Ottmar von Behr influenced German immigration before bringing his family to Texas in 1848. After touring America in 1846, he published an emigrant's guide that suggested the life of a Texas farmer. Though a son of nobility in Germany, he left to farm and raise sheep in Texas. He and other German immigrants came to Texas with professional credentials, degrees, a distinguished collection of books, and a passion for intellectual freedom that led to the creation of a Latin Colony. In the Sisterdale region, a series of large farms rather than a platted community, German immigrants left behind prestigious recognition in Germany to take up farming. Ottmar was the second regional pioneer to settle in Guadalupe Valley by the Old Pinta Trail, giving him second settler status in what later became Blanco County in 1858 and Kendall County in 1862. He also helped name Sisterdale by proposing that Sisty's Creeks be changed to Sister Creeks, and he put Sisterdale on the map when he petitioned for a post office in 1851 and became its first postmaster. In 1851 he was elected justice of the peace. Known for his social skills, he hosted visitors, guests, and travelers. He returned to Germany in 1855 when the Sisterdale petition to create a new county was signed, and his wife, Louise Behr, signed for him. He never returned to Texas and died on his trip back to America, but his seven years in Sisterdale left a lasting legacy.