The Charming Small Town In Texas That Was Home To Lyndon B. Johnson Once Upon A Time
By Katie Lawrence|Published August 16, 2022
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
There are a lot of famous people from Texas (understandably – our state is huge!), including two former U.S. presidents: Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson, or “LBJ.” Johnson was born in the small town of Stonewall, home to just over 600 people in the present day. You can tour his boyhood home and one-room schoolhouse as well as a living history German farm, and even attend a peach festival in the summer!
Better known by his initials, LBJ, Lyndon B. Johnson served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. Before he was sworn in as president, Johnson also served as vice president under John F. Kennedy, and as a a U.S. representative, U.S. senator, and the Senate's majority leader.
For such an esteemed politician, LBJ came from the humblest of backgrounds imaginable. Born in 1908 in the small town of Stonewall, Johnson lived in a small farmhouse on a ranch adjacent to the Pedernales River with his parents and four younger siblings. He worked as a high school teacher and congressional aide before his election to the election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1937.
Both LBJ and his wife, Claudia Alta (better known as "Lady Bird") adored taking romantic walks through the wildflowers on their property. In honor of their shared love for nature, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin was named after, and dedicated to, the former First Lady.
Today, both a state park and national park are located in Stonewall to preserve the life and legacy of LBJ. At the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, you can tour the Texas White House, where Johnson lived and worked, as well as his boyhood home.
About 14 miles away across the Pedernales River, the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site features a living history farm where you can enjoy a rare glimpse into the lives of early German settlers in Texas.
Tour historic cabins, watch bison and Texas longhorns graze, stroll over a mile of easy trails, and chat with park rangers in period clothing. There's also a pool open to the public during the summer!
If you happen to visit Stonewall in mid-to-late June, don’t miss the annual Peach JAMboree festival!
Have you ever visited Stonewall? If so, we’d love to hear all about your experience in the comments. Don’t forget to check out our previous article for a nearby state park that’s worth a trip any time of year.
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