Fredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County Gillespie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 20,814. It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, who came to Texas in 1837. He was a Texas Ranger, an Indian fighter, a merchant and a soldier in the Mexican-American War. The seat of the county, Texas Texas ( /ˈtɛksəs/ ) is a state in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. It is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, with an area of 268,820 square miles (696, United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the. The population was 8,911 at the 2000 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national 'population and door to door censuses' , agriculture, and business censuses. The term itself comes, and 10,432 in the 2005 census estimate. It is the county seat A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there. Parts of the Canadian Maritimes also use the term shire town. In England, Wales and Ireland, the term of Gillespie County Gillespie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 20,814. It is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, who came to Texas in 1837. He was a Texas Ranger, an Indian fighter, a merchant and a soldier in the Mexican-American War. The seat of the county.^[3] The community of Luckenbach Luckenbach is an unincorporated community thirteen miles from Fredericksburg in southeastern Gillespie County, Texas, United States, part of the Texas Hill Country. It consists of 9.142 acres (37,000 m2) between South Grape Creek (a tributary of the Pedernales River) and Snail Creek, just south of U.S. Highway 290 on the south side of Farm to, immortalized in Country music Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s, is near Fredericksburg.

History

19th century

Fredericksburg (German: Friedrichsburg) was founded in 1846 by Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas State Senate, new Commissioner General of the "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas", also known as the "Noblemen's Society" (in German: Mainzer Mainz (French: Mayence) is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was a politically important seat of the Prince-elector of Mainz (see: Archbishopric of Mainz) under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the Adelsverein Adelsverein, the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas), and named in honor of Prince Frederick of Prussia Prussia (German: Preußen ; Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Latvian: Prūsija; Lithuanian: Prūsija; Polish: Prusy; Czech: Prusko; Old Prussian: Prūsa) was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on German and European history. The last capital of, nephew of Prussia's King Frederick William III Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel (1797 – 1806 and again 1813 – 1840), and highest ranking member of the Mainzer Adelsverein.

Baron von Meusebach renounced his noble title and became known in Texas as John O. Meusebach John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas State Senate. Settled largely by liberal, educated Germans Germany (pronounced /ˈdʒɜrməni/ ), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south fleeing the failed Revolution of 1848 "Germany" at the time of the Revolutions of 1848 had been a collection of 39 states loosely bound together in the German Confederation. As nationalist sentiment crystallized into resistance to the traditional political structure, repeated calls for freedom, democracy and national unity came to threaten the status quo. The Hambacher Fest, Gillespie County voted against secession Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. It is not to be confused with succession, the act of following in order or sequence prior to the American Civil War The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). Led by Jefferson Davis, they fought against the U.S. federal government (the. Fredericksburg is also the home of the architect, Chester Nagel.

The town is also notable as the home of Texas German Texas German is a dialect of the German language that is spoken by descendants of German immigrants who settled in the Texas Hill Country region in the mid-19th century. These immigrants founded the towns of New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Boerne, Schulenburg, Weimar, and Comfort. Most German Texans continued to speak German in their homes and, a German German (Deutsch, [dɔʏtʃ] ) is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by about 80 million non-native dialect spoken by the first generations of settlers who initially refused to learn English English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries and of the United States since the mid 20th century, it has become the lingua franca in many parts of the world. It is. The German settlers of Fredericksburg acted independently of the region. They brokered a peace treaty with the Comanche The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Originally, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian culture. There may have been as many as 45,000 Comanches in the late 18th century tribe that has been honored for over a century and a half, making it one of the very few treaties with Native American tribes that was never broken.^[4]

Fredericksburg was an important part of the Pro-Union Texas resistance during the Civil War The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). Led by Jefferson Davis, they fought against the U.S. federal government (the, facing ostracization from their neighbors who remained loyal to Texas. Its concentration of German-American settlers means that it shares many cultural characteristics with New Braunfels New Braunfels (pronounced /ˌnjuː ˈbrɔːnfəlz/ ) is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 36,494 as of the 2000 census, and estimated, another German Texan English. Some speak Texas German and/or Spanish language town.

