Nearly 600 Germans came here to settle under the auspices of the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. Surrounded by Comanches, isolated, plagued with epidemics, unfamiliar with the country, they fought a bitter battle for survival. Upright and industrious, they prospered until the Civil War when, disapproving of slavery, men hid out in the hills and fled to Mexico to avoid joining the Confederate Army. Their troubles continued during Reconstruction, but these folks persevered by being self-reliant. In 1912, they built their own railroad to connect with the nearest line; this was discontinued in 1941. In 1937, Highway 87 was built through the town; now Highway 290 and Highway 16 also run through here. Today, Fredericksburg, the center of diversified farming and ranching activity, is a picturesque community with many stone houses.