On December 15, 1847, a petition was submitted to create Gillespie County. In 1848, the
Texas Legislature formed Gillespie County from
Bexar and
Travis Counties. Its oldest building is a combination
general store and
saloon reputedly opened in 1849 (1886 is more likely, based on land improvement records of the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission) by Minna Engel, whose father was an
itinerant minister from
Germany. The community, first named Grape Creek, was later renamed after Engel's husband,
Carl Albert Luckenbach. They later moved to another town that became
Albert, Texas. Luckenbach was first established as a community
trading post, one of a few that never broke a peace treaty with the
Comanche Indians, with whom they traded. Luckenbach's population increased to a high of 492 in 1904, but by the 1960s it was almost a
ghost town. Citizens of the town claim a resident (Jacob Brodbeck) launched the first
airplane years before the
Wright Brothers. along with rancher Kathy Morgan, to buy Luckenbach for $30,000 in 1970. The property has been host to many unique festivals including the Luckenbach Women's Chili Cookoff and The 1st Luckenbach World's Fair, where Willie Nelson made a surprise appearance. In the 1990s, the town was host to several of
Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnics. The post office was closed on April 30, 1971, and its zip code (78647) was retired. The general store remains active as a
souvenir shop. The surrounding Properties still identify as part of Luckenbach, Texas until today. ==Geography==