Hermann, George Henry (1843–1914)

George Henry Hermann, oilman and philanthropist, son of John and Fannie (Mitchell) Hermann, was born in Houston, Texas, on August 6, 1843. He served in Company A, Twenty-sixth Texas Cavalry, during the Civil War and saw action in both Texas and Louisiana. He operated a sawmill, in what is now Hermann Park, Houston, sold cordwood, and engaged in the cattle business. About 1885 he went into the real estate business. The discovery of oil at Humble in 1903 made him a millionaire. Afterward, he traveled extensively in America and Europe visiting physicians and hospitals. Before his death he donated Hermann Park to the city of Houston. He died at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 21, 1914, and was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Houston. The bulk of his estate, evaluated at $2.6 million, was willed to the city of Houston for the erection and maintenance of Hermann Hospital.