Education has played an important role in the history of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County. In the early days, there were 44 country schools in Gillespie County, including the Vereins Kirche, which served as the first school in 1847. When families moved to out lots and larger parcels of land, small school houses appeared in the smaller communities. In 1999, Fredericksburg ISD was looking to sell the remaining 12 schools that served as community centers. A group of county residents joined together to preserve these buildings so they could continue to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

The above image depicts the Cherry Springs School in 1935.

AUGUST CALENDAR

1 & 2- First Weekend Activities

6 & 20 - Conversational German Series

22- Gillespie County Fair Friday- Pioneer Museum and Vereins Kirche Museum open following the parade until 5 p.m.

First Weekend at the Museum - Come Share Our Story!

Sponsored by: Fredericksburg Morning Rotary Club and Friend of Gillespie County Historical Society

Friday, August 1

• Complimentary Public Program, 3-5 p.m., Historic Sanctuary Hall

Featured Presentation - Treasures of Gillespie County Country Schools- Panel discussion with former country school students facilitated by Dr. Jim Lindley. Available on livestream here.

Saturday, August 2

• Pioneer Museum and Vereins Kirche Museum open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Temporary Exhibit located in the Pioneer Museum Store- Back to School- a look at Gillespie County Country Schools
• Spinner Demonstration 
• Handwerker Demonstration         
• Blacksmithing Demonstration 
• Frontier History Company Interpretive Living Historians
• Antique toys and games led by former country school students
• Museum scavenger hunt

PLUS....

• Historic Jail, 117 W. San Antonio St. with Interpretive Living Historians 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Shopping in the Museum Store – 10% off Book of the Month Friday and Saturday

August Book of the Month- History Along the Way: Stories beyond the Texas Roadside Markers

Texans love stories, and the 15,000 roadside markers along the state’s highways and byways testify to the abundance of tales to tell. History along the Way recounts the narratives behind and beyond more than one hundred Texas roadside markers.

Peopled with colorful characters—a national leader of Camp Fire Girls, an army engineer who mapped the Republic of Texas frontier, a hunter of mammoth bones, a ragtime composer, civil rights leaders, and an iconic rock star, among others—the book gives readers an intriguing and expanded look at the details, challenges, and lives commemorated by the words cast in metal on these wayside markers scattered across the Lone Star landscape.

Also recounted in History along the Way are the stories of historic structures (from roadside architecture and elaborate West Texas hotels to university Old Mains and country schoolhouses of Gillespie County), engineering features (the Hidalgo Pumphouse in South Texas and the Rainbow Bridge in East Texas), and even town mascots (a jackrabbit, a mule, and a prairie dog). Accompanied by helpful maps, colorful photographs, and informative sidebars, History along the Way is guaranteed to inform, amuse, and intrigue.

Every part of Texas gets a visit in this anthology of select sites, making it easy for travelers—both the armchair and touring varieties—to enjoy and learn about the fascinating nooks and crannies of history captured in all their variety by the roadside markers of Texas.

Get 10% off during First Weekend, August 1 & 2!

Take home a little piece of Fredericksburg. From magnets to keychains to historic postcards, take home something to commemorate your time in Fredericksburg.

Shop the Museum Store

Monday- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or online here.

This box of Tru-Tone Crayons was manufactured by Milton Bradley in the early 1900s. The brand was marketed for educational use and known for producing consistent, vivid colors. Crayons like these were widely used in American public schools during the early 20th century, reflecting a broader emphasis on integrating visual arts into primary education. The packaging design is characteristic of commercial school supplies from the interwar period, combining function with emerging trends in graphic presentation.

The crayons will be on display in the Dambach-Besier House (the entrance to the Pioneer Museum complex) throughout the month of August.

Pioneer Museum | PioneerMuseum.org