Dinner simmering on a wood-burning stove. Chickens scratching in a swept yard. At the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, it is simply an ordinary day, lived as a German-Texan family lived it in 1918.
It sits a 20-minute drive east of Peach Tree Inn & Suites, where a pool, hot tub, and complimentary breakfast await a short walk from Main Street.
The Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm Never Left 1918
Most historic sites keep the past behind a rope. The Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm hands it to you warm. Part of Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site in Stonewall, the farmstead is interpreted exactly as it stood in 1918.
Meet the Families Behind the Farm
Johann and Christine Sauer bought 188.75 acres along the Pedernales River in 1869 and raised 10 children here. One of them, Augusta Sauer Lindig, served as midwife at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s birth just across the river.
The Beckmanns took over in 1900. When cotton leapt from 9 to 20 cents a pound in one month in 1915, Emil and Emma built a Victorian house joined to the old rock house by a broad hallway called the Durchgang, and flower beds outlined with upturned beer bottles ringed the swept yard. The family sold the Sauer Beckmann Farm to the state in 1966, ending 97 years on the land.
A Working Farm, Not a Museum Display
Rangers in period clothing do not perform; they simply get on with the day. Arrive at the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, and you may find them:
- Cooking Over a Wood Stove: Meals from scratch, butter churned, cheese made by hand.
- Tending the Animals: Feeding, milking, gathering eggs, and slopping hogs daily.
- Keeping House and Shop: Lye-soap scrubbing, knitting, and the blacksmith’s forge.
- Handling Seasonal Chores: Canning, butchering, sausage making, and sheep shearing.
Tours are self-guided and free, and the rangers’ real job is answering your questions. The farm’s Facebook page lists hands-on seasonal events.
Explore Beyond the Farm
Walk 1.2 miles of easy trails past bison and Texas longhorns, then grab a free permit at the LBJ State Park visitor center and drive across the river to the LBJ Ranch, a storied Texas Hill Country property that is part of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park.
Plan Your Visit to the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm
- Hours: The Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm opens 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. October through May, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June through September.
- Closures: The last Tuesday of every month, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
- Cost: No entrance fee, though donations are welcome.
One of the Most Unique Places To Stay in Fredericksburg, TX
History is best taken slowly, and your vacation in Fredericksburg, TX, deserves a comfortable landing. Peach Tree Inn & Suites offers cozy rooms and suites and private home rentals near Main Street, a quiet retreat just far enough from the bustle.
Trade your phone for a butter churn, if only for an afternoon. Book your stay and make the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm the story your family retells all the way home!