The
Texas Hill Country is a region of Central
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that features rolling, somewhat rugged,
hillA hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of scarp slope without a well-defined summit A hill is a landform that extends above the...
s that consist primarily of
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
. It also includes the
Llano UpliftThe Llano Uplift is a roughly circular geologic dome of Precambrian rock, primarily granite, in Central Texas in the United States. It is located in the eastern region of the Edwards Plateau, west of the Texas Hill Country...
and the second largest
graniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as porphyry. Granites can be pink to dark gray or even black, depending on their...
monadnockA monadnock or inselberg is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. The term "monadnock" is usually used in the United States, whereas "inselberg" is the more common international term...
in the United States,
Enchanted RockEnchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton located in the Llano Uplift approximately north of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA and south of Llano, Texas. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans the border between Gillespie County and Llano...
, which is located north of
FredericksburgFredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,911 at the 2000 census, and 10,432 in the 2005 census estimate. It is the county seat of Gillespie County...
. The Hill Country reaches into portions of the two major metropolitan areas of Central Texas, especially in San Antonio's northern
suburbsGreater San Antonio is an eight-county metropolitan area in the South-Central region of Texas, within and surrounding the city of San Antonio. The names Metro San Antonio and San Antonio Metro are sometimes used when referring to the MSA...
and the western half of
Travis CountyTravis County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. In the year 2008, the population was 998,543; the county has gained more than 400,000 residents since 1990. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas...
, ending just west of downtown
AustinAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
.
The
Texas Hill Country is a region of Central
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that features rolling, somewhat rugged,
hillA hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of scarp slope without a well-defined summit A hill is a landform that extends above the...
s that consist primarily of
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
. It also includes the
Llano UpliftThe Llano Uplift is a roughly circular geologic dome of Precambrian rock, primarily granite, in Central Texas in the United States. It is located in the eastern region of the Edwards Plateau, west of the Texas Hill Country...
and the second largest
graniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as porphyry. Granites can be pink to dark gray or even black, depending on their...
monadnockA monadnock or inselberg is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. The term "monadnock" is usually used in the United States, whereas "inselberg" is the more common international term...
in the United States,
Enchanted RockEnchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton located in the Llano Uplift approximately north of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA and south of Llano, Texas. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans the border between Gillespie County and Llano...
, which is located north of
FredericksburgFredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,911 at the 2000 census, and 10,432 in the 2005 census estimate. It is the county seat of Gillespie County...
. The Hill Country reaches into portions of the two major metropolitan areas of Central Texas, especially in San Antonio's northern
suburbsGreater San Antonio is an eight-county metropolitan area in the South-Central region of Texas, within and surrounding the city of San Antonio. The names Metro San Antonio and San Antonio Metro are sometimes used when referring to the MSA...
and the western half of
Travis CountyTravis County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. In the year 2008, the population was 998,543; the county has gained more than 400,000 residents since 1990. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas...
, ending just west of downtown
AustinAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
. The region is the eastern portion of the
Edwards PlateauThe Edwards Plateau is a region of west-central Texas which is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihuahuan Desert to the west. San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area...
bounded by the
Balcones FaultThe Balcones Fault Zone is a tensional structural system in Texas that runs approximately from the southwest part of the state near Del Rio, Texas to the north central region near Waco, Texas along Interstate 35. The Balcones Fault zone is made up of many smaller features, including normal faults,...
on the east and the Llano Uplift to the west and north. The terrain is punctuated by a large number of limestone
rockIn geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
s and boulders and a thin layer of
topsoilTopsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top to . It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Plants generally concentrate their roots in and obtain most of their nutrients from this layer...
, which makes the region prone to
flash floodA flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas - washes, rivers and streams. It is caused by heavy rain associated with a thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm. Flash floods can also occur after the collapse of an ice dam, or a human structure, such as a dam, for example, the...
ing.
Several cities were settled at the base of the Balcones Escarpment, including
AustinAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
,
San MarcosSan Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the county seat of Hays County. San Marcos is located on the Interstate 35 corridor, between Austin and San Antonio....
, and
New BraunfelsNew Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 36,494 as of the 2000 census, and...
, as a result of
springsA spring is any natural occurrence where water flows on to the surface of the earth from below the surface, and is thus where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface.- Formation :...
discharging water stored in the Edwards Aquifer.
Natural features
Because of its
karst topographyKarst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite....
