Stonewall, Texas

Everything Stonewall is known for

3 songs mention this city 0 artists from here

Music in Stonewall

Songs About Stonewall

Moving to Florida
Butthole Surfers
6%
"And they say that LBJ was a Soviet Jew"
Ohio (Reprise)
Bowling for Soup
6%
"Lyndon Johnson wants you back"
Stop Moving to Florida
Melvins
2%
"And they say that LBJ was a Soviet Jew"

Artists From Stonewall

No artists from Stonewall in the database yet.

Rivers & Roads in Song near Stonewall

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Stonewall.

Pedernales River 6 songs Blanco River 4 songs Guadalupe River 17 songs Texas State Highway 71 2 songs Interstate 10 36 songs Texas Colorado River 6 songs

Musical Heritage

Luckenbach RoadyGoat

Luckenbach's been in operation since 1887, and for a good long while it was a ghost town near Fredericksburg — barely a dot on the map. Then its name got tied to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, Willie ran his Fourth of July Picnics through the 1990s, and the crowds found the place. These days a house band works familiar country hits for the daytime folks. There's a retail store now, climate-controlled bathrooms, White Claws in the cooler. That secondhand shop where a writer bought cowboy boots back in 2005? Sells nothing but hats anymore. The town's changed around the edges. But the name Waylon and Willie hung on it still pulls people down that road, chasing something older than the gift shop.

RoadyGoat → · 7.7 mi away

Luckenbach Dance Hall RoadyGoat

Everybody knows Luckenbach from the Waylon Jennings song — "back to the basics of love," 1977 — but the dance hall was already old by then. It went up in the late 1880s, on a spot that had been a trading post between German settlers and the Comanches. What changed everything was 1970, when a rancher named Hondo Crouch bought the whole town for thirty thousand dollars and turned it into Texas' favorite excuse to do nothing at all. Three years later, Jerry Jeff Walker hauled a mobile studio out here and cut "¡Viva Terlingua!" live on the dance floor over a week in August — a dollar a ticket, about three hundred people in folding chairs. There's a bumper sticker around town that sums the place up: "where everybody is somebody." Ten miles from Fredericksburg, and a hundred miles from your worries.

RoadyGoat → · 7.7 mi away

Luckenbach revival of Willie Nelson's Picnic RoadyGoat

By the mid-nineties, Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic had gone quiet — four years dark. Then it came roaring back to Luckenbach in 1995, and it ran there through the end of the decade. Here's the part nobody planned: a twenty-three-year-old copy editor from the San Angelo Standard-Times named Dave Dalton Thomas was out at the dance hall on his day off when the promoters told him the Picnic was returning. He filed the story, and the wire services carried it clear around the world. Thomas kept pulling that thread until he'd written the whole book — PICNIC, the history of the tradition, out from Texas A and M University Press. Luckenbach was already immortal — Waylon and Willie saw to that back in seventy-seven. But once in a while, the town writes the reporter, and not the other way around.

RoadyGoat → · 7.7 mi away

¡Viva Terlingua!' recording sessions RoadyGoat

Summer of nineteen seventy-three, Jerry Jeff Walker hauled a New Jersey recording truck out to Luckenbach, a wide spot near Fredericksburg, and cut a whole album live in a dance hall. Five days, no audience — just the band running takes with nobody watching. Only two songs got a crowd, at an event that August: "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" and "London Homesick Blues." That second one they played live for the very first time that night, and when the tape ran out mid-song, they had to do the whole thing over. The record came out that November and stalled at number one hundred sixty on the charts. Didn't matter. "London Homesick Blues" — "I wanna go home with the armadillo" — became the Austin City Limits theme for twenty-eight straight years. Some records outlive their chart position.

