Statue of George F. Bayer

This statue and marker was erected in the courtyard of the Gasconade County Historical Society to honor the memory of George Frederick Bayer who is recognized as the founder of Hermann, Missouri. Hermann has a unique history as it was a planned colony sponsored by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, an organization that was formed in 1835. Bayer helped the Society realize its goal of establishing a colony in the West where people of German descent could establish farms and businesses and live in a place where German culture and language could be preserved.

George Frederick Bayer was born in Baden, Germany on September 27th, 1800. In 1830, Bayer immigrated to Philadelphia and worked as a music professor. The following year, he married Catherine Krecher and the pair had five children. In August of 1835, the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia was formed with subscribers purchasing shares for $25. In the spring of 1837, Bayer and two other representatives were sent west to identify the site for the new colony. Bayer was elected as the representative to secure the land parcel and by July, he acquired 11,000 acres of government land as well as some privately owned parcels for a total of $15,612.

Bayer chose the land along the Missouri River because of its similarity to the Rhineland in Germany. With the land secured, Bayer was again elected to be the Settlement Agent in order to manage affairs in the new town. In December 1837, the first seventeen settlers (nine adults and eight children) arrived in Hermann via the Missouri River. However, Bayer was detained in Pittsburgh because he fell ill. The new settlers struggled against the winter weather and the challenge of clearing the land. 

Bayer and his family arrived in March of 1838, and he was immediately met with dissatisfied settlers who were also concerned by his delayed arrival. Bayer faced a difficult task with minimal resources, and it is still debated whether Bayer's challenges in the years ahead were a result of a lack of support or a personal failure. Bayer's initial responsibilities included surveying all 11,000 acres of the land, supplying the settlers with food, and assigning settlers their plots of land. Sources indicate that some settlers trusted and followed Bayer's leadership while others felt that his management fell short and decided to return home to Germany. After the slow start to the new colony, leaders in Philadelphia decided to discharge Bayer from his duties in October of 1838. Bayer died in March of 1839 and was buried in the Hermann Cemetery. In 1986, following a study of the early history, the town founder was posthumously exonerated of “any wrongdoing” in his management of Hermann.

Pettijohn, Lee. Hermann Remembers and Honors George Bayer, Experience Hermann. Accessed September 14th, 2022. https://experiencehermann.com/hermann-missouri-news/hermann-remembers-and-honors-george-bayer.

George F. Bayer, Historical Marker Database. Accessed September 14th, 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=169346.

George Bayer, Founder of Hermann, Missouri, Gasconade Historical Society. Accessed September 14th, 2022.

https://www.gasconadecountyhistoricalsociety.com/george-bayer-founder-of-hermann.

George Frederick Bayer, Find A Grave. Accessed September 14th, 2022. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7606488/george-frederick-bayer.