Saturday, March 22, 2014

Fredericksburg: The Perfect Town For History Buffs

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.

Fredericksburg is a unique community that was founded by German immigrants back in the 1840s and was named in honor of Prince Frederick of Prussia. For many decades, these immigrants spoke only German, even in the local schools, and this practice continued until the early 20th century when the state required schools to teach only English. The language eventually evolved into an interesting hybrid of German and English, known as Texas German. These days, very few residents still speak using this dialect.

The entire downtown is listed in our nation's National Register of Historic Places. There are hundreds of local structures, homes and buildings of historic significance, and about 30 of these historic gems can be enjoy via a local historic walking tour. These buildings include an assortment of residential homes, as well as saloons, the old jail and the old country courthouse, which is now used as a library. The first stop on the tour is the beautifully preserved Nimitz Hotel, which opened its doors 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 you would like to make Fredericksburg your home, consider contacting Nixon Real Estate and start looking at some Fredericksburg real estate. For more than 35 years, they have been helping people find Texas Hill Country real estate. They can help you locate anything from a single-family home to a ranch, farm or even a commercial property or just a large parcel of land.




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