HISTORY
130
Early settler artists leave legacy in Hill Country interpretation Herman Lungkwitz and Rich ard Petri settled in the Texas Hill Country more than 150 years ago, and just like hundreds of other immigrants, they were determined to make a make a ‘go’ of it. What made them different was the artistic record they left of the world in which they lived. Their sketches and paintings became prized as rare interpre tations of an era whose works of art are few and far between today. Now museum treasures, their artwork provides a vivid reminder of what life was like “back then,” particularly here in Gillespie County. Petri and Lungwitz had become friends at the Royal Academy of Art in Dresden, Germany, and Lungkwitz later married Petri’s sister, Elisabet. These three were joined in
Lungkwitz
Petri
their move to America by Frie derike Lungkwitz, Herman’s aged mother; his sister Therese, and Petri’s sister, Marie. The group left Germany late in the summer of 1850, landed
in Hoboken, NJ, and moved to Wheeling in what was then Vir ginia. Richard Petri’s health was poor, so they decided to come to Texas, sailing down the Ohio
H
29th Annual Show
and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans where Adolph Lung kwitz, Herman’s younger broth er, joined them. They traveled to Indianola and then to New Braunfels, before moving to the Fredericksburg area in latespring or early-summer of 1852. They bought 320 acres of land on the Pedernales River about five miles southwest of Freder icksburg on what is now known as the “Old Kerrville Road” and proceeded to build their homes and farm the land. These two artists, however, also devoted much of their time to painting the Texas landscape as they saw it, leaving for today many prized pictures of scenes, buildings, frontier life, even Indians, which are found in pri vate collections and museums. Two books have been pub lished about them. Cont. on page 131
BECKER VINEYARDS
ry Antique T t n ou as Engine Club rac , In to C G c. r li l nd a
Preserving Agriculture Heritage For The Future Antique Tractors, Gas Engines, Wheat Threshing, Tractor Pulls, Static Displays, Baling Demonstrations, Working Black Smith, Children’s Activities and much more.
Show Date: June 13-14, 2014 Gillespie County Fair Grounds Sponsor of Texas Bluebonnet Tractor Ride - April 12, 2014 Annual Heritage Show - Gillespie County Fair, August 21-24, 2014
H I L L
C O U N T R Y
Nov. 2 Chunkin’ Pumpkin; Dec. 7, 8, 14 & 15 Port & Stilton Cheese Tasting; Dec. 26 Boxing Day Celebration; Feb. 8 & 9 Merlot & Chocolate Tasting and May 3 & 4 Lavender Festival. HOURS: Monday-Thursday 10-5, Friday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday Noon-6
from Fredericksburg, Hwy. 290 East, one mile south on Jenschke Lane Hwy 281 Johnson City •
• Fredericksburg Stonewall •
Hwy 290 Becker H Vineyards Ranch Road 1376
Jenschke Ln (.8 miles)
830-990-8551 or 830-889-9348 for information www.rustyiron.org
T E X A S
830-644-2681 www.beckervineyards.com