Fredericksburg, TX. Sutter's Creek. Canned Beer. Churchill.

For "Travel Tuesday", let's go to Fredericksburg, Texas. It is one of 55 beautiful cities/areas located in the Hill Country.

Herzlich willkommen in Fredericksburg!

"Fredericksburg was founded in 1846 and named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Old-time German residents often referred to Fredericksburg as Fritztown, a nickname that is still used in some businesses. The town is also notable as the home of Texas German, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English." From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredericksburg,_Texas

 

 

 

 

 

There is so much to do there!

 

Pioneer Museum Complex

"Experience the rich German heritage of Gillespie County. This 3.5-acre museum complex contains superb examples of early German structures and artifacts. Several times a year, the Pioneer Museum will hold events staffed by docents in period dress that are fun for the whole family including storytelling, rope making, soap making, sheep shearing and more."

The German families that settled Fredericksburg were proud of their education and culture. That spirit endures to the Fredericksburg of today.  We live our heritage.
Main Street is home to the famous Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War - touchstone for a generation; Pioneer Museum - preserving our heritage; Fort Martin Scott - a frontier outpost. A casual stroll down any street reveals historic German homes of limestone and fachwerk. A short drive takes you to jewels of history, including the LBJ Ranch.

Arts are a way of life. http://www.fredericksburg-texas.com/Arts/
An ever-growing number of artists find Fredericksburg the perfect inspiration and outlet for the arts. All types of visual artists support galleries and shows. Fredericksburg boasts a strong community theater. And of course, the area is gaining an international reputation for its live music scene, with many clubs, concerts, and performing venues.

Culture is the community.
Fredericksburg continues the tradition of the "verein" or community club. Various groups of like-minded citizens gather to listen to music, share poetry, stay fit, even to compete in traditional shooting sports.   Every city has museums. But Fredericksburg lives its memories."

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ADMIRAL NIMITZ MUSEUM

Main Street is home to the famous Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War. Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz.    http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/index.asp

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Pioneer Church or  Vereins Kirche.  A replica of an 1847 early church, called the Coffee Grinder Church.

"The architectural structures of Fredericksburg are often unique to the to the Texas Hill Country, and are historical edifices of the German immigrants who settled the area in the 19th Century. Many of the structures have historic designations on a state or national level. The Gillespie County Historical Society is actively involved in assisting with preservation. On October 14, 1970, the Fredericksburg Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas."

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Events in the area, too many to list here. Go to: http://www.tex-fest.com/

"Laissez les bon temps rouler
at the Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival"  May 25, 26 & 27, 2012

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"Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas, With Waylon and Willie and the boys.  This successful life we're livin', Got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys
Between Hank Williams' pain songs and Newberry's train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain Out in Luckenbach, Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain"

http://www.luckenbachtexas.com/

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Fasching 2012 – Winter Karneval

Feb 18 2012 to Feb 18 2012

"Fabulous costume ball celebrating Fasching – also known around the world as Carnival and Mardi Gras.  Prepare yourself for an event like no other and enjoy beautiful ice sculptures, vodka bar, wine fountain, bourbon bar, cigar suite – and that’s just the beginning!  Presented by the Fredericksburg Area Lodging and Hospitality Association.  To be held at the Hangar Hotel Conference Center."

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Texas Hill Country Wineries “Wine Lovers Trail”.  

Feb 10 2012 to Feb 19 2012

"Love is in the air!  Indulge in a little wine and chocolate.  Come spend a romantic weekend in the stunning Texas Hill Country sipping and sampling wine and chocolate at the 33 Hill Country wineries.  The Wine Lovers Trail has been extended to 10 full days this year . . . the perfect time to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  This is a self-guided tour and includes a box of custom chocolates, a set of complimentary tastes and a special 15% discount on a three bottle purchase of wine.  During regular winery hours. "

Visit Event Website

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123rd GILLESPIE COUNTY FAIR

"Join us for a weekend of Texas Hill Country and Gillespie County hospitality, including fun, entertainment and a few ice cold beverages at the 123rd Gillespie County Fair - the oldest, consecutive annual County Fair in the State of Texas. Once again we will have a great lineup of events - carnival and midway, great fair food, livestock exhibits in the show barn, agriculture and household exhibits, arts and crafts booths, antique tractor shows, live pari-mutuel horse racing, and dancing under the stars to live music!" Gillespie County Fair 

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"Interested in learning more about Fredericksburg festivals and events? Click on the mailbox to be on our email list to receive newsletters and updates. Thank you!"

