(Read part 1 of our series here)
It is highly unlikely Logan Vandeveer ever intended the Bluebonnet House to be for his family to live in. It was known as his ranch headquarters. His 1,000-plus herd of cattle were kept near the house, which was 10 miles south of Burnet.
With his young wife deceased, having to take care of four young daughters, ages 5, 7, 12, and 14 at the time, the house was built far from town and also on an area where Indians were still a possible threat. Plus, he was educating his daughters at the new school that he established in Burnet, running a mercantile store in another rock building he had built, as well as managing his livestock.
As stated previously, before Logan Vandeveer left Burnet in 1855 to sell a large herd of his cattle, he sold 212 acres of his land, which included the property the Bluebonnet House sits on today, to Christian Dorbondt and Theodore Winkle. Very little is known about Winkle, but Dorbandt was among the original group of pioneers settling in what is now Burnet in the 1850s. Born in Denmark, he came to American in 1834 at the age of 16. He fought in the U.S. Army during the Mexican war in 1846-47. He was later sent to Fort Croghan, where he served as a Quartermaster Sergeant until the fort was shut down.
It was possible that Dorbandt may have worked for Logan after Fort Croghan was abandoned in 1853. With his cattle 10 miles from town, Logan would have needed some ranch hands who knew how to ride and shoot, as Indians were still a threat in and around the area and Dorbandt’s military service would have provided those skill sets. In 1854, an $800 title for bond was drawn up for him to purchase the 212 acres which included the Bluebonnet House from Logan. Later in the year, it was for some reason replaced with a new title for bond for $1,000 adding Theodore Winkle to the agreement. The sale was completed, and the ownership passed from Logan to Dorbandt and Winkle in February 1855.