, the area also features a number of
caveA cave or cavern is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter. Some people suggest that the term cave should only apply to cavities that have some part that does not receive daylight; however, in popular usage, the term includes smaller spaces like sea caves, rock shelters, and...
s, such as Inner Space Caverns,
Natural Bridge CavernsNatural Bridge Caverns are the largest known commercial caverns in the state of Texas. The name was derived from the 20 m natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance...
,
Bracken CaveBracken Cave is the largest known habitat for Mexican Free-tailed Bats in the world. It is located outside of the city of San Antonio, Texas. Bracken Cave is currently estimated to have a colony of more than 20 million bats, making it the single largest concentration of mammals in the world...
, and
Wonder CaveWonder Cave is a show cave located in the Balcones Fault in San Marcos, Texas . Its entrance is one mile southwest of the county courthouse in San Marcos...
. The deeper caverns of the area form several
aquiferAn aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s which serve as a source of
drinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm...
for the residents of the area.
Several tributaries of the
Colorado RiverThe Colorado River is the 18th longest river in the United States and the longest river with both its source and mouth within Texas; however its drainage basin and some of its usually dry tributaries do extend into New Mexico...
of Texas — including the
LlanoThe Llano River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 105 mi long, in central Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin....
and
PedernalesThe Pedernales River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in central Texas in the United States. It drains an area of the Edwards Plateau, flowing west to east across the Texas Hill Country west of Austin...
rivers, which cross the region west to east and join the Colorado as it cuts across the region to the southeast - drain a large portion of the Hill Country. The
GuadalupeThe Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
,
San AntonioThe San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas near San Antonio and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the Guadalupe River about ten miles from San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico...
,
FrioThe Frio River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. The word frio is Spanish for cold, a clear reference to the spring-fed coolness of the river.-Geography:The Frio River has three primary feeds; the East, West, and Dry Frio rivers...
,
MedinaThe Medina River is located in south central Texas in the Medina Valley. Named after Pedro Medina, a Spanish engineer, by Alonso de León, Spanish governor of Coahuila, New Spain in 1689. It was also known as the Rio Mariano, Rio San Jose, or Rio de Bagres...
, and
NuecesThe Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, approximately long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas north of the Rio Grande...
rivers originate in the Hill Country.
This region is a dividing line for certain species occurrence. For example, the California Fan Palm (
Washingtonia filiferaWashingtonia filifera , common names Desert Fan Palm, American Cotton palm, Arizona Fan Palm, or California Fan Palm) is a palm native to the desert oases of Central, southern and southwestern Arizona, southern Nevada, extreme northwest Mexico and the inland deserts of Southern California.This...
) is the only species of
palm treeArecaceae or Palmae , the palm family, is a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales...
that is native to the continental United States west of the Hill Country's Balcones Fault.
The region has hot summers, particularly in July and August, and even the nighttime temperatures remain high, as the elevation is modest despite the hilly terrain. Winter temperatures are sometimes as much as ten degrees cooler than in other parts of Texas to the east.
The region called Devil's Backbone is located near
BlancoBlanco is a city in Blanco County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,505 at the 2000 census. The region Devil's Backbone is located nearby in Texas Hill Country.-Geography:Blanco is located on the Blanco River at...
.
Popular culture
The area is also unique for its fusion of
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
and
Central EuropeCentral Europe is the region lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. The term and widespread interest in the region itself came back into fashion after the end of the Cold War, which, along with the Iron Curtain, had divided Europe politically into East and West,...
an (
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
SwissSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n,
AlsatianAlsace is the fourth-smallest of the 26 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the sixth-most densely populated region in France , with 222 inhabitants per km²...
, and
CzechThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
) influences in food, beer, architecture, and music that form a distinctively "Texan" culture separate from the state's
SouthernThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and
SouthwesternThe Southwestern United States is defined as the states that lie west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37, 38, 39, or 40 degree north latitude. A 97.33 longitude degree west could qualify as the separation of the American Southwest from the...
influences. For example, the
accordionThe accordion is a portable box-shaped musical instrument of the hand-held bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox...
was popularized in
Tejano musicTejano music or Tex-Mex Music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Hispanic populations of Central and Southern Texas...
in the 19th century due to cultural exposure to German settlers.
