LUCKENBACH
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LUCKENBACH |
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NAME: Luckenbach COUNTY: Gillespie ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: Warm winter, hot summer BEST TIME TO VISIT:Winter, spring, fall |
COMMENTS:
Now a music fan gathering place. REMAINS: Many buildings. |
| Another town settled by German immigrants is Luckenbach. Located about ten miles southeast of Fredericksburg, its considered a ghost town only because it is no longer the town it used to be when the Reverend and Mrs. August Engel founded it during the 1850s. The Reverend was a traveling Methodist minister and spent much of his time away from home. To occupy her time during his absence, Mrs. Engel opened a small country store for the benefit of the residents. As the town grew, so did the need for a post office. The application to postal authorities in Washington required the name of the town. The Reverend's sister, Minna, was engaged to marry a local bachelor by the name of Albert Luckenbach. Minna suggested the town be named Luckenbach and so it was. In 1881 August Engel built a large cotton gin when cotton was the crop of importance. The steam powered plant still stands although it no longer is in operation. The Engels continued to make improvements to the town including a dance hall that became the social center of the town. In 1932, the dance hall was rebuilt and since then has been the focus of introducing new talent to the local communities. Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson had much to do with the current popularity of Luckenbach when they recorded the song " Luckenbach, Texas" in 1977. Since then, Luckenbach has been a gathering place for music fans. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth |
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