The leader of this hardy-but-exhausted group of German immigrants was formally titled Baron Ottfried Hans Von Meusebach. He had shed any pretension of nobility since arriving in America and preferred to be called John O. Meusebach.  Such modesty notwithstanding, Meusebach was an able leader with an eye for good land and careful planning: the city plot that lay at the confluence of those two water sources--now named Town Creek and Baron’s Creek, the latter reflecting John’s hereditary rank--rose just north of the Pedernales River and was an ideal setting for a new settlement.

Laid out similar to the German villages that also were built along waterways, Fredericksburg--named in honor of one of its sponsors, Prince Frederick of Prussia--featured a wide main street which more or less paralleled Town Creek.  As each of the new settlers had been offered one town lot in addition to their promised ten acres of rural land, the town began to take shape quickly. Its first buildings, making use of the abundance of Hill Country natural wood and stone, were constructed of oak timbers interspaced with hewn rock, then plastered and whitewashed to soften their appearance. As the city grew, many of these buildings were replaced with locally quarried limestone, giving the town architectural muscle and an air of growing prosperity.

Fredericksburg continued to expand as a commercial center for other immigrant trains that were moving west and north. After only two years, it boasted a population of 1,000 citizens actively involved in commerce and agriculture. John Meusebach, displaying his innate flair for diplomacy, concluded a pact with the Comanche Indians that ended the sometimes-violent confrontations between settlers and Native Americans.

The next decade saw the Texas Legislature formally create Gillespie County, with Fredericksburg named its county seat.  The U. S. Army had arrived and established Fort Martin Scott on the eastern side of the city, stamping a Federal presence in the area. The 1849 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the United States’ war with Mexico and delineated the border between the two countries, gave a further boost to Fredericksburg’s fortunes when the city became the last-stop city for travelers heading to El Paso, more than 400 miles to the west.

As Fredericksburg approached the 20th century, the pace of its modernization picked up. The city got its first electric light company in 1896, followed nine years later by its first ice factory. The San Antonio, Fredericksburg and North Railway chugged into the area in 1913, setting of a three-day celebration that tested the limits of local German beer brewers. Beer brewing, however, has lasted longer than the railroad connection: the SA, F and N ran its last locomotive in the summer of 1942, a casualty of the automobile and smooth-surfaced roads.

A cadre of highly trained volunteers augments the city’s fully staffed Fire Department; their dedication is only exceeded by their skill. The same can be said of the Fredericksburg Police Department, which prides itself by friendly and efficient service to locals and visitors alike.  (As a tribute to both the police and the local citizenry, it has been said that Fredericksburg’s major criminal activity consists of jaywalking and illegal U-turns).

With its relatively mild climate--it does have its summer heat, of course, and January can toy with freezing temperatures--Fredericksburg offers an abundance of year-round amenities for the visitor. Lodging of all types is plentiful (the city has over 1, 000 Bed and Breakfast establishments alone), and Fredericksburg’s 40-odd restaurants cater to every taste, from the gourmand to the casual diner. Hiking, hunting, cycling, kayaking, sight-seeing and attending the mind-boggling assortment of festival, art shows, craft expositions and specialty display programs that run throughout the year are some of the things that draw people from all over the United States. A visit to both the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce, located at 302 East Austin Street (behind the National Museum of the Pacific War), can provide in-depth information and literature on the events and attractions the area offers.

Golf? You bet: the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park course has long been a local favorite, and there are several world-class eighteen-hole challenges within a 90-minute drive.  The Municipal Park also sports a public swimming pool and tennis courts and has hook-ups for motor homes and trailers.

The Gillespie County Fairgrounds, located near the airport, is home to a number of exhibitions and, of course, the annual Gillespie County Fair in August. Horse racing is featured in several meets each year, usually during the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays.

Fredericksburg’s German heritage is on display during Oktoberfest and each December when Kristkindl and the town’s Candlelight Homes Tour take place.

The unique allure of Fredericksburg’s fabled mile-long Main Street provides a charming experience for the whole family. This historic area houses myriad shops and emporia of very sort as well as restaurants, bakeries and art galleries; finding that special, one-of-a-kind wedding, birthday or holiday gift is a cheerful experience.  Fredericksburg merchants take extra pride in their singular, one-off wares to please every taste and they warmly welcome all visitors with a genial sense of old-world hospitality.

Fredericksburg is also the jumping-off point to the Hill Country’s gorgeous scenery, often breathtaking in its colorful complexity. Whether it’s catching the early spring Blue Bonnet bloom that draws annual, world-wide attention or just enjoying the rolling hills, limestone escarpments and green-canopied oaks, a drive though the areas surrounding Fredericksburg is a must. The verdant grasslands bordering local streams and creeks make up the southern-most edge of the Great Plains; they lie, geologically speaking, atop the Edwards Plateau (which, in turn, sits to the north and west of the Balcones Escarpment).

The famed Willow City scenic loop, off State Road 16 to the northeast, provides a spectacular example of the area’s innate beauty.  A not-to-be-missed landmark is Enchanted Rock State Park, due north of Fredericksburg. The reddish-pink domed formation leaps out at you as you round a final bend, its rounded elevation displaying an eccentric and striking contrast to the Hill Country’s greens and whites. [If you’ve ever seen Australia’s vivid Ayers or Rock, the similarities are inescapable.]

