From massive thundering herds to near extermination, the American bison remains a symbol of the American West.
Bison for Miles
At one point in our history, a large portion of the country was one giant bison range. It wasn't uncommon for . . . — — Map (db m236594) HM
In 1951, Senator Lyndon Johnson purchased 240 acres from his Aunt Frank Martin. Beginning with this core property, he set out to establish a home base where he could continue his work away from Washington.
To improve access to the ranch, a 3000 . . . — — Map (db m91282) HM
Imagine a plane roaring onto a newly constructed 3,000 foot grass airstrip. It’s 1953, and Senator Lyndon Johnson has arrived at the LBJ Ranch. Initially built to improve access to the Ranch during floods, the small airstrip soon proves inadequate . . . — — Map (db m91268) HM
These shaggy animals once roamed Texas in countless numbers and were the main source of food for the Plains Indians. The Comanches here hunted them on horseback but never killed enough to damage the herds. But commercial hunters moved in and . . . — — Map (db m236595) HM
The LBJ Ranch had but a single telephone line when Lyndon Johnson purchased the property in 1951. By the time he became vice president in 1960 the array of technology had grown to 15 local and long-distance phone lines as well as a fifty-foot-tall . . . — — Map (db m91283) HM
To a Texas rancher like Lyndon Johnson, conservation meant getting the most from the soil, water, and grass. The landscape before you reflects some of President Johnson’s conservation efforts. These upper fields are terraced to control erosion and . . . — — Map (db m91234) HM
Sitting at a table on this site on April 11, 1965, President Johnson signed the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. “As a former teacher,” the president said, “I have great expectations of what this law . . . — — Map (db m91135) HM
Lady Bird Johnson’s environmental ethic spanned her entire lifetime of 94 years. A child of East Texas, she spent many of her days outdoors. The sense of place that came from being close to the land never left her. She would eventually carry that . . . — — Map (db m91236) HM
Growing up in the scenic Texas Hill Country, Lyndon Johnson developed a deep appreciation and respect for the land. As part of his dream for a “Great Society” he felt a responsibility to protect the natural heritage of the United States. During his . . . — — Map (db m91235) HM
1900 - 1920
The Dawn of a New Century
The years following the turn of the century heralded sweeping changes in agriculture throughout Texas and the nation. Advances in technology led to improved irrigation and farming methods . . . — — Map (db m91053) HM
For Lyndon Johnson, a traditional guest register was not enough. To commemorate the visits of dignitaries and friends to the Ranch, the Johnsons used “Friendship Stones.” Visitors etched their autographs and the date of their visit into . . . — — Map (db m91314) HM
Here on these familiar hills under these expansive skies and under these oak trees that he loved so much, his life has come full circle ...
his roots go deep here on this spot in the hill country.
From the eulogy delivered here by the . . . — — Map (db m91149) HM
For many years this low-water crossing served as the primary access to the LBJ Ranch; for non-Texans, it served as a dramatic entry into Lyndon Johnson’s world.
Constructed in 1951, the dam and crossing were the first improvements Lyndon . . . — — Map (db m91131) HM
The names of Lyndon Johnson's cabinet and staff members are nearly as well known as the president himself: Robert McNamara, secretary of defense; Bill Moyers, White house press secretary; Jack Valenti, special assistant to the president; and many . . . — — Map (db m295540) HM
The welcome mat at the Johnson home read, “All the World is Welcome here.” But as the house became an alternate White House it soon became clear there was not enough room. Describing the steady stream of visitors in her home, Lady Bird . . . — — Map (db m91206) HM
In October 1961 the United States Air Force replaced twin engine, propeller driven aircraft with the four engine Lockheed JetStar for executive transport.
Lyndon Johnson was the first Vice President to have an aircraft assigned to him. His . . . — — Map (db m91281) HM
Lyndon Baines Johnson first came to this school as a four-year-old in knee breeches and a collar. Here, surrounded by 30 students spanning seven grades, he received his first formal education. The future president attended the Junction School for . . . — — Map (db m91132) HM
From his childhood and throughout his political career, Lyndon Johnson drew from his western heritage. The grandson of a Chisholm Trail cattle drover never forgot that “can do” spirit of the cowboy way. The LBJ Ranch was the best place for . . . — — Map (db m295546) HM
From his childhood and throughout his political career, Lyndon Johnson drew from his western heritage. The grandson of a Chisholm Trail cattle drover never forgot that “can do” spirit of the early-day cowboys. The LBJ Ranch was the best place for . . . — — Map (db m295547) HM
The Secret Service had a presence in the Johnson family for forty-six years beginning on January 20, 1961 when Lyndon Johnson was inaugurated as vice president. Over that lifetime of service, agents witnessed many events, both in Washington and . . . — — Map (db m91316) HM
Why do we keep these animals in this enclosure?
A small herd of Longhorns and White-tail deer are kept in this pasture so our visitors can view these prominent icons of Texas.
