LBJ's Ranch in Stonewall, TX - July 1st, 2015


Visit LBJ's Ranch near Stonewall, TX; get a driving pass at the visitor center

Pass by Trinity Lutheran to cross the river into the ranch

Stop at a one room school house at the entrance of the ranch

LBJ attended this school when he was four years old

He signed the Elemetary & Secondary Education Act as president here

Inside of school protected by plexiglass wall

No more gum found stuck under desks since the plexiglass was added

Next visit the reconstructed birthplace of LBJ

LBJ reconstructed the house to use as a guest house for the ranch

The house is the same architectural style as the original house

The original was built in 1889 by the President's grandfather

The original was torn down in the 1940s & this is a much nicer rendition

The house has no central heat or air conditioning

But has a modern kitchen, bathroom, running water, and electricity

A grasshopper keeps a watchful eye on me during my visit

Used between 1964-66 as a guest cottage for overflow company

The outhouse is purely decorational since the barn has working bathrooms

Depart the barn and head toward the car to continue our visit

One is reminded the this continues to be a working ranch and it would be best to drive slow on the roads throughout

Next stop on the visit is the Johnson Family Cemetery


LBJ's family is buried together in a row, siblings & spouses left, wife, parents and grandparents right.   LBJ bought the ranch from Frank Martin in 1951

LBJ's tombstone, he died of a heart attack at age 64

Ladybird continued 34 years without him, loved by all

LBJ's mother gave birth to him two hundred yards away from here

LBJ's father, Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., was a state legislator

LBJ's paternal grandfather and grandmother are far right of him

LBJ's oldest sister, Rebekah, was two years younger than him

Rebekah's husband Oscar Bobbitt outlived her by 17 years

LBJ's middle sister, Josefa, passed in 1961 of a cerebral hemorrhage

LBJ's only brother, Sam Houston Johnson, passed in 1978

LBJ's little sister, Lucia, passed in 1997

Lucia's husband, Birge Davis, held out until 2004

LBJ's family, lying peacefully together under the live oak trees

Ava Bright was LBJ's aunt, her husband and John Jr., his cousin

LBJ's cousin Dorothea and her husband Alfred

1st person buried here, LBJ's great grandmother in 1905

Continue to the Texas White House and find LBJ's Lockheed JetStar VC-140

US Air Force replaced LBJ's propeller aircraft with this Lockheed in 1961

LBJ was the first vice president to have an aircraft assigned to him

He continued to use this aircraft for travel to and from his ranch as president

The aircraft hanger has been converted into a visitor's center

Nice Texas outline with blue rock Gulf of Mexico around the flag pole

LBJ gave several press conferences from this podium in the hangar

Continue through the hangar toward the Texas White House

The original section was built in 1884 & bought by the Martin's in 1909

Frank Martin added the main central portion of the home after 1909

LBJ bought the house in 1951 and added the master bedroom and office

Alas, no photographs allowed inside the Texas White House

But do find two inside photos online, here is the family room

And here is LBJ's presidential office at the ranch

LBJ added the pool after an early heart attack to his grandkids delight

Circle around the back of the house toward the garage

Henry Ford II gave President Johnson this 1910 Model T

LBJ loved riding with his dad in his Model T on re-election campaigns

LBJ loved to drive visitors around his ranch in one of his Lincolns

Here is a 1966 and 1967 convertible Lincoln Continental

Always white with a tan leather interior

Features included power windows & locks and a 8-Track tape deck

LBJ's west german 1962 Amphicar, only 3,878 built between 1961-68

He loved to scare unsuspecting guests by driving it into the lake

LBJ's all terrain hunting vehicle, a 1934 Ford Phaeton, with wet bar

With the visit over, pass the Executive Jet on the way back to the car

Drive slow for the safety of the children please, come back & visit again