Near Meridian in Bosque County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

John A. Lomax

1/4 Mile West to Boyhood Home

— (1867-1948) —

John A. Lomax Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, September 26, 2023

1. John A. Lomax Marker

Inscription. Only a log kitchen now marks the homesite of John Lomax, one of the foremost collectors of American folksongs. Here, on part of the Chisholm Trail, young Lomax heard cowboys crooning and yodeling to restless herds; negro servants taught him jig tunes, chants, work songs, and calls; and on winter nights his family sang songs and swapped stories around a blazing fire. Lomax began to write down this music while still a boy; and when he left Bosque County at age 20, he carried with him a roll of cowboy ballads-the nucleus of his lifelong work.

Erected 1970 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 481.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music.

Location. 31° 56.906′ N, 97° 40.267′ W. Marker is near Meridian, Texas, in Bosque County. Marker is on State Highway 144, ¼ mile south of County Highway 2530, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located along the highway at a small roadside rest area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Meridian TX 76665, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. St. James Episcopal Church (approx. 1.6 miles away); Lumpkin-Woodruff House (approx. 1.6 miles away); First Baptist Church of Meridian

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(approx. 1.8 miles away); General Alison Nelson (approx. 1.9 miles away); Bosque County Courthouse (approx. 1.9 miles away); Martha Mabray Randal (approx. 2.1 miles away); Dr. Russell Daniel Holt (approx. 2.1 miles away); Bosque County (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Meridian.

Also see . . . Lomax, John Avery (1867–1948). Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

In his collecting of folk songs, he traveled 200,000 miles and visited all but one of the forty-eight states. Often accompanied by his son, Alan, he visited prisons to record on phonograph disks the work songs and spirituals of black inmates. At the Angola prison farm in Louisiana, he encountered a talented black minstrel, Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. Upon Lead Belly's release from prison, Lomax took him on a tour in the north and recorded many of his songs.

(Submitted on October 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Photographed By James Hulse, September 26, 2023

2. John A. Lomax Marker

The view of the John A. Lomax Marker along the highway image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, September 26, 2023

3. The view of the John A. Lomax Marker along the highway

Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 80 times since then and 33 times this year. Last updated on January 3, 2024, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 1, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.