Longhorn Cattle
“Someone has said that . . . — — Map (db m91014) HM
For many years this low-water crossing served as the primary access to the LBJ Ranch; for non-Texans, it served as a dramatic entry into LBJ’s world. The construction of this dam and crossing was the first improvement made to the ranch by Lyndon . . . — — Map (db m91317) HM
Area settlers built a log schoolhouse 1.5 miles south of here in 1871 along South Grape Creek. It was part of Luckenbach School Precinct No. 3 until 1889, when it was renamed Lower South Grape Creek and began to serve as District No. 21. The log . . . — — Map (db m88113) HM
Acquired 1967 during the second administration of Governor John B. Connally of the State of Texas, under the direction of the Parks and Wildlife Commission: Will E. Odom, Chairman, James M. Dellinger and A. W. Moursund, members. Lyndon Baines . . . — — Map (db m295517) HM
Civil War veteran and stage line operator who in 1870 founded Stonewall, naming it for Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson. Major Nunez, who lived 2 miles south of town and had a family of 9 children, donated land in 1886 for . . . — — Map (db m90990) HM
It is a Society where no child will go unfed, and no youngster will go unschooled .... Where no citizen will be barred from any door because of his birthplace or his color .... Where peace and security is common among neighbors and possible . . . — — Map (db m91183) HM
Beyond the Pedernales is Stonewall’s Project Head Start building—a symbol of one of President Johnson’s enduring legacies to the American people. President Johnson initiated the Head Start program in 1965; it was one of many programs that . . . — — Map (db m91184) HM
Originally the Camp Swift Post Office, this building was purchased from the United States government, rebuilt by the citizens of Stonewall and dedicated as a gymnasium on May 1, 1949.
While continuing to serve the community, an international . . . — — Map (db m90993) HM
“I have a mighty fine grandson, smart as you find them. I expect him to be United States Senator before he is forty.”
Grandfather Sam Ealy Johnson, Sr., on young Lyndon Johnson
On this site on a rainy August night in . . . — — Map (db m91148) HM
I first remember walking along the banks of the Pedernales when I was a boy four or five years of age.
Lyndon Baines Johnson
The Pedernales River carves out the landscape of the Texas Hill Country, stretching 106 miles from . . . — — Map (db m91182) HM
The scene was a common one: young Lyndon Johnson, only a few years old, toddling down the road to visit his grandparents in this house. Here he found a ready supply of apples, candy, and affection. The future president felt a powerful attraction to . . . — — Map (db m91208) HM
Here, costumed interpreters carry out the day-to-day activities of a turn-of-the-century German-Texas farm family. You might spot them plowing the garden with a team of horses, or watch them tend the farm animals. Daily chores include milking, . . . — — Map (db m91055) HM
Although ranching produced just a fraction of the Johnson’s income, it constituted a major portion of the President’s public identity. The Johnsons maintained two herds of cattle on the LBJ Ranch—one of them a commercial herd sold for beef, the . . . — — Map (db m91270) HM
First kiln, eastern Gillespie County. Built 1874 by Andreas Lindig, trained in his native Germany in quicklime making. On his homestead, he found rock to be hauled to this site by ox-wagon, using 7 loads of rock for each “batch” of . . . — — Map (db m90811) HM
This cemetery originally served the settlement of Millville, laid out by Israel Nuñez, who operated a stage stop in the vicinity after the Civil War. Although he set aside land for the cemetery, it was not formally deeded until 1934 by J.O. Walker. . . . — — Map (db m90989) HM
Although he frequented Washington for much of his adult life, President Johnson always considered this house his home. During the White House years, it served as a busy office, a working ranch, and a quiet refuge from the pressures of being . . . — — Map (db m91313) HM
The congregation of the Trinity Lutheran Church formally organized in 1902. Members donated funds to buy three acres of land from Christian Lindig (1864-1948) on which they erected a small sanctuary. By 1904, a larger building was needed. Plans for . . . — — Map (db m236547) HM
This congregation traces its history to 1902, when it was organized in the Albert Schoolhouse. A sanctuary built here in 1902 was replaced in 1904, and this structure was erected in 1928. Worship services were conducted in the German language until . . . — — Map (db m90810) HM
“My memory does not begin with happy things.”
– Mathilda Gruen Wagner, daughter of German immigrants, 1860s
In 1845, hundreds of hopeful German immigrants came to the Texas Hill Country in search of land, political freedom and . . . — — Map (db m91094) HM
In the Texas Hill Country water is more precious than gold. The Pedernales River and the many local creeks are the main sources of water for irrigation. As droughts are common here, supplemental irrigation was necessary for President Johnson to . . . — — Map (db m91238) HM
Built in 1959 to store aircraft and ranch supplies, the hangar now serves as a visitor center containing exhibits and displays.
Step inside to learn more about President Johnson and to purchase your tickets for a tour of the Texas White House. . . . — — Map (db m236548) HM
The statue which stands before you is of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States. It was donated by A.W. Moursand, a prominent attorney and past Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner. President Johnson wanted this statue . . . — — Map (db m91013) HM
Within These Walls
Discover how the Behrens family lived during the 1870s by exploring this cabin
Home Away From Home
Heinrich and Wilhemina Behrens, pictured here, emigrated from Germany but never forgot their heritage as . . . — — Map (db m91093) HM
This, said Lyndon Johnson, was “where the cattle go out and the money comes in.” In the working pens, ranch hands tended to the herds—branding, castrating, doctoring, and, most importantly, loading cattle out for shipment after a sale. The ramp in . . . — — Map (db m91269) HM
