Saturday, March 8, 2014

The History Of Fredericksburg & Texas Hill Country

By Pammy McGrath


If you love history, especially Texas history, there are few better places in this vast state to live than in Fredericksburg. This picturesque town in Texas Hill Country was founded prior to the Civil War and offers plenty of historic charm.

While many citifies in Texas have a unique flair all their own, Fredericksburg even has its own special language. German immigrants founded this town, and for many years, only German was spoken in and around town and even the students at the local schools spoke German. Eventually, the Texas state government required that all instruction must occur in English only. As the students began speaking English, a unique hybrid of German and English was created, which was called Texas German. While this language is certainly not common today, there are a few older Fredericksburg residents who can showcase this interesting dialect.

There are hundreds of historically significant structures in Fredericksburg, and the historic district of this town is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There is a walking tour of the historic district that features 30 different historic buildings. Along the tour, you will see several historic saloons and the old Gillespie County Courthouse, which is an impressive structure which now is used as a library. You also will see the famed Nimitz Hotel, which was built in 1860.

If you are a World War II buff, you definitely will recognize the name Nimitz. The Nimitz Hotel was built by Charles Henry Nimitz who was the grandfather of Chester Nimitz who grew up in Fredericksburg and eventually became the commander of the entire U.S. Pacific Fleet during the Second World War. The Nimitz Hotel has been transformed into a museum detailing the life and career of Admiral Nimitz, and there is also a newer extension of the property that includes the impressive National Museum of the Pacific War.

Just outside of Fredericksburg is the city of Stonewall, Texas, which is notable because it is the birthplace of President Lyndon Johnson. One can visit the famous LBJ Ranch, which is now known as the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park. This park is split into two different sections. One contains the boyhood home of our 36th president, as well as his grandparents' log cabin, and the other is the site of his actual ranch. There are several historic buildings to see at this site, including his actual birthplace, his first school and the home known as the Texas White House.

If Fredericksburg sounds like the perfect spot for you to reside, give the real estate experts at Nixon Real Estate a call. For nearly 40 years, they have been matching clients to the perfect home, commercial property, ranch or farm. They can find the perfect piece of Fredericksburg real estate, Kerrville real estate or homes for sale anywhere in the scenic Texas Hill Country.




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