What’s to do in Fredericksburg after a day of happy hustle and bustle? Well, it might be time to kick back and sample some local relaxations.  Maybe you’d like to enjoy a beer at the Fredericksburg Brewery, a glass of wine in the lounge of House.Wine or a cigar in the comfortable outside setting surrounding the Lincoln Street Wine Bar.  Hit Hondo’s or The Auslander for live music. Travel a few miles north to Hill Top for a tasty meal and more tunes. Turn east on Main/290 for friendly, upscale dining at The Navajo Grill or August E’s.  Stay closer in for ethnic German food at any number of local eateries, or reserve a table at the legendary Nest Restaurant.

And that’s just a short list of local places that may interest the visitor to Fredericksburg. Every local restaurant has its individual fascination, as does each retail outlet. The Visitor’s Center, as mentioned above, is a valuable source of Hill Country information; many motels, B&Bs and local shops can offer recommendations for specialty items, restaurants and the area’s wide assortment of interests.

For those interested in the “numbers,” here are some general statistics about Fredericksburg and its environs.

Gillespie County has roughly 23,000 inhabitants, with Fredericksburg proper’s population just topping 10,000 citizens. The county’s altitude ranges from 1,400 to 2,200 feet above sea level (the Gillespie County Airport sits at about 1,700 feet).  Rainfall averages in the neighborhood of 30 inches a year, while temperatures range from an annual July high of 93 to a January low of 35. The county’s growing season averages about 220 days.

The County’s workforce is around 12,000, with the average weekly wage in excess of  $400. Retail sales approach 300 million dollars, while property valuation is near $3 billion.

Fredericksburg also offers a complete range of sophisticated services including brokerage houses, mortgage lenders, real estate offices and banking institutions; such nationally known companies as Edward Jones, Fredericksburg Realty and Chase are fully represented and can meet any fiscal, property or financial market need.

Fredericksburg Texas Community Profile (Source: Texas LMI TRACER, Second Quarter 2007.)

Employment Data

Major Area Employers

Demographic data provided here are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Races in Gillespie County:

(Total exceeds 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races.)

Median Age: 46.3 years
Males: 47.3%
Females: 52.7%

Utilities

Water
Water is provided by the City of Fredericksburg within and near the city limits. Private wells provide water in the rural areas of the county.
Source of City Water:  Deep Wells
Capacity of water plant: 7 million gallons/day
Maximum daily use: 4.5 million gallons/day
Storage capacity: 3 million gallons
Pressure on mains: 35-100 psi

Electricity
The predominant wholesale electricity provider is the Lower Colorado River Authority. Local retail distribution is provided by the City of Fredericksburg and the Central Texas Electric Cooperative.
Total system capacity: 60 MW
Reserve at system peak: 50%

Natural Gas
Gas Supplier: Atmos Energy
BTU Content per Cubic Foot: 1,100

Sewage Treatment
Type of Treatment: Activated Sludge
Maximum Capacity: 2.5 million gallons/day
Average Daily use: 1 million gallons/day

Waste Disposal
Service provided by the City of Fredericksburg in city limits and private Vendors in the county.

Location

Fredericksburg is located in Gillespie County which is in the heart of the beautiful
Texas Hill Country where Highway 290, Highway 16, & Highway 87 converge.

Transportation

Highways

Distance to Nearest Interstate: IH-10, 23 miles
Highways Serving Fredericksburg: 3
Federal Highways: US 87, US 290
State: TX 16

Common Carriers

San Antonio International Airport - 70 miles
Airlines: Aerolitorial, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Mexicana Northwest, Southwest, Sky West, United
Non-Stop Service to 32 destinations.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport - 86 miles
Airlines: American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Northwest, Southwest United, US Airways
Non-Stop Service to 30 destinations.

General Aviation Airport

Gillespie County Airport - 3 miles south
Runway length: 5,002 feet, asphalt, 30,000 single wheel load rating
Runway lighted: Yes
Instrument Approach: Non-precision GPS Straight-In each runway
Ground transportation: Taxi and rental car service available
Fuel: Aviation gasoline and Jet fuel available 24 hours

Common Carriers

Interstate Carriers: 2
Intrastate Carriers: 4
Local Terminals: 2
Highway Bus Service: Yes
Carrier Service: Yes

Rail Service: None

Transit Time

Transit time for carload or truckload lots to:

Communications

Type of Newspaper(s) in City:
Weekly - Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post - (830) 997-2155

Radio Stations in Area:
AM (KNAF) (830) 997-2197
FM (KFAN) (830) 997-2197

TV Channels without Cable: 4

Cable Television: Yes
Time Warner Cable - (830) 997-4646

Number of Channels: 37

Telephone: Verizon
All Major Components (800) 483-4400

Internet Access: Yes
Bee Creek Communications- (830) 990-1258
CTESC - (888) 297-1340
Kerrville Telephone Company - (830) 990-0564

Tax Structure (Effective: January 2008)

*Texas State Law requires that property be appraised at 100% of market value.

Education

Fredericksburg Independent School District

Budget for 2007/2008 - $30,400,000

Doss Common Consolidated School District
All Grades - 20

Harper Independent School District
All Grades - 582

Private Schools
Four private schools have a total enrollment of 621 students.

Head Start
Three Head Start locations have a total enrollment of 146 students.

Texas Hill Country University Center
This multi-institutional teaching center offers collaborative programs with Austin Community College, Texas Tech University, Concordia University and Schreiner University.

Current enrollment is about 600 with classes conducted in facilities provided by the Fredericksburg Independent School District. Construction of the first classroom facility on a campus site just east of Fredericksburg will begin in 2008.

Vocational/Industrial Job Training
On the job training programs and customized training programs can be coordinated by the Alamo WorkSource Career Center.