10006 Spring Branch Road
Spring Branch, TX 78070
Toll Free: 877-6KNIBBE
Office: 830-885-7773
Fax: 830-885-7398
info@knibberanch.com

Founded back in 1854, the Knibbe Ranch, almost 150 years old, is one of the few remaining Century Heritage Ranches in the State of Texas. Located only twenty-eight miles North of downtown San Antonio in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, the historic ranch is rich in German heritage and culture reminiscent of the early European immigrants.

In 1845, Hans Heinrich Dietrich Knibbe, of Bissendorf Germany immigrated to Texas on the sailboat, “George Dillus”. Before arriving at Indianola, Texas their ship ran onto a reef and passengers had to throw all their farming equipment overboard to get their ship afloat. Hans started his new life in Texas with no farming equipment and very little other personal belongings. He had on account, with the German Emigration Society, funds to buy land. He had a choice between good farmland in the New Braunfels-Seguin area for 50 cents an acre, or the area around Spring Branch along the Guadalupe River for a dollar an acre. He chose the Spring Branch area because it reminded him of Germany. He became the first settler in Spring Branch. Eventually he acquired about 25,000 acres of land. He raised oxen for farming and transportation. He built a sawmill, flourmill, and shingle mill on 20,000 acres skirted by the Guadalupe River.

In the late 19th century, Spring Branch became quite a thriving community with its own post office, the Knibbe General store, the Knibbe Brothers cotton gin, a black smith shop, the Spring Branch dance hall, and the Spring Branch one-room school. All the sites are still on or near the present ranch. Up until the early 1900’s the main route from San Antonio to Blanco and places north was through Spring Branch.

A fifth generation descendant, Charles J. “Chuck” Knibbe and his wife Sharon and their children, Shannon and Chad, are the present managers of ranch. The land has been in continuous agricultural operation by the same family since 1854 and is recognized as a Century Heritage ranch by the State of Texas.

The ranch is representative of the Texas Hill Country with rolling hills, beautiful meadows, the Guadalupe River as its southern boundary, and the Spring Branch Creek with its many springs flowing through the middle. Hundreds of beautiful, sprawling live oak trees cover the hills, and cypress, sycamore, and pecan trees line the creek and river bottoms.