Herbert Roedenbeck Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS0474

Staff Only

Content Description

The Herbert Roedenbeck Papers consist mainly of stories and recollections written by Roedenbeck about his experiences as a farmer, rancher, and land dealer in Colorado and southeastern Texas during the early 20th century. Most of the documents in the collection are photocopies of Roedenbeck's manuscripts. The collection also includes some photographs, postcards, and correspondence.

Dates

Creation: 1903-1975
Creation: Majority of material found within 1967-1970

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Biographical Sketch

Herbert Roedenbeck (1881-1975) immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1906. As a young man in Germany, he operated a large farm near Brunswick and attended Heidelberg University. After he arrived in the United States, he pursued a number of agricultural interests. He experimented with growing several varieties of sugar beets in Colorado and planted an experimental citrus orchard in southern Texas. In 1909, he partnered with Theodore F. Koch, a Texas land developer, to buy and sell land to settlers.

Roedenbeck planted one of the first commercial-scale rice crops in Texas in 1910, and developed a new strain of rice called Roedenbeck Prolific. He served as a Chambers County commissioner from 1920 to 1924. During this term of service, he promoted the practice of dipping cattle to eradicate the devastating Texas fever ticks. He left farming in 1928 and began leasing land for oil exploration.