Fredericksburg, Gillespie County
Johann Heinrich Baethge (1814-1888), his wife Sophie Konradine (Pape) (1824-1888), and their two children immigrated to Texas from Germany in 1854. They lived at several locations in the Central Texas area before settling here on about 120 acres in 1867. The Baethges' homestead consisted of a main house constructed of handmade clay and straw bricks and a number of outbuildings. The Baethges' sons, Ferdinand and Heinrich, Jr., inherited the farm upon their parents' deaths in 1888. The family of Ferdinand and Louise Baethge lived here until 1937 when the property was sold to the August F. Behrend family. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 - 1995