The founders, as well as many of the members, were from Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse.
Spiess and Herff were approached in Wiesbaden by Adelsverein vice president and executive secretary-business director Count Carl Frederick Christian of Castell-Castell,[4] who made a deal with them to colonize 200 families on the Fisher–Miller Land Grant territory in Texas.
In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, and equipment and provisions for a year.
The colonies failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and because of conflict of structure and authorities.
The following list is derived from the first-hand account of Louis Reinhardt, as well as other historical records.