It’s amazing the things that you can find when traveling somewhere new and sometimes it really pays off taking a turn just for the heck of it, unsure what’s waiting to be seen around the corner. Not far from Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas lies a piece of history – the 6666 Pullman Train Car.
When we were in Fredericksburg in March, we decided to spend a little time before a wine tasting driving around town. Low and behold, we found this train car with a United States Presidential Seal. It’s taken some digging but I may have found the secret to this unusual find.
In 1894, Pullman built this train car which was purchased by S. Burde Burnett, a famous cattleman in North Texas and the Quanah’s route of directors, shortly after. Burnett grew to be one of the largest cattleman in the Southwest and as his business grew, he found that he had greater needs to travel. He purchased the train car in order to ease his needs to travel between Fort Worth and his ranch, The Four Sixes Ranch in Wichita County.
There are a few ideas where the name ‘6666’ derived from. One theory states it was the hand he played to win the ranch in a game of poker. The more accurate account states that Burnett purchased a herd of cattle from another rancher in Denton County in 1871 and Burnett kept the brand.
This train car was not only owned by one of the more famous cattleman in Texas but it was also used by President Theodore Roosevelt (on one of his hunting trips) and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker.
Throughout the years the train car has been bought by multiple owners however today it is owned by Fischer & Wieser in Fredericksburg, a specialty foods company. It is said to a guesthouse or a small B&B. Little did we know it was a place to stay while in town but it was pretty neat to find something so unique exploring town.
Facts and information on the 6666 Pullman Train Car can be found at:
Cozy Up, Texas: The 6666 Pullman Train Car
Fredericksburg Lodging
Fredericksburg Lodging – Historical Information