Monday, 24 March 2014

Historic Fredericksburg Texas: Some Interesting Facts

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 the name Nimitz sounds familiar, that is hardly surprising. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the entire Pacific Fleet during World War II, was born in Fredericksburg, and his grandfather built the hotel. Today, the hotel is actually part of the National Museum of the Pacific War, and this museum includes a huge portion dedicated to this important native son of Fredericksburg.

If you enjoy touring the homes of U.S. Presidents, it might interest you to note that President Lyndon Johnson was born near Fredericksburg in the tiny hamlet of Stonewall. His birthplace, boyhood home and first school all have been preserved and are incorporated into the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park. The park has two halves, several miles from one another. One contains a settlement of log cabins where President Johnson's grandparents lived, as well as his boyhood home. The other portion contains his sprawling ranch home, known as the Texas White House, as well as the home where he was born and the first school he attended.

For those wishing to relocate to Fredericksburg, consider calling the team at Nixon Real Estate. With more than 35 years of Texas Hill Country real estate experience, they can help you find the perfect home in Gillespie County. They can find all types of Kerrville real estate, Fredericksburg real estate or any town or city in the area. Whether you want a large piece of land, a single-family home, a vacation home or perhaps commercial real estate, the realtors at Nixon Real Estate can help you find something perfect.




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