Happy Sunday!
I'm continuing my "Grand Tour of Texas" with a week in Kerr and Gillespie counties, in particular, Kerrville and Fredericksburg. This area is rich in history, from Fort Martin Scott, an outpost of the Texas west, to Kerrville which began as a hub for cyprus shingles, and is home to a Texas landmark grocery store chain and a mecca for fans of Texas music. To Fredericksburg, where the commander of the pacific fleet in World War II was born and raised, and where a museum and memorial park dedicated to those who served in that conflict draws hundreds of thousand each year.
The area is home to descendants of the earliest German settlers of Texas. Their influence is very evident in the food, architecture and culture there.
Kerr and Gillespie counties are in the middle of the Texas Hill country. The area gets its name from the numerous limestone and granite hills rising as high as 800 feet above the surrounding prairie. The geography is beautiful. From the Guadalupe river flowing through the middle of Kerrville, banked on one side by steep limestone cliffs, to the placid creeks scattered throughout the area and expansive views every where you look.
I've loved this area for a long time. In my wilder days, I was introduced to Texas outlaw country music. I'm still a fan and the hill country is a bit of a mecca for fans of the genre. From "Waylon and Willie and the boys" hanging out in Luckenbach, to Robert Earl Keen pickin' on the front porch and 25 cent enchilada plates at the diner on the square, I loved the fun and imagery of their music.
Kerrville in particular still showcases this Texas of all music. Their annual music festival draws artists and fans from around the world. Many who have played there have gone on to success in the industry.
Kerrville has an interesting history. Evidence has been found of humans living there a long ago as 10,000 years, drawn no doubt to the waters of the Guadalupe river. But it was in the 1840's when Joshua Brown saw a market for shingles made from the abundant cypress trees and set up a camp on the river that the settlement known today as Kerrville began.
Because of the growth of San Antonio and Austin nearby, the need for construction materials was great, so Brown's business grew steadily, bringing in others to the settle the area. Soon it was a bustling town and became the county seat of Kerr county in 1856. And the addition of a grist and saw mill in 1857 brought a source of permanent power and protection from floods.
Kerrville is the home of another Texas tradition. H-E-B grocery stores is one of largest privately held companies in the country, and second only to Dell computers as the largest in Texas. It started with a small store in Kerrville and grew into a chain of stores throughout Texas. To some native Texans H-E-B is a staple part of their daily lives.
Today the city, and the Hill Country in general, is among the fastest growing areas in the country. And Kerrville is definitely prosperous. The city is very pretty, with the river running through the center and parks, trails, lookouts and other sites are in abundance.
About 25 miles northeast of Kerrville is the city of Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is best known for one of its native sons, Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Raised by his paternal grandfather, a former member of the German navy and Texas Ranger, Nimitz grew up in their hotel, which was designed to look like a steamship as a nod to the elder Nimitz's naval history. Ironic, when it was not the navy that young Chester wanted as a career. He originally planned to go to West Point, but there were no openings.
However, his congressman informed him of an opening at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, but said that it would only go to the most qualified of applicants. Nimitz studied hard and not only gained admittance, but graduated with honors seventh of a class of 114.
The story that to me best describes the character of Admiral Nimitz happened when he was a young midshipman at Annapolis. He was spotted buying beer by a senior officer, but that officer did not report him. Nimitz remembered this, and it later formed a philosophy of not disciplining young officers and seaman for minor first time infractions, rather to let them learn from mistakes.
One time, when he was transferring one from ship to another, Nimitz stood in the boat. The young seaman operating the craft spotted him and yelled "You, sit down!" When the seaman spotted the gold bands and decorations on the Admiral's uniform, he started to apologize, but Nimitz waved him off. "Stand your ground, son" Nimitz replied "You are absolutely correct."
Nimitz was a strategic genius. He took what was a decimated pacific fleet and defeated the entire Japanese navy. And this from a young ensign who ran his first ship aground and was court marshaled for it!
Naturally, the Admiral received numerous accolades for his work, but he always said that it was the sacrifice of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that deserved the praise. And he refused any honors that did not include them.
The National Museum of the Pacific War is a perfect example of Admiral Nimitz dedication and honor for those who served with and under him. The museum includes a memorial courtyard, covered in plaques honoring those who served in the pacific, a plaza of presidents that served in WWII, the Veterans Walk of Honor, paved with bricks honoring all who served in the U.S military and the Japanese Garden of Peace, a gift from the Japanese to honor the friendship between the two countries as reflected by that between Nimitz and Admiral Heihachiro Togo of the Japanese Navy.
Also on the grounds is the George H.W. Bush Gallery, a 33,000 square foot permanent installment tracing the fight in the pacific from the seeds of conflict through the Japanese surrender. The gallery uses real artifacts, recorded interviews with sailors and soldiers and immersive technologies to inform visitors of the actual conflict.
Just down the street from the gallery is the Pacific Combat Zone, where visitors can view a PT boat and a TPM torpedo bomber that actually saw combat. There is also an amphitheater set up as a realistic rendition of an island combat zone, with sandbagged shelters, foxholes, gun emplacements and other items that would have been on the beach at Guadalcanal or Iwo Jima.
The museum is a lot to take in. As a matter of fact, admission is good for two days. And you might just need it to see everything.
The Nimitz hotel still stands and is part of the complex. It houses the Admiral Nimitz museum and a Fredericksburg history museum. Unfortunately, it was closed when I was there while for renovations and the installation of new exhibits. Oh, well, just another reason for me to go back!
Just outside of Fredericksburg are Fort Martin Scott and the Texas Rangers Heritage Center. The fort was a western outpost in the days of expansion. Original buildings and reconstructions give insight to the daily live of soldiers on the frontier.
The Texas Rangers Heritage Center is a relatively new installation. Phase one, opened in 2015, consists of a large pavilion, a bell tower, an amphitheater and a memorial star. Phase two will include a museum with state of the art holographic displays.
Duke, the Ranger on duty regaled visitors with stories of the Rangers and a description of the center, which is dedicated to preserving the history and culture that is the Texas Rangers.
And while we're on the subject of Forts, I want to mention Camp Verde. Similar to Fort Martin Scott, Camp Verde was an expansion outpost. But Verde has a very different history. It was the headquarters of the U.S. Camel Corps. That's right, folks, camels in Texas! That's a whole other story.
Not much is left of the camp, but the old trading post about a mile down the road is still in business as a sort of high end gift shop and restaurant. When you stop there, be sure to say hello to Arthur the camel.
The entrance to the camp and an historical marker can be seen just off the road. The rest of the camp is on private property.
Oh, and folks, this is German country. You can't spend time here without experiencing some. To me, it's the food. From the Rathskeller in the basement of an old building, to the Auslander with it's biergarten, you can get some pretty good grub!
As I mentioned last time, I spent this week in an RV resort. My first! It's a really nice place call Johnson Creek RV resort and Pecans. Yep, it's set in the middle of a pecan plantation. With great views, abundant wildlife (I'm talking about the deer, not the residents, people!) and a herd of small horses, life was pretty good.
They also have a couple of meeting halls, one of which is outfitted like an old west town. And a swimming pool, playground and a scenic overlook for killer sunsets.
Getting long here again. Next week, it's Abilene state park, for some more history and forts and stuff.
Later, folks.
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