RoadyGoat → · 7.7 mi away

Luckenbach dance hall and townsite RoadyGoat

Luckenbach isn't really a town — it's a wide spot outside Fredericksburg, a dance hall and a couple of buildings under the oaks. German farmers settled it back in the 1840s; the Luckenbach family gave it the name, and there's been a dance hall here since the late 1800s. Then in 1970, a rancher and self-appointed clown prince named Hondo Crouch bought the near-dead little place outright and turned it into outlaw-country holy ground. In 1973, Jerry Jeff Walker hauled a mobile studio out to the open-air stage and cut "Viva Terlingua!" live. Willie Nelson brought his Fourth of July Picnic here in the late 1990s. Hondo's daughter, Cris Crouch Graham, still tells the stories. Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach — that was always the joke, and the point.

RoadyGoat → · 12.7 mi away

History of Stonewall

Stonewall, TX RoadyGoat

Stonewall. The name itself conjures images of strength, permanence, something enduring. It’s a fitting name for this little corner of the Texas Hill Country, a place that’s seen its share of challenges and come out stronger. The story goes that the town was named for Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate general. While it's hard to find absolute certainty in these things, the name likely reflects the sympathies of the early settlers, who, like many in the South, admired Jackson's tenacity. That sense of resilience is woven into the very fabric of Stonewall. The devastating flood of 1952 nearly washed the town away, but the community rebuilt, brick by brick. Today, driving down Highway 290, through fields bursting with bluebonnets in the spring, you can feel that history. The gentle rolling hills, the quiet tranquility - it's a place where time seems to slow down, where the past feels present. Even the nearby presence of Enchanted Rock, that ancient pink granite dome, reinforces the feeling of standing on something solid, something that has stood the test of time. It's a place where the spirit of those early settlers, their grit and determination, still echoes in the wind.

Stonewall, TX RoadyGoat

Stonewall has always been a place where the past feels present, where the rumble of Highway 290 can't quite drown out the echoes of simpler times. But even here, change finds a way. In recent years, the increasing popularity of the Texas wine industry, centered right here in the Hill Country, has brought a different kind of attention to our little town. More traffic, new businesses, a subtle shift in the community's rhythm – it's a mixed bag. Folks are still talking about the influx of visitors, especially during the spring when the bluebonnets are out and the wineries are hosting events. Some appreciate the economic boost, the new restaurants and shops that cater to tourists. Others worry about losing the quiet charm that made Stonewall so special in the first place. There's a real tension between preserving our heritage and embracing the opportunities that come with being part of a growing wine region. It's a conversation happening around kitchen tables and at the post office, a debate about what Stonewall will look like for the next generation.

Stonewall, TX RoadyGoat

U.S. Route 290 passes through Stonewall, leading west 14 miles to Fredericksburg, the Gillespie County seat, and east 15 miles to Johnson City. This highway serves as a key transportation route for the community, connecting it to nearby cities and facilitating travel within the region.