20th century

Fredericksburg was the birthplace of Admiral Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above Vice Admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral. It is usually abbreviated to "Adm." or "ADM". Where relevant, Admiral is a 4 star rank Chester Nimitz Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, USN was an admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet ("CinCPac" pronounced "sink-pack"), for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CinCPOA), for U.S. and Allied air, land, and sea forces during, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Forces in World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The war involved the mobilization of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history. The hotel owned by Nimitz's grandfather has been converted into a museum, named the National Museum of the Pacific War The Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site, which includes the National Museum of the Pacific War, formerly known as Admiral Nimitz Museum, is located in Fredericksburg, Texas, the boyhood home of Admiral Chester Nimitz, Allied Pacific Commander during World War II. The museum is dedicated to telling the story of the Pacific Theater of Operations honoring the men and women who served with Nimitz in the war. After the war, the Japanese government gifted a Zen Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, translated from the Chinese word Chán. Chán is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyāna, which means "meditation" Garden to the museum as a tribute to the Nimitz Family.

The much larger George Bush George Herbert Walker Bush served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Bush held a variety of political positions prior to his presidency, including Vice President of the United States in the administration of Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) and Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) under Gerald R. Ford Gallery, home to an I.J.N. The Imperial Japanese Navy (Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun (help·info) or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), literally Navy of the Empire of Greater Japan also called the Empire of the Sun was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine The Ko-hyoteki class was a class of Japanese midget submarines used during World War II. They had hull numbers but no names. For simplicity, they are most often referred to by the hull number of the mother submarine. Thus, the midget carried by I-16 was known as "the I-16 midget". The midget submarine hull number began with the character and an American B-25 is two blocks away from that.

The 33rd US Marine Corps Commandant, General Michael W. Hagee, graduated from Fredericksburg High School. General Hagee graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College and the U.S. Naval War College.

Geography

Fredericksburg is located at 30°16′27″N 98°52′19″W / 30.274058°N 98.871822°W (30.274058, -98.871822).^[5] This is about 63 miles (101 km) north of San Antonio San Antonio was named for the Portuguese St. Anthony, whose feast day is on June 13, when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691. Located in the northern part of South Texas and the American Southwest, San Antonio is the epicenter of Tejano culture and Texas tourism. Famous for Spanish missions, the Alamo, the River Walk, the Tower of and 67 miles (108 km) west of Austin Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas and the American South, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimate, Austin had.

According to the United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about America's people and economy. It is the official ", the city has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.2 km²), all of it land.

Northern Gillespie County is home to one of the state's best-known geographical landmarks, Enchanted Rock Enchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton located in the Llano Uplift approximately 15 miles north of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA and 15 miles (24 km) south of Llano, Texas. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans the border between Gillespie County and Llano County, south of the Llano. The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome A granite dome is a dome of granite, formed by exfoliation, that rises 425 feet (130 m) above ground, 1,825 feet (556 m) above sea level, and covers 640 acres (2.6 km²). It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States.

Demographics

As of the census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national 'population and door to door censuses' , agriculture, and business censuses. The term itself comes^[1] of 2000, there were 8,911 people, 3,784 households, and 2,433 families residing in the city. The population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography was 1,342.1 people per square mile (518.2/km²). There were 4,183 housing units at an average density of 630.0/sq mi (243.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.08% White Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which, 0.27% African American Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which, 0.27% Native American Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which, 0.19% Asian Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which, 0.04% Pacific Islander Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which, 5.09% from other races Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which or Latino Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which of any race were 17.00% of the population. English English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries and of the United States since the mid 20th century, it has become the lingua franca in many parts of the world. It is is spoken by 72.73% of the population, Spanish Spanish , sometimes called Castilian (castellano), is a Romance language that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade. It was taken most notably to the Americas, and also to Africa and Asia Pacific with the expansion of the Spanish Empire between by 14.77%, and Texas German by 12.48%.^[6]

There were 3,784 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 30.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,276, and the median income for a family was $43,670. Males had a median income of $25,878 versus $22,171 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,788. About 7.5% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The city of Fredericksburg is run under the Council-Manager form of government. As per the Home Rule Charter [2] the governing body of Fredericksbug consists of a Mayor and four (4) Council Members. Both the mayor and the council members are elected by the city at large.^[7]