In recent years, the region has emerged as the center of the
Texas wineTexas has a long history of wine production. The sunny and dry climate of the major wine making regions in the state have drawn comparison to Portuguese wines. Some of the earliest recorded Texas wines were produced by Spanish missionaries in the 1650s near El Paso...
industry. Three
American Viticultural AreaAn American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury. The TTB defines AVAs at the request of wineries...
s are located in the areas:
Texas Hill Country AVAThe Texas Hill Country AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio and west of Austin, Texas. The appellation is the second largest American Viticultural Area, and covers an area of over...
,
Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVAThe Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA is an American Viticultural Area surrounding the town of Fredericksburg, Texas in the Texas Hill Country. Fredericksburg and the surrounding area were settled by German immigrants in the nineteenth century. These setlers were the first to...
, and
Bell Mountain AVAThe Bell Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Gillespie County, Texas. It was the first designated wine area located entirely in the state of Texas, and covers an area of over . The appellation is entirely contained within the Texas Hill Country AVA, which was established...
.
The Hill Country is also known for its
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
. In 2008,
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
declared it "the No. 1 vacation spot in the nation." The Hill Country has also made Texas second to
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
as the most popular retirement destination in the United States. The region has attracted
Baby BoomerBaby boomer is a term used to describe a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context, and sometimes used to describe someone who was born during the post-WWII baby boom. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve...
s as they near retirement age.
Frederick Day, a
demographerDemography is the statistical study of all populations. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
with Texas State University in San Marcos, said that the Hill Country life-style reminds one of the small towns of the recent past. "Like old America . . . [the] cost of living is pretty low. To people who have spent their work life in Houston or Dallas, the Hill Country is very attractive."
Notable people of Texas Hill Country
- Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support....
- (1971- ) Professional cyclist renowned for 7 consecutive Tour de France wins after surviving cancer. Born in Plano, Texas but is a long time resident of Austin, Texas.
- Buffalo Hump
Buffalo Hump was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians. He came to prominence after the Council House Fight when he led the Comanches on the Great Raid of 1840...
- (born c. late 1790s to early 1800s - died 1870) was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians.
- Liz Carpenter
Elizabeth "Liz" Sutherland Carpenter is a writer, feminist, former reporter, media advisor, speechwriter, political humorist, and public relations expert. Carpenter stood at the forefront of the Women's Movement when it began and never wavered from her platform. Her projects and causes range from...
- (1920- ) Journalist, author, political speech writer, humorist, public speaker, first female Vice President of University of Texas student body. One of the founders of National Women's Political CaucusThe National Women's Political Caucus is a national bipartisan grassroots organization in the United States dedicated to increasing women's participation in the political process by recruiting, training, and supporting women who seek elected and appointed offices.NWPC was founded in 1971 by Bella...
and co-chair of ERAmerica, traveling the country to push for passage of the Equal Rights AmendmentThe Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which was intended to guarantee that equal rights under any federal, state, or local law could not be denied on account of sex...
. Drafted President Johnson's Nov 22, 1963 speech to the American public after the assassination of John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
- Hondo Crouch - (1916-1976) humorist, proprietor of Luckenbach, Texas
Luckenbach is an unincorporated community thirteen miles from Fredericksburg in southeastern Gillespie County, Texas, United States, part of the Texas Hill Country. It consists of between South Grape Creek and Snail Creek, just south of U.S. Highway 290 on the south side of Farm to Market Road...
where "Everyone Is Someone in Luckenbach", a song by Waylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer and musician. A self-taught guitar player, he rose to prominence as a bass player for Buddy Holly following the break-up of The Crickets. He escaped death in the February 3, 1959 plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie...
and Willie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor and activist. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, but remains iconic, especially in American popular culture.He has continued to tour, record and perform in recent years, and...
memorialized the small town near Fredericksburg where he lived.
- Michael Dell
Michael Saul Dell is an American multibillionaire businessman and the founder and CEO of Dell, Inc.- Early life and education :...
- (1965- ) Founder of Dell computers. Started company in Austin and still resides there.
- John Henry Faulk
John Henry Faulk from Austin, Texas was a storyteller and radio show host. His successful lawsuit against blacklisters of the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist.-Early life:...
- (1913-1990) Austin-based radio personality, author, playwright, folklorist, actor, lecturer, blacklisted during 1950's
- Fred Gipson
Frederick Benjamin Gipson was an American author. He is best known for writing the 1956 novel Old Yeller, which became a popular 1957 Walt Disney film. Gipson was born on a farm near Mason in the Texas Hill Country, the son of Beck Gipson and the former Emma Deishler...