RoadyGoat →

Johnson, Lyndon Baines

1908

Lyndon Baines Johnson, president of the United States, the eldest of five children of Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. , and Rebekah Baines Johnson , was born on August 27, 1908, on a farm in the Hill Country near Stonewall, Texas. His father had served in the Texas legislature, and young Lyndon grew up in an atmosphere that emphasized politics and public affairs. Lyndon's mother encouraged her son's ambition and sense of striving. In 1913 the Johnsons moved to nearby Johnson City. Lyndon was educated in local schools in the area and graduated from high school in Johnson City in 1924. During the next several years he tried various jobs in California and Texas without success. In 1927 he entered Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University), where he was a history and social science major active in campus politics. He earned his elementary teacher's certificate in 1928 and for one year was a principal and teacher at Cotulla. His work with the destitute Hispanic students there had an important effect on his attitude toward poverty and the role of government. Johnson received his B.A. degree in 1930. He had already taken part in several political campaigns. Late in 1931 he became the secretary to Congressman Richard M. Kleberg of Texas. During the four years he held the position he gained valuable contacts in Washington. On November 17, 1934, he met and married Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor , daughter of Thomas Jefferson Taylor II , a prosperous planter and store owner in Marshall. Two daughters were born to the Johnsons, during the 1940s. Mrs. Johnson proved to be an effective political partner. Her business acumen was an important element in the success of the radio station that they acquired in Austin in 1943. Johnson's first important political position was as director of the National Youth Administration in Texas from 1935 to 1937. Construction of his system of roadside parks put young Texans to work and quietly introduced the participation of African Americans in some NYA programs. When the incumbent congressman of the Tenth Congressional District died in 1937, Johnson entered the race as a devoted supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. He spent eleven years in the House and became intimately familiar with the legislative process. He was a supporter of Roosevelt's programs and policies and a close ally of majority leader (later speaker of the House) Sam Rayburn . He was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 1940 and helped the Democrats retain control of the House. In 1941 he ran for the Senate from Texas but was narrowly defeated in a special election. When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Johnson joined the navy as a lieutenant commander. He saw combat during an inspection tour of the South Pacific in 1942. He left the navy in response to President Roosevelt's directive that congressmen should remain in Washington. Johnson made another race for the Senate in 1948 against popular former governor Coke Stevenson . Texas had lost its earlier affection for the New Deal, and Johnson stressed his own conservatism in the election. The runoff primary in August 1948 was very close. Amid charges of ballot-box stuffing and other fraudulent practices, Johnson was declared the Democratic nominee only after extended legal battles. He easily defeated his Republican opponent in the general election. He was an effective senator who mastered the organization and rules of the upper house. His Democratic colleagues elected him majority whip in 1951, and in 1953 he was chosen to be minority leader—the youngest such leader in the history of the Senate. Johnson won a second term in 1954. The Democrats regained control of Congress that same year, and in January 1955 he became the majority leader. In his rush to power, however, Johnson had neglected his health. During the early summer of 1955, he had a severe heart attack. He returned to his duties in the Senate lat

Tsha Handbook →

Lyndon Baines Johnson

1908

The 36th President of the United States was born here on August 27, 1908; son of a state legislator (1905-1917), Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., and Rebekah Baines Johnson, a teacher. 
 The house was built in 1906 with the help of neighbors. 
 The Johnsons and Bainesses - early settlers - were ministers, Indian fighters, newspapermen, college professors, ranchers. Original house burned, and was rebuilt by the President. 
 Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967

Historical Marker → · 3.2 mi away

Lyndon Baines Johnson Birthplace, Boyhood Home, and Ranch

1908

The birthplace home of Lyndon Baines Johnson is adjacent to the LBJ Ranch near Ranch Road 1 and Stonewall, Texas. The home was constructed in the 1880s by Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr. , the president's grandfather, and it was there that the president's father, Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. , brought his bride, Rebekah Baines Johnson , in 1907. Lyndon was born in the home on August 27, 1908; the Johnsons lived there until 1913, when they moved to Johnson City. The family sold the house in 1923, and though it was demolished after much deterioration, some of the original materials were used in the construction of a smaller house on the same site in 1935. The Johnson City Foundation acquired the building in 1964 and reconstructed it to its 1907 size and appearance. The home is now open to the public, having been refurnished with authentic pieces and family mementos. Johnson's boyhood home in Johnson City was built in 1886 and, though modest, reflects the Victorian style of the period. After the family moved there in 1913, the house remained the official residence of Lyndon Johnson until he married Claudia Alta Taylor in 1934; his first political speech in his race for Congress in 1937 was made on the east porch of the house. The home was dedicated as a museum by Judge Homer Thornberry on May 13, 1965, and like the birthplace contains authentic period items and family furnishings. It is also open to the public. The LBJ Ranch is in the heart of the Hill Country on the banks of the Pedernales River, and in the early 1990s was still the home of Lady Bird Johnson. The history of the ranch goes back to the time of the Republic of Texas , when a young widow from Georgia, Rachael Means, was granted a tract that included the present property. In 1872 the land was sold by the Means family, and the property changed hands several times until about 1894, when a one-room stone house was constructed by a German family named Meyer; the small house became the nucleus of the present home. In 1909 the property was purchased by Clarence White Martin , a relative of the Johnsons, and in 1951 Senator and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson acquired the property, which then consisted of 438 acres. See also LYNDON B. JOHNSON STATE HISTORICAL PARK , and LYNDON B. JOHNSON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK .

