HISTORY OF WEIMAR

from Weimar: Your Complete Guide to Texas' Weimar

by Digital Publisher

FUN & ADVENTURE - HATARI WILDLIFE PARK

DEEP ROOTS

Historical Weimar, Texas

COMMUNITY FINDS THEIR PLACE ON THE MAP IN 1873, CONTINUES MOVING FORWARD TODAY

Centrally located on Interstate 10 and US 90 between San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, Weimar is a friendly community founded by mostly Czech and German descendants.

Weimar was founded in 1873 when it was discovered that the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway was going to be constructed through the area. The town was first named Jackson, after D. W. Jackson, a native Georgian who donated land for the railroad and town site. The name Jackson didn’t stick and the majority promptly chose the name Weimar. An early account says that resident Thomas W. Pierce visited Weimar, Germany, and was favorably impressed, passing on encouragement to others that their new town should be it’s namesake.

The Weimar post office was established in 1873 and was incorporated in 1875. Weimar started with only a few hundred people but grew to over 1,000 residents in only ten years. It would soon be known far and wide for pecans, dairy, and poultry products. The Weimar Mercury, the first town newspaper that still exists today, was established in 1888.

Industry and agriculture continue to dominate the area today. Weimar was well known for leading the area in sheet-metal works, oil field gasket manufacturing, feed, poultry, corn, pecans and beef.

The former GH&SA railroad remains in service today as part of the Union Pacific Railroad system.

A strong history of baseball exists in Weimar. Veterans Park - Strickland Field was ahead of its time when it was built in 1948, and was the first lighted baseball field between San Antonio and Houston. Veterans Park remains a state-of-the-art baseball stadium, having hosted a Babe Ruth League World Series Tournament in 2005. Read more about the field and current baseball team on page 20.

Top left, Weimar Bandstand 1930; top right, Post Office Street in Weimar; bottom right, Boy Scouts in Weimar in 1918.