- (1908-1973) novelist who authored Old YellerOld Yeller is a 1956 children's novel by Fred Gipson, which received a Newbery Honor in 1957. The title is taken from the name of the big yellow dog who is center of the book's story...
, "Savage Sam," and "Hound Dog Man", lived in MasonMason is a city in Mason County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mason County.-Geography:Mason is located at ....
.
- Harvey Hilderbran
Harvey Hilderbran .Born in Uvalde in 1960, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1988. He served as chairman on the Human Services Committee for three sessions. In 2003 he began serving as chairman for the House Committee on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism...
- (1960- ) State RepresentativeThe Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from sinlge-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from the western Hill Country since 1989, a RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
from KerrvilleKerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. Kerrville is named after James Kerr, a major in the Texas Revolution, and friend of settler-founder Joshua Brown, who settled in the area to start a shingle-making camp.Being nestled in the hills...
.
- Carl Hoppe
Carl Thomas Hoppe, a South Texas artist, was born to German immigrants August and Teresa Hoppe on August 22, 1897 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas....
- (1897-1981) San Antonio artist who painted numbers scenes in the Texas Hill Country.
- J. Marvin Hunter
John Marvin Hunter was an author, historian, journalist, and printer who founded the Frontier Times Museum in Bandera, Texas...
- (1880-1957) Born Loyal Valley, authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
, journalistA journalist is a person who practises journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people while striving for viewpoints that are not biased.Reporters are one type of journalist...
, and historianAn historian is an individual who studies and writes about history, and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all events in time...
of the American West, founded Frontier Times magazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles, generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
and Frontier Times MuseumFrontier Times Museum is a museum of the American West located in Bandera in the Texas Hill Country. The facility was opened to the public in 1933 by the author, historian, and printer John Marvin Hunter .-Museum exhibits:...
in BanderaBandera is the county seat of Bandera County, Texas, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
- Molly Ivins
Mary Tyler "Molly" Ivins was a populist American newspaper columnist, political commentator, humorist and bestselling author from Austin, Texas.-Early life and education:...
- (1944-2007) Political author, journalist, humorist from Austin.
- Lady Bird Johnson
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and she made...
- (1912-2007), Graduate of University of Texas in Austin. Business woman and one-time owner of KTBC radio and television stations turned $17,500 investment into more than $150 million. She bankrolled her husband's initial political career, buried in Stonewall, TexasStonewall is a census-designated place in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. It was named for Thomas J. Jackson, by Israel P. Nunez, who established a stage station near the site in 1870....
next to husband Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969 after his service as the Vice President of the United States from 1961 to 1963...
. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterThe Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a public botanical garden on La Crosse Avenue in Austin, Texas. It is devoted entirely to native plants...
is named for her decades-long project to beautify America's landscapes.
- Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969 after his service as the Vice President of the United States from 1961 to 1963...
- (1908-1973) President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
, born and raised in Stonewall, TexasStonewall is a census-designated place in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. It was named for Thomas J. Jackson, by Israel P. Nunez, who established a stage station near the site in 1870....
.
- Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and director.His film roles include federal marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals, the villain "Two-Face" in Batman Forever, the mysterious Agent K in the Men in Black films, Western peace officers Woodrow F. Call in Lonesome Dove and Ed Tom...
- (1946-) Actor, born in San SabaSan Saba is a town in Texas, United States. The population was at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Saba County. The town is known as the birthplace of actor Tommy Lee Jones.-Geography:San Saba is located at ....
.
- Guich Koock - (1944- ) actor, humorist, one-time owner of Luckenbach, Texas
Luckenbach is an unincorporated community thirteen miles from Fredericksburg in southeastern Gillespie County, Texas, United States, part of the Texas Hill Country. It consists of between South Grape Creek and Snail Creek, just south of U.S. Highway 290 on the south side of Farm to Market Road...
, Fredericksburg businessman, nephew of John Henry FaulkJohn Henry Faulk from Austin, Texas was a storyteller and radio show host. His successful lawsuit against blacklisters of the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist.-Early life:...
.
- Herman Lehmann
Herman Lehmann was captured as a child by Native Americans. He lived first among the Apache and then the Comanche but eventually returned to his family later on in his life. The phenomenon of a "white boy" raised by "Indians" made him a notable figure in the United States...
- (1859-1932) Apache, Comanche captive, native of Loyal Valley, 1927 autobiography, Nine Years Among the Indians
- Gerald Lyda
Gerald Lyda ) was an American cattle rancher, contractor and developer prominent in the state of Texas....
