Interview with Edna Crenwelge

"Miss Edna stands out as one, along with her late husband Pete, who has influenced many lives who have passed through Doss Valley." "Friends of the Doss School have chosen to dedicate this book to "Miss" Edna, not only for the twenty-nine years of outstanding service as a Doss School teacher, but for spending countless hours researching and writing this history book. She has ably documented these 100 years. She has poured warmth, personality, and her heart into making this book a precious keepsake for those who have known the Doss School." -A Doss School History in Review. 1985

Date of Birth: December 4, 1917
Heritage: German
Place of Birth: Doss, Texas
Current Residence: Doss, Texas (Squaw Creek Valley)
Description of Doss: most beautiful place, and very scenic.
Land of Doss: it was virgin territory.
First Settlers: they were the founders of Fredericksburg, they spread out going west.
Doss Brothers: they were the first to settle in Doss, it was two brothers, they had slaves, and they started a gristmill. They raised cattle and horses, that's how they made their living.
After the Doss Brothers: not sure how many years before other settlers came along. People would find land, live there about a year and then you could have the land from the government, or you could pay two dollars an acre.
Doss Brothers' Home: they built a house next to the spring where they settled, it was a big house, the most beautiful home. It burnt down and they later left Doss shortly after the flood. No one really knows why they left. They had land below Fredericksburg like 3,000 acres of land and they also had land and property in Galveston. They were rich people, they came from Virginia.
Population of the Community: more and more people are buying land in Doss. The Doss Community population is somewhere between 150-200 people.
The Economic Wealth: Ranching. Grew up on a ranch, married a young man that owned a ranch. Occupation: Taught at the Doss School for 29 years, 40 years in all.
Schoolhouse Life: Little country schools with 8 grades and one teacher with 20 students. We were like family; everyone knew each other really well.
College: Attended Texas Lutheran College
Family: One son, who still owns a ranch in Doss.
Land: land is inherited from families. Other people buy land from families who don't want to live in a small town.
Doss Fair: The 150th Ann. I wrote the pageant and narrated. The local people acted out the history, the 1st settlers, 1st school, started off with the Indians. The 4-H club acted out the history of the Indians.
Doss Fish Fry: It was held 2 weeks after the 150th celebration. 3,000 people attended. The largest one the state. It was held in the Doss community center.
Small Community Life: children would walk to school, they walked with other children, some rode horse back. There were no school buses till the 1950s. The children would walk 4 to 5 miles. The schools were spread out over the territory because of the distance the children had to walk. There was one schoolhouse on Onion Creek, one in Squaw Creek, and a Doss one. The schools were consolidated to the Doss School later in the years because of the Transportation.
Church Services: We would go to the Sunday houses in Fredericksburg. Saturday we would drive by wagon and buggy and horses to Fredericksburg, spend the night in our Sunday homes go to church, and then do our business there, like grocery shopping. Then we would return home on Monday.
Established Churches: The Primitive Baptist Church had services in the houses I live in now. Lutheran Church: founders were 8 men, my Grandfather was one.
Current Schoolhouse: Most of the students are transported from Fredericksburg, there are about 6 native Doss students attending the school. They are 2 teachers and a teacher's aid. Back to main page