Tsha Handbook →

LBJ Ranch - Texas White House

1908

The LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas, where Lyndon Johnson was born, lived, governed during his presidency, and is buried along the Pedernales River.

Historical Marker →

Lyndon B. Johnson State Historical Park

1967

Lyndon B. Johnson State Historical Park is a strip of land bounded on the north by the Pedernales River and on the south by U.S. Highway 290, 1½ miles east of Stonewall in eastern Gillespie County. The park, which is two miles long and a half mile wide, comprises 718 acres. It commemorates the life and career of Gillespie County's most famous citizen, Lyndon B. Johnson , whose birthplace and ranch just across the river are part of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park . The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department accepted 269 acres along the Pedernales from various friends of President Johnson in 1967 and, after various improvements funded in part by a federal land and water conservation grant, opened it to the public on June 1, 1969. The park was officially dedicated on August 29, 1970, in a ceremony attended by Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird . By 1975 the state had expanded the park to its current size at a cost of more than $1 million. The area was the home of as many as ten different groups of primitive peoples between 5000 B.C. and A.D. 1500, and the 25,000 artifacts found at the park indicate that it was once the site of a stone quarry and midden. Besides the visitors' center, which houses a display of Johnson memorabilia and a 250-seat auditorium, the park includes the Behrens Cabin, built in the 1870s by German immigrant Johannes Behrens and furnished with typical nineteenth-century furnishings; the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead, a historical farm operated as it was in 1918; and a nature trail through wildlife enclosures with buffalo , white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, longhorn cattle , and other native fauna. Other facilities at the park are an outdoor amphitheater, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, and a number of picnic areas. In its first five years of operation the park attracted over 3½ million visitors.

Tsha Handbook →

LBJ Ranch (Texas White House)

1951

LBJ governed the country from this Hill Country ranch, installing a full communications center. He was born, lived, governed, and is buried on this land.

Historical Marker →

Things to Do in Stonewall

historical 16.4 mi away
Luckenbach Texas

Luckenbach was a failing ghost town of three residents when Hondo Crouch bought it in 1970 for thirty thousand dollars and declared himself mayor of an…
historical 1.2 mi away
Birthplace and Burial of a President

Lyndon Baines Johnson was born in Stonewall on August 27 1908 in a small farmhouse on the Pedernales River. He served as the 36th President and spent about 20…
historical 2.4 mi away
LBJ Ranch

Lyndon Baines Johnson was born in this stretch of the Hill Country in 1908 and came home to it every chance he got even as president. The ranch on the…
quirky 6.5 mi away
Luckenbach Texas

The entire 'town' is a dance hall and post office. Waylon sang about it.
quirky 7.5 mi away
The Song Nobody Had Seen

When Waylon Jennings recorded Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) in 1977 it shot to number one on the country charts and number 25 on the pop…
quirky 7.7 mi away
The Town That Sold for Thirty Grand

In 1970 old Benno Engel retired as postmaster of Luckenbach Texas and placed an ad in the local paper that read TOWN FOR SALE -- lock stock and dancehall. The…
quirky 12.7 mi away
ALL WELCOME / COME BACK Street Names

Stand at the Gillespie County Courthouse and look at the cross streets running off Main. Heading east the first letters spell ALL WELCOME — Adams Llano Lincoln…
quirky 19.8 mi away
Enchanted Rock

A massive pink granite dome rises four hundred feet out of the Hill Country north of Fredericksburg. Tonkawa and Comanche peoples believed the rock was haunted…

Everything Near Stonewall

332 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

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