(1923-2005), general contractor and cattle rancher, born and raised in the Hill Country community of Marble FallsMarble Falls is a city in Burnet County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,959 at the 2000 census.Marble Falls is about northwest of Austin and north of San Antonio. Lake Marble Falls is part of the Highland Lakes, the largest chain of lakes in Texas...
.
- John O. Meusebach
John O. Meusebach , born Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas State Senate....
- (1812-1897) Founder of FredericksburgFredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,911 at the 2000 census, and 10,432 in the 2005 census estimate. It is the county seat of Gillespie County...
negotiated 1847 Meusebach-Comanche TreatyThe Meusebach-Comanche Treaty was a treaty between the private citizens of the Fisher-Miller Land Grant, who were predominantly German in nationality, and the Bands of the Comanche Tribe...
(unbroken to this date) with ComancheThe Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Originally, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian culture....
chiefs Buffalo HumpBuffalo Hump was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians. He came to prominence after the Council House Fight when he led the Comanches on the Great Raid of 1840...
, Santa Anna Santa Anna was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians.-Early life:Santa Anna was a member of the same band of the Comanche as the more famous Buffalo Hump. He was an important chief, though probably less influential than Buffalo Hump during the 1830s and 1840s....
, Old Owl Old Owl was a Native American Civil Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians. His name, Mo'pe-choko-pa, in Comanche literally meant "Old Owl."-Early life:...
. Oversaw development of New BraunfelsNew Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 36,494 as of the 2000 census, and...
. Elected Texas State Senator for Bexar, Comal and Medina Counties. Buried Marschall-Meusebach Cemetery in Loyal Valley.
- Elisabet Ney
Franzisca Bernadina Wilhelmina Elisabeth Ney was a celebrated sculptor and a pioneer in the development of art in the state of Texas, USA....
- (1833-1907) Sculptor, art pioneer, works can be found in the Smithsonian American Art MuseumThe Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art.Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum has a broad variety of American art that covers all regions and art movements found in the United States...
, Texas State CapitolThe Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas. It is the fourth building in Austin to serve as the seat of Texas government. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was originally designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E...
, U.S. CapitolThe United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the Federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though not in the geographic center of the District of...
- James Wilson Nichols - (1820-1891) Texas Ranger, Frontier Battalion, Indian Scout, author, Now You Hear My Horn published University of Texas press, buried Kerrville
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, (1885-1966) commander of U.S. Naval forces in the Pacific
The Pacific War was the part of World War II—and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia. The war began as a conflict with the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China on July 7, 1937, but by December 1941, became part of the greater World War II,...
during World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was from Fredericksburg and Kerrville.
- Old Owl
Old Owl was a Native American Civil Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians. His name, Mo'pe-choko-pa, in Comanche literally meant "Old Owl."-Early life:...
- (c. late 1790s – 1849) was a Native American Civil Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians.
- Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was defeated for...
- (1933-2006) Governor of Texas (1991-1995). Resided in Austin.
- Rudy Robbins
Rudy Warner Robbins is a Western entertainer known for his singing, songwriting, acting, writing, and his past performance of film and television stunts...
- (1933- ) singer, songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
, actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, stuntmanA stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
from BanderaBandera is the county seat of Bandera County, Texas, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
- Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. His best surfaces are hard court and grass....
- (1982- ) Professional tennis player that resides in Austin.
- Santa Anna
Santa Anna was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians.-Early life:Santa Anna was a member of the same band of the Comanche as the more famous Buffalo Hump. He was an important chief, though probably less influential than Buffalo Hump during the 1830s and 1840s....
- (c. late 1790s – 1849) was a Native American War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians.
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Eighteen albums of Vaughan's work have been released...
- (1954-1990) Blues guitar player resided in Austin.
See also
- List of geographical regions in Texas
- Enchanted Rock
Enchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton located in the Llano Uplift approximately north of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA and south of Llano, Texas. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans the border between Gillespie County and Llano...
- Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas...
- Cherry Springs Dance Hall
Cherry Springs Dance Hall, 17662 North U.S. Highway 87, Cherry Springs, TX 78624. 16 miles NW of Fredericksburg, Texas in Gillespie County's portion of the Texas Hill Country is the Texas farming community of Cherry Springs. The dance hall was established in 1889 as a stop for cattle drives...
- Llano, Texas
Llano is a city in Llano County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,325. It is the county seat of Llano County.-Geography:Llano is located at...
- Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout the European continent...
External links