenship, in 1886 Mr. Gaal's name was presented as candidate for county commissioner on the Republican ticket, and his defeat was due to a very small majority. In 1888 he was elected mayor of Ysleta and county commissioner by a Republican majority of six to one over his opponent, and was elected mayor again in 1890 and also in 1894.
It will illustrate some of the vicissitudes of early political life in that section of Texas to recount what has already been published concerning Mr. Gaal's administration as mayor of Ysleta. His last election to the office in 1894 was in the nature of a vindication of his previous work. Mr. Gaal was engaged on the reconstruction of the Acequia Madre irrigation ditch of Ysleta for the use and benefit of the citizens of that corporation, and as mayor of the town had many men in his employ. That was in 1890. In this irrigation project a number of people were opposed to him, giving their support to another company who sought to construct another ditch. The matter was largely one of politics rather than one of engineering or business judgment or opinion. The troubles between the two factions kept growing until they almost resulted in civil war. Mr. Gaal went on regardless of personal safety, and at one time was barricaded in his own home with his family for several hours, while his enemies fired thousands of shots, but the siege was finally raised by the friends of Mr. Gaal. Out of the turmoil and excitement Mr. Gaal came with the complete respect and esteem of all better classes of citizens, and for his course had the endorsement of county officials and many prominent men. Many of those who were his bitterest opponents in those days have since become convinced that his way was the right way, and have given him their warm friendship and regard.
While his business interests have always been important, Mr. Gaal has been more or less closely identified with public affairs ever since coming to El Paso. In 1891 he was appointed inspector and deputy collector of customs, in charge of Ysleta under Webster Flannagan, who was then the chief collector of customs for the El Paso district. He held that position until 1895. He also served as president of the school board of Ysleta for seven years, and in 1899 was chosen superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso. His administration of the hospital for fifteen years has been one of economy and efficiency, and, while never neglecting his duty in any way to the inmates, he has regulated the fiscal affairs of the institution in such a way as to constitute the least burden upon the taxpayers.
Outside of business and public life, Mr. Gaal is also prominent in connection with fraternal affairs. Several of his relations with the older orders were begun during his residence in California. At Sacramento he joined Industrial Lodge No. 157, I. 0. 0. F., and also Lodge No. 11 of the Knights of Pythias at Sacramento, having become a member of both lodges in 1873. He is also a member of the Veteran Knights of Pythias Association of Sacramento. Since June 28, 1905, he has been a life member of El Paso Lodge No. 187, B. P.0. E., and since 1910 has had affiliations with El Paso Lodge No. 289, T. F. B. He has a position on the executive committee of the Pioneer Society of El Paso, and belongs to the El Paso Club and the Cactus Bowling and Athletic Club of El Paso.
On May 29, 1878, at Sacramento, California, Mr. Gaal married Frances Concordia America Rademacher. She was born in Willimantic (Connecticut). The names of their children and brief record are as follows: Rose Gaal, born in Arcata, Humboldt County, California, on Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1879, died the same day, that date being also the birthday of her grandfather, J. C. Rademacher; Charles Bismarck Gaal, born in Arcata, Humbolt county, California, April 16, 1880; Ignatius George Gaal, Jr., born in El Paso on the McKinley birthday, January 29, 1882, died August 10, 1882; Lillian Mary Gaal, born at Ysleta, El Paso county, December 16, 1885, on the birthday of her grandmother, Maria Rademacher; Frank Felix Gaal was born in Ysleta January 14, 1888; George Washington Gaal was born at Ysleta, February 22, 1895, that being the birthday of his aunt, Mrs. B. Ostendorf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WIFE:
Francisca C. A. Rademacher
B: 9 May 1850 in Willimantic, CT
D: 13 April 1920 in El Paso, TX
Buried: San Francisco, CA
source: TX death certificate
CHILDREN:
(1) Rose Gaal
B: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
(2) Charles Bismark Gaal (married Genoveva Gutierrez Morales)
B: 16 Apr 1880 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 19 Aug 1954 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(3) Ignatius George Gaal, Jr.