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On This Day:

Gold discovered at Sutter's Creek, Jan 24, 1848:

"A millwright named James Marshall discovers gold along the banks of Sutter's Creek in California, forever changing the course of history in the American West.

A tributary to the South Fork of the American River in the Sacramento Valley east of San Francisco, Sutter's Creek was named for a Swiss immigrant who came to Mexican California in 1839. John Augustus Sutter became a citizen of Mexico and won a grant of nearly 50,000 acres in the lush Sacramento Valley, where he hoped to create a thriving colony. He built a sturdy fort that became the center of his first town, New Helvetia, and purchased farming implements, livestock, and a cannon to defend his tiny empire. Copying the methods of the Spanish missions, Sutter induced the local Indians to do all the work on his farms and ranches, often treating them as little more than slaves. Workers who dared leave his empire without permission were often brought back by armed posses to face brutal whippings or even execution.

In the 1840s, Sutter's Fort became the first stopping-off point for overland Anglo-American emigrants coming to California to build farms and ranches. Though sworn to protect the Mexican province from falling under the control of the growing number of Americans, Sutter recognized that his future wealth and influence lay with these Anglo settlers. With the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846, he threw his support to the Americans, who emerged victorious in the fall of 1847.

With the war over and California securely in the hands of the United States, Sutter hired the millwright James Marshall to build a sawmill along the South Fork of the American River in January 1848. In order to redirect the flow of water to the mill's waterwheel, Marshall supervised the excavation of a shallow millrace. On the morning of January 24, 1848, Marshall was looking over the freshly cut millrace when a sparkle of light in the dark earth caught his eye. Looking more closely, Marshall found that much of the millrace was speckled with what appeared to be small flakes of gold, and he rushed to tell Sutter. After an assayer confirmed that the flakes were indeed gold, Sutter quietly set about gathering up as much of the gold as he could, hoping to keep the discovery a secret. However, word soon leaked out and, within months, the largest gold rush in the world had begun.

Ironically, the California gold rush was a disaster for Sutter. Though it brought thousands of men to California, the prospectors had no interest in joining Sutter's despotic agricultural community. Instead, they overran Sutter's property, slaughtered his herds for food, and trampled his fields. By 1852, New Helvetia was ruined, and Sutter was nearly wiped out. Until his death in 1880, he spent his time unsuccessfully petitioning the government to compensate him for the losses he suffered as a result of the gold rush he unintentionally ignited."

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Boy Scouts movement begins, Jan 24, 1908:

"On January 24, 1908, the Boy Scouts movement begins in England with the publication of the first installment of Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys. The name Baden-Powell was already well known to many English boys, and thousands of them eagerly bought up the handbook. By the end of April, the serialization of Scouting for Boys was completed, and scores of impromptu Boy Scout troops had sprung up across Britain."

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First canned beer goes on sale, Jan 24, 1935:

"Canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production. Today, canned beer accounts for approximately half of the $20 billion U.S. beer industry."

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Winston Churchill dies, Jan 24, 1965:

"Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, the British leader who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of World War II, dies in London at the age of 90."

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Yesterday:

After I walked Misty, Jay and I came here and did some more work on the drawer under the little dishwasher.  Then we went into town to get a few things as I had completely run out of fresh veggies. Jay always wants to go with anyone going into town, just to get out of the subdivision.

Another lovely "windows and doors open" day.