Visit Llano in the Texas Hill Country
Located on the Llano River about seventy-five miles northwest of Austin, Llano Texas is the county seat and largest town of Llano County.
Llano was established at the same time the County of Llano was created in 1856. Land donated by John Oatman, Sr., Amariah Wilson, and the Chester B. Starks estate made up a surveyed site of 250 acres for the county seat on both sides of the Llano River near the center of the new county.
After the Civil War and Llano was essentially little more than a frontier trading
center, with a few log buildings housing businesses,
a post office, and a few homes.The first bank in Llano opened in 1879, Moore, Foster,
and Company. During the 1880's Llano continued to grow with businesses that served the county's farmers and ranchers.
At first the county offices were in a one story stone building. A beautiful brick courthouse was constructed in 1885 to house the county offices which outgrew their one story structure.
The courthouse was built on a square on the southside of the Llano River. The present county courthouse was completed and occupied on August 1, 1893. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Llano County Courthouse and Jail
The jail was erected in 1895, with the prisoner cells on the second and third floors. As with several jails of the era, the ground level was used for the office and living accommodations for the sheriff and his family.
You can see the old jail building from the historic Inks Bridge spanning the Llano River. The Llano Red Top Jail was built in the Romanesque Revival structure. During
the iron ore boom town era of the 1890s, the Red Top with its 4th story
gallows tower became a constant reminder to outlaws that they should
keep their firearms at home. Due to its red roof, prisoners told people
that they “stayed at the Red Top last night”.
The central tower housed the gallows. By the year 1982 the jail was condemned and a new jail was built in 2002. The City of Llano purchased the jail from the County in 2005 to help with the restoration costs of the Llano County Courthouse.
Llano County Historical Museum
If you drive north across the Roy B. Inks Bridge the Llano County Historical Museum is located just on the other side and on the east side of the street.
The Llano Historical Museum building originally housed Bruhl's
Drugstore which was established in 1900. The structure was donated to the Historical Society in 1965 by the A.H. Bruhl family. An annex to the
building was originally an early day grocery store. During renovations,
the facade was altered, but the interior, including the marble soda
fountain and leather fountain stools, remains intact. This is one of the museum's unique exhibits.
The museum features exhibits that include the geology of the area, farming and ranching activities, clothing and textiles, mining, the development of business and the military service of our citizens. The Llano County Historical Museum is operated by the Llano County Historical Society.
Llano Historical Museum is open Wednesday - Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check out their website for special exhibits and hours. See website http://www.llanomuseum.org
The Southern Hotel Building
The Southern Hotel building was constructed around 1881 for owner J.W. Owen. The hotel was built as a stagecoach stop between Burnet and Mason. Originally only a two-story building, a third floor was added when Colonel W.A.H. Miller bought the hotel in 1883. It was later renamed the Colonial Inn and ceased operations in the 1950s.
As with many towns in Texas, the stagecoach began disappearing with the rapid expansion of rail lines. Though the stagecoach era in Texas essentially ended by the mid-1880s, stagecoach travel still remained as a means of transportation in some parts
of Texas well past the frontier era.
As late as May 1918, a stage line ran between Llano and Mason, Fredericksburg and Mason, and Brady and Mason. When motorized buses and automobiles began operating on paved and improved highways, stagecoaches finally ceased to exist. The stagecoach era was a romantic one in many ways but the railroads offered more comfort, greater speed and perhaps a bit more safety.
See the Western Trips articles on the links below for more Texas Hill Country Adventures...
The Frontier Settlement of Dripping Springs Texas
Longhorn Caverns of Texas
Visit Burnet Texas
Visit the Inner Space Caverns / Georgetown, TX
A good book to pick up if your travel plans take you to the Texas Hill Country includes Great Destinations: Texas Hill Country: A Complete Guide by author Eleanor liS. Morris.
The Lan-Tex Theater
Llano Texas' Lan-Tex Theater was constructed in 1927, a time of heavy theater construction raround the country in towns big and small. The "talkies", as movies with sound were first referred as, came out until a short time later. According to the local newspaper, the new LanTex Theater was built in a colorful, Spanish architectural style. The building was constructed of stucco.
The theater building measured 34 by 70 feet. Its elevated auditorium seated up to 290 people, and a balcony accommodated 75 viewers. The stage which was also built for live performances, measured 20 by 15 feet and featured a dressing room on each side.