B: 29 Jan 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
D: 10 Aug 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(4) Lillian Mary Gaal (married William H. Eden)
B: 16 Dec 1885 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 05 Apr 1967 - Houston, Harris, TX
(5) Frank Felix Gaal (married Concepcion "Pearl" Terrazas)
B: 14 Jan 1888 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 09 Jun 1962 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(6) George Washington Gaal (married Mary O. Valle)
B: 22 Feb 1895 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 28 Jun 1958 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(excerpted) by Francis White Johnson
Published by the American Historical Society 1914
TEXAS AND TEXANS 1877
IGNATIUS GEORGE GAAL. His position as superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso, which he has held since 1899, is only one of many relations of interest and value which Ignatius G. Gaal sustains to West Texas, and particularly El Paso County. He is one of the real pioneers of that district, having located there before the advent of railroads, and his own life story is an important chapter in the local history of that part of Texas.
Mr. Gaal was born at Somolnok, in the Department of Sepeshi Varas, Hungary, July 13, 1843. His parents were Frank and Elizabeth Gaal, his father a tanner by trade. His early training for life was unusually varied and efficient. For a time he studied medicine under Dr. Jacob Heidel, who was later one of the able corps in the General Hospital at Vienna. His commercial experience included work in general merchandising and in the drug trade, and at the age of eighteen, in 1865, he came to America. A short time was spent in New York looking for work, and from there he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and for some six months was employed in a furniture factory. Having acquired considerable familiarity with the English language, he then bought a wagon and team and began selling goods as a peddler over Northern Ohio. With a Mr. White as partner, he was for several years head of the firm of Gaal & Company, wholesale liquor dealers in Cleveland.
The career of Mr. Gaal has led him into many states and sections of America, and in 1869 he became one of the pioneers of Washington county, in Northern Kansas, locating in the valley of the Little Blue when there were very few neighbors in that region. While in that section of Kansas be helped to lay out the town of Hanover and part of the town of Waterville. After two years of residence in Kansas, he went to St. Louis in 1871, and later in the same year set out for California. After a brief residence in San Francisco, he located at Sacramento and became connected with the Central Pacific Railway, now a part of the Southern Pacific system. Mr. Gaal acquired large and valuable real estate interests in the vicinity of Sacramento and Humboldt County and continued to prosper as a resident of the Pacific coast until 1880.
It was in 1880 that Mr. Gaal first became identified with West Texas and with the vicinity of El Paso. El Paso as a city had not yet begun. The village of Franklin was all there was to distinguish the locality. The Southern Pacific Railway had not yet been completed to the town, but was finished in 1881. On coming to West Texas, Mr. Gaal bought 6,000 acres of land in El Paso County, but first gave little attention to its management or development, and lived in town and had charge of the construction work on the Southern Pacific car shops until the shops were completed. For about a year he managed the furniture store of Robinson & Carrico, on San Antonio Street, and thus became identified with some of the very earliest enterprises of the present city of El Paso. At that time the county seat of El Paso County was Ysleta, and in the summer of 1883 Mr. Gaal bought some property in that town and established a general store there. It was the largest town in El Paso County and largely due to the commercial leadership and the civic enterprise of Mr. Gaal, it developed into a city, and he was instrumental in changing its public free school into an independent free school district. With the prospering of his business he extended his operations to include general contracting for the Southern Pacific Railway. He sold the company thousands of cords of wood, and besides a good deal of work along the Rio Grande River in protecting the road from wash-outs, he built twenty-one miles of railroad tracks when the line was changed from the river valley to the foothills.
Mr. Gaal is a veteran whose reminiscences cover every detail of the early political life of El Paso County. He first entered actively into politics when it was proposed to move the county seat, from Ysleta to El Paso, and naturally enlisted himself with all his energy and enthusiasm to keep the seat of justice at his home town. The ensuing election, however, resulted in the removal of the court house to El Paso in 1885. Mr. Gaal, on locating in Ysleta in 1883, found that his position in politics was practically unique. A Republican, he was able to find only one other citizen of his political faith in the town. That was a Mexican named Pablo Romero, who confessed to Republican principles, but was afraid for his life if his politics should become a part of public knowledge. Mr. Gaal has always been a man of convictions and did not allow considerations of personal danger or partisan prejudice to influence him, and for several years was active in promulgating and spreading his political belief, and reformed a good many Democrats into Republicans, and by 1886 bad a following of several hundred men of that party. As a leader of a large section of citizenship, in 1886 Mr. Gaal's name was presented as candidate for county commissioner on the Republican ticket, and his defeat was due to a very small majority. In 1888 he was elected mayor of Ysleta and county commissioner by a Republican majority of six to one over his opponent, and was elected mayor again in 1890 and also in 1894.
