The Gillespie County Historical Society is please to present The Second Fifty Years, a compilation of stories and histories continuing those found in Fredericksburg, Texas... The First Fifty Years. This volume of Fredericksburg history was compiled by local historians to tell the story of our community for 1896 through the centennial celebration in 1946.
While Robert Penniger's first volume was written by people who experienced the first fifty years, The Second Fifty relied heavily on written primary and secondary sources to complete this text seventy-five years after the centennial. Historians used newspaper from Fredericksburg and surrounding communities, as well as histories written by locals, and documents provided by descendants of those who shaped this area.
From 1896 to 1946, the community of Fredericksburg grew and modernized at a rate not seen in the little community prior. From global events, two world wars and the Great Depression, to more localized stories, such as the arrival and deconstruction of the railroad, and the planning of the first commercial peach orchard, the second fifty years were jam-packed.
This book includes history of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County up to and including May 1946, the second fifty years. Editors know there is more to tell in each of the chapters, but that will be up to the next generation.