Landing at Galveston, the pioneers traveled nearly 300 miles by ox cart through virtual wilderness to reach their proposed town site. Ten acres of farm land were immediately made available to them, and, after the land had been surveyed, each single man received an additional 320 acres, and each married man 640 acres. Settled in 1846, the tidy town of Fredericksburg, Texas is a planned masterpiece. In addition to farmland, each original settler received one town lot to have a place to rest from the long journey to town to go to church. Today, many of the one-room so-called "Sunday Houses" that they built remain and have been turned into quaint bed and breakfast cottages.
The early life of the settlers was hardly easy. They suffered from a lack of sufficient provisions, bad weather, unscrupulous land sharks, and disease. Hundreds died on the trip from Galveston. But by 1847 the town had grown to about 1,000, and the Commissioner General of the community, Baron John O. Meusebach, realized that a treaty with the local Native Americans was critical to their survival.
With three wagons, an interpreter, and 20 men, Meusebach rode into the Indians territory and convinced 20 Comanche chiefs of his integrity and the mutual benefits of a treaty. At six foot three, this German nobleman must have been an impressive spokesman. And his promise of friendship to the Indians was kept by the people of Fredericksburg. There were no breaks in the treaty by either side since it was signed, and it is said to be the only such unbroken treaty in U.S. history. Since the peace treaty with the Comanche Indians was so crucial to the town's survival, it is commemorated here with an almost life-size sculpture of John Meusebach presenting a peace pipe to a Comanche Chief.
The lives of these hearty Texas pioneers come alive at The Pioneer Museum Complex, at 309 West Main Street. On three acres, right in the heart of town, you'll be able to time travel to the past and see how the German settlers really lived as you stroll under the wide branches of pecan trees and visit almost a dozen historic buildings. From a blacksmith shop, typical homes, and a one-room school house, to the Volunteer Fire Department Museum, and general store, you'll find displays, working settings, and costumed docents that let you experience the past of not only Fredericksburg, but surrounding Gillespie County as well.
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