Jack and Katherine Harrington

Jack and Katherine (Missy) Harrington, ranchers living in Comstock, Texas, donated approximately 70 acres to the Shumla School for the construction of the SHUMLA educational center. They also have made available the remainder of their 4,800 acre ranch for SHUMLA's educational and research activities. This land has been in Katherine's (Missy's) family since the later 1800s. It is part of the original Zuberbueler Ranch, which was purchased by John U. Zuberbueler in the late 1800s. Missy Harrington is the great granddaughter of John and Katrine Zuberbueler, granddaughter of Emil and Louisa Zuberbueler, and daughter of Walter and Eline King. Jack and Missy have been involved in public education for over 30 years. Missy taught science in the Comstock and Del Rio schools for 31 years and Jack has been serving on the Board of Trustees for the Comstock Independent School District for over 8 years.
 

John Zuberbueler

John U. Zuberbueler was born in Switzerland in 1842. He decided to leave home at the age of twenty. Since the United States was in the midst of the Civil War, he decided to sail for South America instead. This voyage across the Atlantic Ocean lasted 71 days. John Zuberbueler spent seven years in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay working as a cowboy, herder, and soldier. As a soldier he soon found out that the hired soldiers had the poorest horses so he decided to move on. He then started a dairy, which he operated until seven of his eight neighbors died of cholera within 24 hours. After this, he became very homesick for Switzerland, so he sold out and took a steamship home. The voyage took 50 days.

While in Switzerland, he married Katrine Heuser and after a short stay there they set sail for New York. They worked at different occupations in Missouri, Colorado, and the territory of New Mexico; finally entering into Chihuahua, Mexico, where they had a cattle ranch for 13 years. Ten children were born to them; however, only five lived to be adults. The late Emil M. Zuberbueler of Comstock was one of the five. When his family left Mexico to move back to Texas in 1895, Emil was left alone at the age of 15 to gather the remainder of their cattle and bring them to Texas. He left Mexico at El Paso one year later and then joined the family in Stanton, Texas. From Stanton, they moved to Dunlay, Medina County, Texas.

Needing more land for grazing and water for their cattle, John U. Zuberbueler purchased acreage on the west side of the Pecos River to Shumla, Texas. In 1898, Emil was sent with a train load of cattle to the ranch. He was told there were rivers surrounding the ranch, but found out that there were sheer bluffs with very few trails leading to the water that the cattle could use. On Sundays, he would ride the train to Langtry where he had occasion to know Judge Roy Bean. In 1903, John U. Zuberbueler purchased additional acreage southwest of Comstock, Texas, on the Rio Grande River. Emil moved to this ranch and took care of both places. In 1910 J.U. Zuberbueler retired from active ranch life, turned his property over to his sons and moved to San Antonio. In a short while he became one of the foremost real estate and investments executives in Bexar County.

In 1909 Emil married Louisa Haby in Castroville, Texas. Her parents were Louis A. Haby and Annie Carle Haby. Their parents were some of the original settlers that came to the Medina Valley with Henry Castro in 1847. Louisa was the oldest of six children. The late Adolph Haby of Comstock was one of her brothers. Emil and Louisa moved to the ranch at Comstock and homesteaded an additional four sections. They had to live on the four sections for three years to acquire it. In 1917, they introduced sheep to the ranch along with the cattle. They eventually bought John U. Zuberbueler out. Katrina Zuberbueler died in 1910 and John died in 1926.

The early years on the ranch were hard and dangerous ones. At this time there was a revolution boiling in Mexico and there was a steady stream of Mexicans going into Mexico and coming out. Some of these people were armed and dangerous while others were scared and tired. Emil rode to Comstock and worked in the store or worked for John Kelly on the round-ups. Emil and Louisa moved to Comstock from the ranch and here they lived the balance of their lives. After moving to Comstock, Emil continued to take care of both ranches. He would ride horseback from Comstock across the Pecos River to Shumla and back the same day at least once a week, riding at least 50 miles.

Emil Zuberbueler was very active in community affairs. He served as a Val Verde County Commissioner for ten years. He was also on the Comstock School Board for many years. Emil M. Zuberbueler passed away on July 5, 1954. Louisa Zuberbueler passed away on December 1, 1971. The ranches were divided among the six surviving Zuberbueler children.