Early Bella Vista resident was famous musician
One of the more famous residents of the Linebargers Brothers’ Bella Vista Summer Resort in the 1920’s was Dr. Carl Venth. He and his wife, Cathinka, bought a lot on May 13, 1927, through salesman Gordon Rupe, and the Linebargers quickly built a large cottage for them. It was located on the south side of Suits Us Drive not far above the highway. The cost was $1,000 and was paid off in installments of $15 every two weeks, with the deed being issued on May 27, 1931.
The Linebargers immediately began bragging about the Venths as new residents. Following is a reprint from the June 1, 1927, issue of their newspaper, the Bella Vista Breezes.
“Famous Musician to Summer at Bella Vista
Dr. Carl Venth, Nationally Known Musician, to Spend Season in New Home Here
There comes to Bella Vista this season, a nationally known musician, Dr. Carl Venth, of Fort Worth, dean of fine arts in the Texas Women’s College (Editor’s note: The college became Texas Wesleyan University in 1934), who with Mrs. Venth plans to spend the summer at the resort. Dr. Venth’s cottage at Bella Vista is practically completed and is a spacious six-room structure with wide verandas on a beautiful location on Cedar Crest Mountain. Three lots are used in the grounds about the Venth cottage, which is one of the handsomest at the resort.
Dr. Venth in his musical career has traveled the world over and it is a compliment when he chooses Bella Vista for his summer home. Dr. Venth will continue his musical composition at his summer home and has promised D. Gordon Rupe, Jr. one or more recitals at Bella Vista this summer. Dr. Venth is also conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and choir master of the First Methodist Church.
Dr. Venth is a native of Cologne, Germany. He came to America in 1880 and after several years was admitted to citizenship. In 1884, Dr. Venth was concert master of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, and in 1888 organized the Venth College of Music in Brooklyn. For thirteen years, Dr. Venth was conductor of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, and on going South, was director of the Violin Department of KiddKey Conservatory at Sherman, Texas. For three years he conducted the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Venth settled in Fort Worth in 1913….”
It is not known how many years the Venths summered in Bella Vista, but he died on January 29, 1938, two weeks before his 78th birthday. Newspapers across the U.S. reported his death in San Antonio, stating “Dr. Carl Venth, one of America’s foremost composers of opera and religious music who came here several years ago to head the school of music at the University of San Antonio, died Saturday…. Death was caused by a glandular ailment. He underwent an operation about a month ago and had lost strength steadily since. A native of Germany, Dr. Venth won international fame as a concert violinist…. Dr. Venth was the author of the opera Pan, said to be the first American opera to gain international recognition. The opera won him a prize of $1,000 from the American Federation of Music Clubs. He came to San Antonio in 1931 as dean of the school of music at Westmoorland College. The college became the University of San Antonio two years ago. He was best known for his music for string ensembles and quartets. Mrs. F. L. Carson, vice president of the Texas Federation of Music Clubs, said, ‘His compositions will live through the history of string music.’ ”
Dr. Venth first married composer and pianist Lydia Kunz Venth, with whom he had a daughter, Elsa, in 1883. After divorcing Lydia, he married Cathinka Finch Myhr in 1899. Cathinka died in San Antonio in 1958 at age 90. Daughter Elsa died in Queens, New York, in 1956 shortly before her 73rd birthday.