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GILLESPIE COUNTY OFFERS VISIT TO HISTORIC COUNTRY SCHOOLS
One-room schools, like this one in Crabapple, are spread all across Gillespie County. These used to serve all students in the
area. — Standard-Radio Post file photo
GILLESPIE COUNTY OFFERS OFFERS VISIT VISIT TO HISTORIC COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Gillespie County believes in preserving the history of public education.
One-room schoolhouses dominated the countryside for decades before consolidating with larger districts or closing.
The Fredericksburg Independent School District, Harper ISD and Doss Consolidated Common School District came along later, but the country schools remain.
The sites and even memories can still be revisited, courtesy of a visit on the Gillespie County Country Schools Trail.
The “schools trail” gives visitors and residents a chance to venture into the earlier days of Texas, when German settlers came to the Texas Hill Country and established rural schools to educate their children.
Among the old school houses on the driving trail are Cave Creek, Cherry Mountain, Cherry Spring, Crabapple, Grapetown, Junction, Lower South Grape Creek, Luckenbach, Meusebach Creek, Nebgen, Pecan Creek, Rheingold, Williams Creek (Albert), White Oak, Willow City and Wrede.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the schools were consolidated into the Fredericksburg Independent School District.
On Jan. 23, 2006, the Gillespie County Commissioners Court established the Gillespie County Country Schools Trail. This trail linked the 16 historic former country schools with the Vereins Kirche, which is a replica of the first school built in 1847 in the county.
The 120-mile trail leads visitors to the countryside to see one, several or all schools, along with early school barbecue pits, outdoor pavilions, stages and stage curtains. Many of the historic sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools, in conjunction with several organizations, sponsors the trail and various activities throughout the year
so that people can learn more about the county’s educational history.
The Friends consists of former students of the closed schools and interested neighbors and friends.
Their mission statement is “we are preserving the past to enrich the future.”
OPEN HOUSES AND OTHER EVENTS
The schools are available to the public for social activities.
The following are open houses and other events: • April 11 — Annual Barbecue Meal (choice of pork or chicken) and all the trimmings plates for drivethru only at American Legion Hall, 11 a.m. until sold out. Prize Drawing Benefit, 1 p.m. • September 2021 — Schools will be open on weekends during “Education Month,” in conjunction with Fredericksburg’s 175th Anniversary celebration.
For more information about the historic schools’ tours, call the Friends of Gillespie County
Open houses and other events are held at the schools periodically. These events are sponsored by the Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools. — Standard-Radio Post file photo
Country Schools at 830-685-3321, e-mail them at info@historicschools.org or visit them online at www.historicschools.org.
WILDLIFE VIEWING IS FOR THE BIRDS – AND MUCH MORE
There are many things that attract visitors to the Texas Hill Country, but the wildlife viewing is for the birders.
“People are crazy about birding,” said Mike Miller, a Kerrville-based district leader for the Wildlife Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “People fly in from all over the country and all over the world to see the birds.”
Although there are seemingly countless bird species to see in the Hill Country, spring and summer brings those looking to spot goldencheeked warblers and black-capped vireos.
“They’re starting to arrive,” he said. “April and May are big months.”
He said any of the state parks and wildlife management areas are excellent for birding, including Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Lost Maples State Natural Area and Louise Hays Park in Kerrville.
“Turkeys are another one that folks enjoy seeing,” Miller said, noting that they can be seen throughout the area, but especially at parks and nature areas.
Not all Hill Country wildlife viewing is for the birds.
“A simple drive through the Hill Country provides a lot of wildlife viewing — especially white-tailed deer and exotic/non-native species like blackbuck antelope, axis deer, etc. on high fence ranches,” said TPWD spokesperson Megan Radke. “State parks near the Fredericksburg area include Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, LBJ State Park and Historic Site — as well as LBJ National Park right next door — Old Tunnel State Park, and then farther into the Hill Country, Garner State Park, Lost Maples State Natural Area and South Llano River State Park.”
Another critter that attracts wildlife enthusiasts are the Mexican free-tail bats. Miller said Old Tunnel State Park is a great place to view them in the evenings when they come out to feed. The best viewing of the winged mammals is May through October.
In the area’s aquatic habitats, people can find rare species native only to Texas, including the Guadalupe bass, which is found in parts of the San Antonio, Guadalupe, Colorado, and Brazos rivers, and the Texas blind salamander, which lives in the water-filled caves of the Edwards Aquifer in Hays County.
Although wildlife abounds in the Hill Country, not all of it is friendly to folks. Rattlesnakes and copperhead snakes are among the venomous snakes in the region.
“You need to be aware of your surroundings,” Miller said.
Miller also advised checking out the state parks and natural areas online before packing the family and hitting the road. Some parks close for seasonal hunts and other programs.
For more information, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov.
White-tailed deer are common in the Texas Hill Country and are a favorite of nature enthusiasts and hunters who come to the area to explore the many natural wonders.
— Standard-Radio Post file photo
