Boll, Henry

Monsieur Henry Boll was born November 14, 1830 at Canton Aargan, Switzerland. The son of Henry and Magdelina Pier Boll. Both native of Switzerland. At the age of nineteen after receiving his education he moved to Zurich where he was an apprentice in a large meat processing plant. Here he remained for almost four years. Mr. Boll was married to Mlle. Notzli while residing in Switzerland and later two children were born, but in 1854 Mr. Boll had the misfortune of losing his wife and both of his children.

After the death of his family he became interested in the French colony which was then being organized for establishment in Texas. In February 1855 he joined this expedition sailing from Bremen, Germany, and after a sixty-one day voyage he arrived at Galveston, Texas. Remaining here for a few days he continued on to Houston, and after reaching Houston he found passage on one of the oxen-drawn wagons headed for Dallas. He reached La Reunion on July 4, 1855, a few months after the colony was built.

Here he was placed in charge of the processing all of the meat that would be used in the Community kitchen. On July 22, Boll married Mlle. Elizabeth Knopfli and they had ten children. Two of the children died at an early age. Elizabeth was the daughter of Jacob Knopfli, one of the colonist. The daughters of Henry and Elizabeth Boll were Annie, Minnie, Henrietta, and Elizabeth. Their sons were Henry, Jacob, Charles and William.

Henry Boll enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 and was assigned to the Commissary Department under Colonel Buford. He later became the rationing officer in charge of supplies at Post Waco. Here he remained until the close of the war. Returning to Dallas after the war's end, he entered the meat business.