Weimar, TX Web site, sponsored by the Weimar Chamber of Commerce in Weimar, Texas.
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Area History
The community was first called Jackson, after D.W. Jackson, a native Georgian and area landowner who donated land for the railroad right-of-way and the town site. The populace subsequently chose the name Weimar and early records indicate that Thomas W. Pierce, who authorized Jackson to sell lots at the site, had visited Weimar, Germany, and was favorably impressed.

Incorporated in July, 1875, it became an early cotton center. Today the city is still an agriculture production center as well as a modern business community.

Post Office
The Weimar Post Office was established in 1873. The town was incorporated in 1875. After beginning with a few hundred townspeople, Weimar had by its tenth birthday achieved a population of over 1,000. As it grew Weimar established itself as a center of trade for pecans, poultry and dairy products. By 1877 the town was large enough to make its first city map.
Historic Newspaper
In 1888 Weimar witnessed the origin of its historic newspaper, the Weimar Mercury, which remains in publication today. Throughout the twentieth century Weimar enjoyed a slow yet steady growth in population, increasing by over 250 every ten years. Business establishments held their number steady at around seventy. After a population high of 2,400 in 1976, the town declined slightly in the following decade. In 2002 the population hovers around 2,100 folks.
Water Tower
Before wireless communication, cell phones, and email, the Weimar Welcomes You water tower played a very important roll for emergency communication. Back when you had to pick up your phone and ask an operator connect you to the person you wished to speak with, contacting the authorities could be a difficult task. The Sheriff was usually out 'keeping the peace' and there was no quick way to get in touch with him. So the community devised an emergency communication system.

The old Weimar water tower welcomes visitors to town.In the event of an emergency, you would contact the operator and let her know that you needed assistance. She would then flip the main switch that controlled a light, located on the bottom of the water tower, which was visible for miles around. The Sheriff would either see the light or be notified that there was an emergency, and would call the operator to find out what the problem was.

Heritage Society Museum of Weimar

No Admission Fee
Group tours available

Hours:
Wednesdays 2pm-4pm
Saturdays 10am-4pm

Information Call:
(979) 725-8203
(979) 725-8804
(979) 725-8478
(979) 725-9511
Free:(888) 3-WEIMAR

Housed in the Old Hill Bank building. The Heritage Society Museum of Weimar, Inc. focuses on exhibits tracing the city's history, beginning with the original land grant from the Spanish government to Henry Austin in 1831.

Surveying tools and personal effects of Weimar's founder, D.W. Jackson, are displayed.

The Main Street area gives a fascination glimpse of life into Weimar's early days. Strolling down "the street," visitors can view a doctor's office with a full-size skeleton on a stand beside an old-fashioned examining table. Clearly in view is an amputation kit and a wooden leg belonging to Peg-Leg Strunk, an early area rancher.

A replica of an old-time dentist office.A dentist office, department store, bank, blacksmith forge, a facsimile of the old Mercury newspaper printing shop, a barber ship and beauty salon all make up the museum's Main Street.

The early country kitchen exhibit is complete with a Hoosier cabinet, the pride of any 1900's housewife. First manufactured in Indiana, these cabinets took their name from the Hoosier state. A poppy-seed grinder is clamped to the worktable, ready for making poppy-seed filled Kolaches.

Photographs of the people who created Weimar's history fill the museum's walls. Pictures include wedding couples, children at play, farmers at work, and buddies cooling off at a local saloon on a hot Texas day.

Treasured keepsakes of the area families share space with souvenir artifacts from Weimar's commercial past. Old ledgers and hand cancellations in the Hill Bank exhibit show how financial institutions once operated. (A nearby three-ton black iron safe is ornamented in elaborate gold filigree.) Don't think the flapper-style evening gown in the bank room is out of place. It belonged to Pearl Hill Kindred, the first woman bank officer in Texas.

The Military Room features uniforms and G.I. memorabilia from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf conflict. Among the most unusual items is a water-cooled machine gun from W.W. I and Nazi banners from W.W.II. There's even a Civil War cannonball, recently unearthed east of town. The Military Room's exterior wall holds the Weimar's Veteran Roll, which lists area residents who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

The old Farmer's Drug Store soda fountain greets visitors to the Pharmacy section.The pharmacy exhibit is most impressive. An inlaid majolica tile soda fountain from the old Farmer's Drug Store greets visitors to this section. One can easily imagine enjoying a long-ago Saturday afternoon with a cool fountain drink or scoop of ice cream.

Thousands of historical pharmaceutical items makes this exhibit one of the finest in the country.Pharmaceutical items, housed in original drug store cabinets and cases, include remedies and patent medicines such as Doctor Thatcher's Liver and Blood Syrup and Grandma's Household Remedies. A vast collection of mortars and pestles, pharmaceutical tools, bottles, and books line the walls. Prohibition-era prescriptions for alcohol, written in 1924 for a man and his wife prompt comments about "medicinal uses" of spirits. Both scripts carry the same date. Perhaps the couple was giving a party that evening?

The museum takes pride in its preservation of Weimar's past. Among its holdings is an extensive collection of old Weimar school yearbooks and many photos of the community's early baseball teams.

At one time, the majority of area citizens made their living in agriculture. One of the early cotton-seed oil mills in Texas existed in Weimar (1876).