• Mayor
  • Jeryl Hoover
• Council Members
  • Jeff Jeffers
  • Kevin MacWithey
  • Tom Musselman (Mayor Pro Tem)
  • David Pedregon

Education

The city of Fredericksburg is served by the Fredericksburg Independent School District. The school's teams are called the "Billies", with the mascot being a male angora goat. The "Billie" name came from early Fredericksburg school teams being called the "Hillbillies"; a reference to the area surrounding the town—the Hill Country.

For higher education, Fredericksburg is home to Texas Tech University at Fredericksburg.

It also has some private schools, such as:

• Ambleside School of Fredericksburg ^[8]
• Fredericksburg Christian School ^[9]
• Hertitage School ^[10]
• St. Mary's Elementary and Junior High School ^[11]

Fredericksburg has a municipally-operated library adjacent to the Gillespie County Courthouse.

Tourism

The city has become a weekend destination for people in Central Texas, specifically those from Austin and San Antonio, who come for the bed and breakfasts, abundant hunting, fishing, antique stores, museums, the German influence in the form of bakeries, restaurants, stores, and peaches. Fredericksburg and the surrounding area are home to over 300 accommodations that are better known as bed and breakfasts. The nearby Wildseed Farms is also a popular destination for gardening enthusiasts. The Main Street located in the Historic District is the prime shopping district which attracts many out of town visitors.

Fredericksburg is also home to a unique form of residential architecture called "Sunday Houses". These houses were built by the early German settlers of Fredericksburg as weekend homes, since a large majority of the counties' population lived in outlying rural areas. The settlers would use these homes while in town for the weekend; often to patronize local merchants and attend church services. The form of these houses often consisted of several rooms downstairs, with an upstairs sleeping loft that was accessed by an outside staircase.

Fredericksburg is home to an award-winning brewpub and is also located near the center of the wine industry in central Texas. The designated American Viticultural Areas of Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA and the much larger Texas Hill Country AVA both include Fredericksburg inside their boundaries. Fredericksburg is a common starting point or destination for tourists visiting wineries in the Texas Hill Country.

Airport

Gillespie County Airport (FAA locator T82) is located on State Highway 16 South, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from downtown Fredericksburg, and features a 5,002 ft long runway ^[12] and a hotel and diner.

Newspaper

The local newspaper is called the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post. Once two separate newspapers, the Fredericksburg Standard and Fredericksburg Radio Post, the Radio Post was bought by the Standard in October 1984 when the publication ceased publication because of the loss of advertising revenues.

Fredericksburg in culture

• The song "Stoned" by Old 97's contains the instruction "Take a Greyhound to Fredericksburg."

• Fredericksburg, has a sister city, Montabaur, Germany.

• The novel "The Perk" (2008) by Mark Gimenez.

Fredericksburg in religion

Fredericksburg has large Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, befitting the German immigrants who arrived prior to the Civil War. There are also churches of other Christian denominations.

See also

• Adelsverein
• Luckenbach, Texas
• Easter Fire

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ "". National Association of Counties. . Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
4. ^ Meredith, Howard L. A Short History of the Native Americans in the United States. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company, 2001: 31. ISBN 1-57524-139-0
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
6. ^ Data Center Results
7. ^ City Officials
8. ^ Charlotte Mason: Ambleside Schools of Fredericksburg
9. ^ [1]
10. ^ Heritage School - A Classical Approach
11. ^ stmarys1846
12. ^ AirNav: T82 - Gillespie County Airport

External links

• City of Fredericksburg website
• Mayor Jeryl Hoover
• Mayor Pro Tem Tom Musselman
• National Museum of the Pacific War
• Fredericksburg Real Estate News
• Fredericksburg from the Handbook of Texas Online

Categories: Cities in Texas | Gillespie County, Texas | County seats in Texas | German American history | Settlements established in 1846 | German diaspora

See Also:

• Fredericksburg, Texas
• Texas
• East Texas
• West Texas
• Rusk, Texas

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