Johnson City is small in population, but rich in heart, heritage and history.  

Best known as a presidential city based on the legacy of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the area has charming opportunities for historical exploration hidden behind every Ladybird Johnson-inspired clump of Texas wildflowers.  

The Founding and Early Growth 

The story of Johnson City begins long before President Lyndon B. Johnson.  

In the 1870s, James Polk Johnson, a distant relation of President Johnson, believed that the Blanco County seat was inconveniently located and harder to access. He donated 320 acres along the Pedernales River and laid out a town.  

A post office was established in 1879 and a new community began to grow around it. Johnson further contributed to the growth through the addition of an office building and a hotel, and by donating land to establish schools.  

Although earlier elections to change the county seat had failed, the election of 1890 succeeded and Johnson City became the county seat of Blanco County, Texas.  

The Modernization  

The Johnson City area continued with slow but steady growth, but as a rural community lacked some civic infrastructure. For example, the area did not gain access to telephone service or electricity until the 1930s.  

The Johnson family was once again instrumental in improving and enhancing the area, as then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson pushed for rural electrification efforts. In 1939, the Texas Hill Country, including Johnson City, was electrified for the first time.  

The Pedernales Electric Cooperative continues to maintain its corporate headquarters in the downtown Johnson City area, and helps to illuminate the city every day (and to light up the Texas Hill Country during the holidays with the PEC Holiday Lights and Lights Spectacular).  

The Presidential Legacy  

In 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th President of the United States and the first president from the great State of Texas.  

President Johnson and his wife Claudia “Lady Bird” Taylor Johnson brought the world to Johnson City through frequent visits to their Stonewall area home, the Texas White House.  

During President Johnson’s tenure, he and Lady Bird made 74 visits to the Johnson City area, bringing with them world leaders, diplomats, and other political figures.  

The Texas White House still stands in the area and will be available for visitors following the completion of a renovation project.  

Must-See Historic Sites & Locations in Johnson City 

Many locations throughout the area are named for President Johnson or bear traces of his legacy and the legacy of the pioneer families who brought this community to life more than a century ago.  

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park 

This park preserves the roots of America’s 36th president by safeguarding his boyhood home and ancestral settlement. The park encompasses public spaces in the city, as well as a large land area comprising the early settlement.  

Visitors to the National Historical Park may enjoy:  

• Seeing the Johnson Boyhood Home, a restored 1880s Victorian house where Lyndon Johnson lived with his parents from early childhood. 

• Exploring the historic buildings of the Johnson Settlement, including the original log cabin, dogtrot house, barns, and structures tied to the Johnson family’s early homestead and cattle operations.  

• Taking a historical walking tour and reviewing the park’s reading materials to gain insights into the history of the area.  

• Photographing historic landscapes and architecture.  

Ideas for Exploring as a Family  

• Create a “history scavenger hunt” by counting unique features (chimneys or buildings in the park), searching for different types of buildings, etc.  

• Make room for imagination by allowing little ones to play and re-enact what they think life might have been like in the pioneer days.  

• Talk about the history of electricity and the role President Johnson played in bringing it to the area. Discuss with children how they imagine life would have been different living on the homestead without electricity (temperature and lack of air conditioning, or completing homework by candlelight might be differences your children have never contemplated!).  

LBJ Ranch (“Texas White House”) & Johnson Family Cemetery 

The LBJ Ranch provides greater context around the years of the Johnson presidency. While the Texas White House is currently closed for renovations, visitors can still complete a driving tour through the ranch property. During your explorations, you can:  

• See the Texas White House, the place where President Johnson and the First Lady entertained and hosted world leaders. The Texas White House is currently being renovated but can be viewed from the outside.  

• Pay your respects to the President and First Lady at the Johnson Family Cemetery, the final resting place of Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson.  

• Visit the Bornplace, early schoolhouse, and ranch facilities, all of which have been reconstructed to give an idea of the flavor of early Texas life.  

• Download the audio tour of the LBJ Ranch and enjoy the narration as you complete your drive through the park.  

Ideas for Exploring as a Family  

• Create a “then-and-now” drawing: ask them to sketch how things might have looked in Johnson’s day vs today. 

• Pause for photos or sketching at scenic overlooks and read the interpretive signage that bridges Johnson’s personal life with national events. 

• Discuss Lady Bird Johnson’s commitment to the conservation and proliferation of Texas wildflowers and complete a seasonal scavenger hunt of native wildflowers and plants.  

Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm  

At the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, guests can step back into the pioneer days and experience life as early Texans would have.  

Park rangers are in character as pioneers and complete all the chores and responsibilities associated with running a farm – from churning butter to feeding animals to working the blacksmith’s forge.  

The farm is an ideal place to let kids explore and enjoy their time in the great outdoors, and a great way to encourage them to absorb history without even realizing they’re learning! The farm is part of the LBJ State Park, so you can also enjoy exploring the full park, seeing bison and Longhorn cattle and more, during your visit.