The Mormon Town of Zodiac in Fredericksburg, Texas

Religious persecution during the early 1800s served as a catalyst for the formation of new religious movements and churches. Founded by Joseph Smith in 1824, one such movement was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church). The church grew quickly but suffered extreme persecution. Ultimately, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum, were murdered in Carthage, Illinois by an angry mob of vigilantes. Brigham Young, a prominent leader within the church, was chosen to succeed Joseph Smith. Young believed that the church needed to find a place to settle away from persecution and led the group West on their journey to “Mecca” — a place of spiritual and physical refuge. Along the way, one prominent church leader, Lyman Wight, felt that the Mormon community should expand into other areas, particularly the southern regions.  Brigham Young and his group, continued west, ultimately arriving in the Utah Territory and built the town of Salt Lake City. 

Lyman Wight, Founder of Zodiac, Texas; an 1847 Mormon settlement in the Hill Country.

Continuing South, Lyman Wight and his group of about 200 Saints arrived in Grayson County, Texas and established a settlement in 1845 known as Mormon Grove. However, tensions with local settlers and challenges with the surrounding environment lead them to move on. By 1847, the group had migrated to the newly established Hill Country town of Fredericksburg. After receiving permission to build within the Adelsverein territory from John Meusebach, leader of the German settlement, the colony of  Zodiac was born. The core values and ideals of the Germans, favoring religious tolerance and disfavoring the institution of slavery, made this particular community inviting to Wight and his followers. The community of Zodiac, located just a few miles south of Fredericksburg along the Pedernales River, thrives immediately.

1847 Mormon settlement of Zodiac, Texas, South of Fredericksburg along the Pedernales River.

The Germans benefited right away from the Mormon’s presence. Wight’s group, with the Mormon characteristics of being industrious workers, guided them into farming and other skills necessary to survive in a new world. They built a chapel, school, store, grist mill and sawmill. In 1848, the Mormons helped build Fort Martin Scott, the very first federal fort built in Texas. They were instrumental in developing the newly established town of Fredericksburg by producing these shingles for both the Fort and the town.

After a flood destroyed their mills in 1853, the Mormons left Gillespie County. The group did retain ownership of a one-acre cemetery in Zodiac in which Wight was later buried. While Zodiac was short-lived, it holds historical significance in the broader narrative of Mormon migration, settlement patterns in Texas and the development of the Hill Country. It stands as one of the many experiments in frontier settlement that shaped the early history of Texas. In 1936, Zodiac was designated a recorded Texas Historic Landmark.