Luckenbach, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luckenbach, Texas
Unincorporated community
U.S. Post Office in Luckenbach, 1850-1971
Motto(s):  Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach.
Location within the state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Gillespie
Elevation	476 m (1,562 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	3
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID	1378619
Website	http://www.luckenbachtexas.com/

Luckenbach (/ˈluːkɪnbɑːk/ loo-KIN-bahk) is a very small place in Texas, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government. Luckenbach is about 13 miles (19 km) from Fredericksburg.

This little spot is famous for its country music and its interesting German-Texan history. It was named after Carl Albert Luckenbach, whose father, Jacob Luckenbach, was an early settler in the area.

History of Luckenbach

People in Luckenbach have a cool story! They say that a resident named Jacob Brodbeck flew an airplane many years before the famous Wright Brothers did.

In 1848, the Texas Legislature officially created Gillespie County. Luckenbach is located within this county.

The oldest building in Luckenbach is a combination general store and saloon. It was supposedly opened in 1849 by Minna Engel. Her father was a traveling minister from Germany. The community was first called Grape Creek, but it was later renamed after Minna's husband, Carl Albert Luckenbach.

Luckenbach started as a trading post. It was one of the few places that always kept peace with the Comanche Native Americans, trading goods with them.

The population of Luckenbach grew to its highest point in 1904, with 492 people. But by the 1960s, it had become almost a ghost town, with very few people living there.

Luckenbach's Rebirth and Fame

In 1970, a newspaper ad offered "town — pop. 3 — for sale." This caught the eye of actor Guich Koock, rancher and storyteller John Russell (Hondo) Crouch, and rancher Kathy Morgan. They decided to buy Luckenbach for $30,000.

Guich Koock used the town's rights to manage the dance hall as he wanted. Luckenbach became known for hosting unique events. These included the Luckenbach Women's Chili Cookoff and the 1st Luckenbach World's Fair, where country music star Willie Nelson made a surprise visit. In the 1990s, Luckenbach also hosted several of Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnics.

Luckenbach Today

Today, Luckenbach still feels like a ghost town because of its small population. It has a strong old-western style. One of its main buildings holds what's left of a post office, a working saloon, and a general store. Another building is the dance hall.

A newer store in town sells western clothing and "Luckenbach" shirts. You can also find items with the town's motto: "Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach." The old post office closed in 1971, but the general store is still open as a souvenir shop.

Where is Luckenbach?

Luckenbach is a small area of about 9 acres (3.7 hectares). It's located between two creeks, South Grape Creek and Snail Creek. It's just south of U.S. Highway 290.

The town is about 50 miles (80 km) north of San Antonio and 69 miles (111 km) west of Austin. If you're using GPS, the address is "412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg, TX 78624."

Luckenbach's Climate

The weather in Luckenbach has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.

Famous People from Luckenbach

• Alfred P.C. Petsch (1887–1981): He was a lawyer, a lawmaker, and a generous person who gave a lot to his community. He was born in Luckenbach and served in the Texas House of Representatives, as well as in World War I and World War II.

World Record in Luckenbach

On August 23, 2009, Luckenbach hosted an event called "Pickin' for the Record." This event raised money for an organization called Voices of a Grateful Nation.

During this event, Luckenbach broke a Guinness world record! They gathered the most guitar players in one place to play continuously for at least five minutes. Luckenbach beat the previous record, held by Germany, by 50 players, with a total of 1,868 guitarists.

Visiting Luckenbach

Luckenbach is a fun place to visit! They have live music events every weekend. On Sundays, many visitors bring their own instruments and play music informally with others in the crowd. Sometimes, famous local or regional musicians even stop by to play.

There are also places nearby where you can park your recreational vehicle (RV) for camping. There's a small creek, and areas set up for playing washer pitching, a popular Texas game.

Luckenbach in Pop Culture

• The famous country singer Waylon Jennings sang about the town in his song "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)". Even though Jennings didn't really like the song and had never visited Luckenbach, he recorded it. It became a number one country hit and one of his biggest songs!
• The country band Midland also mentions Luckenbach in their song "She's a Cowgirl."
• The glam metal band Warrant mentions Luckenbach in their song "Love in Stereo" from their 1990 album Cherry Pie.
• Luckenbach was the setting for a short TV show called Lewis and Clark. One of the stars of the show was Guich Koock, who owned the town.
• Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his live album ¡Viva Terlingua! in Luckenbach in August 1973.
• Pat Green often mentions Luckenbach in his songs. He also performs a yearly Fourth of July concert there during the holiday weekend.