Lyndon Johnson
Johnson City, Texas
Johnson City is a Texas Hill Country town 48 miles west of Austin and 60 miles north of San Antonio. Johnson City is 25 miles south of the Highland Lakes community of Marble Falls and 30 miles east of Fredericksburg, so Johnson City is very centrally located and easily accessible from two large metropolitan areas, as well as numerous Hill Country resort destinations.
Johnson City was established on the site of the Johnson Ranch on Town Creek, and in 1879, three sites were considered for settling a community on the shores of the Pedernales River, one being the site of the Johnson Ranch. The site submitted by James Polk Johnson, a 320 acre plot of land owned by the Johnson Family, was chosen at the gathering and accepted by a vote of the first settlers during a celebration and meal held alongside the creek. James Polk Johnson was a nephew of Sam Ealy Johnson and Tom Johnson, both of whom had originally been cattlemen who drove herds on the Chisholm Trail until it became unprofitable, and Sam Ealy Johnson was Lyndon Baines Johnson’s grandfather as well.
James Polk Johnson was a natural organizer, and after changing from a ranching career to a career in business, his organizational talents served him and the community well. James Polk Johnson died prematurely at the age of forty in 1885, but prior to his death, he built a gristmill on the creek as well as a hotel, named the Pearl Hotel, and another project was under construction at the time of his demise which later became the Johnson City Bank.
There were a substantial number of farmers in the early days of Johnson City, most of which raised corn and cotton, and the mill continued operation until the 1970s, producing cotton after being bought by George Croft after James Polk Johnson’s death.
The population of Johnson City during the census of 2000 was just over 1990, and the city is the county seat of Blanco County. There are many schools, libraries, museums, and other attractions in Johnson City today, including the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and the Benini Foundation Galleries and Sculpture Ranch. In addition, there is a newly remodeled historical museum called the Captain Perry Texas Ranger Museum which was just reopened after extensive renovations. There is also an exotic animal zoo and refuge a few miles north of Johnson City on Highway 281, and the establishment on 137 wooded acres of land which include educational facilities, replete with lakes, hiking trails, and creeks, offers various school programs, petting zoos, guided tours, and luxury safari-style accommodations for visitors.
Pedernales Falls State Park with its 5,212 acres of woodlands, waterfalls, campsites, shorelines and water sports opportunities is also very accessible, and is just a few miles east of the city, as well as Reimer’s Ranch, a pristine nature preserve on the shores of the Pedernales, which offers 2,427 acres of recreational facilities and parklands, and is one of the largest nature preserves in Texas.
Some of the accommodations for visitors to the town include Chantilly Lace Bed and Breakfast and Country Cabins Bed and Breakfast, and a few notable restaurants and bars include the Friendly Bar Bistro and the Armadillo Icehouse, as well as the El Rancho Mexican Restaurant, among others.
Johnson City is centrally located and offers so many scenic recreational as well as historic attractions that it is a must-see for visitors to central Texas and the Hill Country, and considering its proximity to Austin, it is well worth the drive, so be sure to visit this jewel of central Texas when planning a day trip to the Hill Country!
About the Author
Escapeso Realty is a group of central Texas realtors. Their site has a search for Austin homes along with general statistics on the Austin real estate market. Their site also provides information on current mortgage rates.
LYNDON JOHSON TAPES: “Down where your nuts hang”
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Arlo $14.61 This is a live album, recorded at the famous Bitter End Cafe in New York City. The music’s great and the stories hilarious. A ’60s classic. “The Pause of Mr. Claus” is a holiday hit! Arlo is backed by Bob Arkin on bass, Stan Free on piano and harpsichord, and Ed Shaughnessy on tabla and drums…. |
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Berkeley in the Sixties $15.97 An acclaimed film of the major events of the 1960s, including the civil rights movement, free speech protests and anti-war rallies, as seen by 15 leading activists of the era. Allen Ginsberg, Todd Gitlin and Huey Newton are among those who comment on the era in this wild ride through the decade that changed America. 117 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; deleted scenes; photo gallery; theatrical … |
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Madonna Live-The Virgin Tour (1985) [VHS] $12.98 Live – The Virgin Tour is the first video album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released by Sire Records and Warner Music Video on November 13, 1985 and contains the concert footage from The Virgin Tour, filmed at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan on May 25, 1985. Director Danny Kleinman, who presided over the shooting of the tour on video, submitted the footage to Warner Bros. Records… |
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House of Yes [VHS] $2.49 Parker Posey was the It Girl of independent film in early 1997, the year this film (along with three or four others in which she starred) all played at the Sundance Film Festival. This film was the toughest of the bunch to embrace, based as it was on a self-consciously quirky off-Broadway play about Thanksgiving at the home of a particularly strange family. Oldest son Josh Hamilton comes home from… |
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LBJ:The Early Years [VHS] $19.99 … |
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In the Shadow of the Moon $4.00 Remember When The Whole World Looked UpIn The Shadow Of The Moon is an intimate epic which vividly communicates the daring and the danger the pride and the passion of this extraordinary era in American history. Between 1968 and 1972 the world watched in awe each time an American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon. Only 12 American men walked upon its surface and they remain the only human beings to ha… |
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Path to War $3.05 From director John Frankenheimer (“The Manchurian Candidate”) comes this powerful drama about President Lyndon Johnson’s struggle with the Vietnam War. As he and his administration debate the decision to withdraw from or escalate their place in the crisis, Johnson watches as his presidency and the nation are torn apart by the conflict. Michael Gambon, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland star. 160 min…. |