It will illustrate some of the vicissitudes of early political life in that section of Texas to recount what has already been published concerning Mr. Gaal's administration as mayor of Ysleta. His last election to the office in 1894 was in the nature of a vindication of his previous work. Mr. Gaal was engaged on the reconstruction of the Acequia Madre irrigation ditch of Ysleta for the use and benefit of the citizens of that corporation, and as mayor of the town had many men in his employ. That was in 1890. In this irrigation project a number of people were opposed to him, giving their support to another company who sought to construct another ditch. The matter was largely one of politics rather than one of engineering or business judgment or opinion. The troubles between the two factions kept growing until they almost resulted in civil war. Mr. Gaal went on regardless of personal safety, and at one time was barricaded in his own home with his family for several hours, while his enemies fired thousands of shots, but the siege was finally raised by the friends of Mr. Gaal. Out of the turmoil and excitement Mr. Gaal came with the complete respect and esteem of all better classes of citizens, and for his course had the endorsement of county officials and many prominent men. Many of those who were his bitterest opponents in those days have since become convinced that his way was the right way, and have given him their warm friendship and regard.
While his business interests have always been important, Mr. Gaal has been more or less closely identified with public affairs ever since coming to El Paso. In 1891 he was appointed inspector and deputy collector of customs, in charge of Ysleta under Webster Flannagan, who was then the chief collector of customs for the El Paso district. He held that position until 1895. He also served as president of the school board of Ysleta for seven years, and in 1899 was chosen superintendent of the County Hospital at El Paso. His administration of the hospital for fifteen years has been one of economy and efficiency, and, while never neglecting his duty in any way to the inmates, he has regulated the fiscal affairs of the institution in such a way as to constitute the least burden upon the taxpayers.
Outside of business and public life, Mr. Gaal is also prominent in connection with fraternal affairs. Several of his relations with the older orders were begun during his residence in California. At Sacramento he joined Industrial Lodge No. 157, I. 0. 0. F., and also Lodge No. 11 of the Knights of Pythias at Sacramento, having become a member of both lodges in 1873. He is also a member of the Veteran Knights of Pythias Association of Sacramento. Since June 28, 1905, he has been a life member of El Paso Lodge No. 187, B. P.0. E., and since 1910 has had affiliations with El Paso Lodge No. 289, T. F. B. He has a position on the executive committee of the Pioneer Society of El Paso, and belongs to the El Paso Club and the Cactus Bowling and Athletic Club of El Paso.
On May 29, 1878, at Sacramento, California, Mr. Gaal married Frances Concordia America Rademacher. She was born in Willimantic (Connecticut). The names of their children and brief record are as follows: Rose Gaal, born in Arcata, Humboldt County, California, on Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1879, died the same day, that date being also the birthday of her grandfather, J. C. Rademacher; Charles Bismarck Gaal, born in Arcata, Humbolt county, California, April 16, 1880; Ignatius George Gaal, Jr., born in El Paso on the McKinley birthday, January 29, 1882, died August 10, 1882; Lillian Mary Gaal, born at Ysleta, El Paso county, December 16, 1885, on the birthday of her grandmother, Maria Rademacher; Frank Felix Gaal was born in Ysleta January 14, 1888; George Washington Gaal was born at Ysleta, February 22, 1895, that being the birthday of his aunt, Mrs. B. Ostendorf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WIFE:
Francisca C. A. Rademacher
B: 9 May 1850 in Willimantic, CT
D: 13 April 1920 in El Paso, TX
Buried: San Francisco, CA
source: TX death certificate
CHILDREN:
(1) Rose Gaal
B: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 12 Feb 1879 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
(2) Charles Bismark Gaal (married Genoveva Gutierrez Morales)
B: 16 Apr 1880 - Arcata, Humboldt, CA
D: 19 Aug 1954 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(3) Ignatius George Gaal, Jr.
B: 29 Jan 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
D: 10 Aug 1882 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(4) Lillian Mary Gaal (married William H. Eden)
B: 16 Dec 1885 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 05 Apr 1967 - Houston, Harris, TX
(5) Frank Felix Gaal (married Concepcion "Pearl" Terrazas)
B: 14 Jan 1888 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 09 Jun 1962 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
(6) George Washington Gaal (married Mary O. Valle)
B: 22 Feb 1895 - Ysleta, El Paso, TX
D: 28 Jun 1958 - El Paso, El Paso, TX