Two things that mad ethe new Lan-Tex stand out with the local community was it's plush
"open chairs" and cool overhead fans. The owners dubbed it the "House of
Comfort All the Year." The fans providing a summer refuge from the Texas heat and sun.
Every so often, the LanTex would feature live stage shows. The comfortable theater also was the venue for fundraisers and free shows for children. One show in particular was quite popular with the local children, starred Buster Brown and his dog Tige, a show fashioned after the famous comic strip started in 1902 with the same name, was a very well attended event.
When you visit Llano be certain to stop by the Llano Texas Visitor Center for maps and information on the area. The Visitors Center is located at The Railyard Depot, 100 Train Station Dr., on the north side of the Llano River.
(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips)
Located on the Llano River about seventy-five miles northwest of Austin, Llano Texas is the county seat and largest town of Llano County.
Llano was established at the same time the County of Llano was created in 1856. Land donated by John Oatman, Sr., Amariah Wilson, and the Chester B. Starks estate made up a surveyed site of 250 acres for the county seat on both sides of the Llano River near the center of the new county.
 |
| The old Southern Hotel Bldg and stagecoach stop |
At first the county offices were in a one story stone building. A beautiful brick courthouse was constructed in 1885 to house the county offices which outgrew their one story structure.
The courthouse was built on a square on the southside of the Llano River. The present county courthouse was completed and occupied on August 1, 1893. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Llano County Courthouse and Jail
The jail was erected in 1895, with the prisoner cells on the second and third floors. As with several jails of the era, the ground level was used for the office and living accommodations for the sheriff and his family.
 |
| Llano's old 1895 Red Top Jail |
The central tower housed the gallows. By the year 1982 the jail was condemned and a new jail was built in 2002. The City of Llano purchased the jail from the County in 2005 to help with the restoration costs of the Llano County Courthouse.
Llano County Historical Museum
If you drive north across the Roy B. Inks Bridge the Llano County Historical Museum is located just on the other side and on the east side of the street.
 |
| Llano County Historical Museum |
The museum features exhibits that include the geology of the area, farming and ranching activities, clothing and textiles, mining, the development of business and the military service of our citizens. The Llano County Historical Museum is operated by the Llano County Historical Society.
Llano Historical Museum is open Wednesday - Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check out their website for special exhibits and hours. See website http://www.llanomuseum.org
The Southern Hotel Building
The Southern Hotel building was constructed around 1881 for owner J.W. Owen. The hotel was built as a stagecoach stop between Burnet and Mason. Originally only a two-story building, a third floor was added when Colonel W.A.H. Miller bought the hotel in 1883. It was later renamed the Colonial Inn and ceased operations in the 1950s.
 |
| Unique shopping in Llano |
As late as May 1918, a stage line ran between Llano and Mason, Fredericksburg and Mason, and Brady and Mason. When motorized buses and automobiles began operating on paved and improved highways, stagecoaches finally ceased to exist. The stagecoach era was a romantic one in many ways but the railroads offered more comfort, greater speed and perhaps a bit more safety.
See the Western Trips articles on the links below for more Texas Hill Country Adventures...
The Frontier Settlement of Dripping Springs Texas
Longhorn Caverns of Texas
Visit Burnet Texas
Visit the Inner Space Caverns / Georgetown, TX
A good book to pick up if your travel plans take you to the Texas Hill Country includes Great Destinations: Texas Hill Country: A Complete Guide by author Eleanor liS. Morris.
The Lan-Tex Theater
Llano Texas' Lan-Tex Theater was constructed in 1927, a time of heavy theater construction raround the country in towns big and small. The "talkies", as movies with sound were first referred as, came out until a short time later. According to the local newspaper, the new LanTex Theater was built in a colorful, Spanish architectural style. The building was constructed of stucco.
The theater building measured 34 by 70 feet. Its elevated auditorium seated up to 290 people, and a balcony accommodated 75 viewers. The stage which was also built for live performances, measured 20 by 15 feet and featured a dressing room on each side.
 |
| Llano's Lan-Tex Theater built in 1927 |
Every so often, the LanTex would feature live stage shows. The comfortable theater also was the venue for fundraisers and free shows for children. One show in particular was quite popular with the local children, starred Buster Brown and his dog Tige, a show fashioned after the famous comic strip started in 1902 with the same name, was a very well attended event.
When you visit Llano be certain to stop by the Llano Texas Visitor Center for maps and information on the area. The Visitors Center is located at The Railyard Depot, 100 Train Station Dr., on the north side of the Llano River.
(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips)