Old copper kettle used in commercial pickle production.In 1926, when the Texas Pickle Company opened, farmers began planting cucumbers to supply the brining vats. The factory operated for thirty years.

Displayed in the museum are such items as a bathtub-sized copper kettle used in commercial pickle producing and a manual hay press (circa 1900). This valuable modern piece of equipment (in its day) was shared by a group of farmers.

The newest addition to the Heritage Society Museum is the Weimar Volunteer Firefighter's exhibit, which houses a vintage Seagrave pumper and hose truck, 1890 house cart, uniforms and photographs.

Early 20th century firetruck.The museum annex, located on Post Office Street, houses the "Rural Americana" exhibit. Against a country scene back drop, visitors can view examples of typical farm implements known to have come from area farmers.

Baseball's Rich History In Weimar
In 1948, Weimar built the first lighted baseball field between San Antonio and Houston. Citizens named it Veterans Park in honor of those who had been killed in two World Wars. Baseball had been popular in Weimar even back in the preceding century. The sport continues to be popular with Weimar's State Championship High School program and semi-pro baseball team.

Baseball, in Weimar, is an institution in itself. In fact, baseball and Weimar are synonymous, as it has been part of Weimar from the very beginning...

The 1923 baseball team.In the early 1900's baseball was played at several locations scattered about the countryside. Games are recalled played in the Janak pasture (now F.C. Seifert property), also south of town on what is now the Henry Dreitner farm, and at the Firemen's park (now Hill Memorial Park). The team was known as the KC's when baseball was played on the Dreitner location.

Barta park, the first baseball park built in 1938.The first ball park was built by Bill B. Barta in the southern section of town in 1938. Bleachers were added in 1939. The Weimar Wildcats, managed by S. J. Burttschell with Bill Barta as business manager, won the South Central Texas League amateur title in 1940.

The 1940 Weimar Wildcats.The Weimar Wildcats of 1940 are probably the only team on record having two sets of three brothers: V. "Jiggs" Kana, Henry "Fats" Kana, and Joe "Jack" Kana and Walter, Hilbert and Werner Boeer and two sets of brothers: Jerome "Hooks" Hajovsky and Henry "Cuz" Hajovsky and Jimmie and Johnnie Mazoch all playing on the same team at the same time.

The Barta Ball Park was used until 1948, and Sunday afternoons saw heated battles decided on the diamond.

Veteran's Park.In 1948 activity moved to the north side of town when a new lighted baseball field, the first between Houston and San Antonio, was built. A grandstand seating up to 4000 spectators made it the finest ball park in the area, and semi-pro baseball came to Weimar.

The Herder Truckers of 1949, semi-pro baseball team.The Herder Truckers, a team composed of local and college students supported by business men of the town, brought the eyes of the nation on Weimar. The Truckers won first place in State semi-pro tournament; Houston Post championship; 4th place in national semi-pro tournament held in Wichita, Kansas; and was designated No. 1 Town Team in the national tournament.

Semi-pro ball continued until 1952 when emphasis was placed on youth-oriented baseball, and adult baseball returned to the amateur level. Beginning with 1952 the M-G Feeders represented Weimar for two years; the Weimar Merchants for two years; and since that time the Weimar Vets have been the town team. In 1969 the Vets won the South Central Texas League championship and the right to enter the NBC tournament at Lubbock. Managers for the Vets have been Joe Hartensteiner, George Muzny, Allen Hoelscher, Donn Klare, and George Kloesel.

Weimar's first LIttle League team (1950).In 1950 the Little League for 9, 10, 11, and 12-year old boys began under the leadership of Rev. Alois Goertz. This program started with eight teams in the town and has averaged that number each season since.

The 1955 Central Texas Junior Teen Age Championship team.Teen-aged baseball for 13, 14, and 15-year old youngsters began in 1955 with Al Kasparek as organizer and leader. Here the town has had one major and one farm team each year to enter competitive play. In 1955 the Weimar team was the Central Texas Junior Teen Age champion, and many of the players were boys who had begun playing in Little League five years before.

The Little League program received an assist in 1961 when Mr. G. W. Shaver gave the youngsters a gratis lease for 15 years covering half a block of land in the northern part of the city for use as a playing area. It has been named "Shaver Field" in his honor, and the players maintain it in playing condition.

The Connie Mack League for 16, 17 and 18-year old boys began in 1962 under the guidance of Cecil Ellison. This group fields one team each year. Prior to this time the Catholic Youth Organization sponsored a team in this age bracket which was under the supervision of Msgr. A. Drozd.

In 1966 Weimar High School, which dropped baseball some years ago, restored the diamond sport to its program. The school has one team per year representing the school.

The town has been vitally concerned with the youth program not only here but over a wide expanse of the surrounding territory as well as over the state. Weimar was a focal point in the Babe Ruth program for the entire state of Texas for quite awhile; Al Kasparek served as director in the Lone Star State for the Babe Ruth organization. It was also headquarters for the Tri-County League, which began with four teams, grew to 18 teams, in Colorado, Fayette and DeWitt-Lavaca Counties, but which eventually numbered 33 teams.

"Some people put too much emphasis on winning," Kasparek declared. "We teach the boys to conduct themselves properly on and off the diamond."

Baseball is still No. 1 in Weimar.

From Weimar, Texas First 100 Years, 1873-1973.

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