Fisches Park

Duane's take

The way the marker at Fisches Park tells it, here's the story as I know it. Now, every good Texas tale starts with land, and this one is no different. Fisches Park sits on ground that was part of the original land grant given to a man named Frederich Ernst, a fellow the marker calls the Father of German immigration to Texas.

That's a title that carries some weight out here in Austin County. The town of Industry nearby holds its own distinction too. It is the oldest permanent German settlement in Texas, and it was settled by a man named J.F.

Fisches, who made the journey all the way from Wuerttemberg, Germany. Two families, the Fisches and the Ernsts, were joined through marriage, and in 1866, J.F. Fisches bought a piece of Ernst's land grant to farm.

A piece of the Father's own land, right there in his hands. One of J.F. Fisches' sons, Willie, eventually took over farming that family land.

The ground passed from father to son the way good Texas land tends to do. Then came 1931, and with it the new route for Texas Highway 159, which passed right by the Fisches farm. Roads were serious business by then.

Automobiles were on the forefront of new technology, and the whole country was trying to keep up, paving the way for this growing form of transportation. Now Willie's wife Annie, she was an automobile enthusiast, and she saw something worth supporting in the 1939 roadside park program, a statewide effort to beautify Texas roads. When Willie Fisches died, Annie didn't just grieve quietly.

She deeded land to the State Highway Commission to create the Fisches Roadside Park, right there in 1939. That park served the community and the traveling public for over seventy-five years, offering rest and enjoyment to anyone passing through. Visitors of German descent came from far and wide, drawn by the historical roots of Industry and the heritage that runs deep in that soil.

Then in 2008, the park was closed due to financial constraints. The community felt it. Deeply, the marker says.

So the people of Industry did what communities do when something worth keeping is slipping away. They held a town hall meeting, and they decided the city would take over maintaining the park themselves. It's open again now, for visitors and community citizens alike, a place of rest and a reminder of the German heritage and settlement that shaped this corner of Texas.

Annie Fisches deeded the land so strangers would have a place to stop. Turns out, her neighbors needed it too.

What the marker says

Fisches Park is part of the original land granted to Frederich Ernst, known as “the Father of German immigration to Texas.” Industry is the oldest permanent German settlement in Texas and was settled by J.F. Fisches, who came to Texas from Wuerttemberg, Germany. The Fisches and Ernst families were joined through marriage and J.F. Fisches bought a piece of Ernst’s land grant to farm in 1866. One of J.F. Fisches’ sons, Willie, took over farming the family land. At the turn of the century, automobiles were on the forefront of new technology and better roads were needed throughout the country for this growing form of transportation. In 1931, the new route for Texas Highway 159 passed by the Fisches farm. Willie’s wife, Annie, was an automobile enthusiast and supported the 1939 roadside park program that sought to beautify Texas roads. When Willie Fisches died, Annie deeded land to the State Highway Commission to create the Fisches Roadside Park in 1939. The park has served the community and traveling public with an area of rest and enjoyment for over 75 years. The historical background of industry also attracts many visitors of German descent. In 2008, the park was closed due to financial constraints, which deeply affected the community. A town hall meeting was held and it was decided that the city would maintain the park. It now remains open for all visitors and community citizens and is a reminder of German heritage and settlement of the area. (2014)