Llano County () is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located on the

Edwards Plateau The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region forming the crossroads of Central, South and West Texas, United States. It is named in honor of Haden Edwards. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east; the Llano Uplift and the Lla ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,243. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Llano, and the county is named for the

Llano River The Llano River ( ) is a tributary of the Colorado River, about long, in Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin. Two spring-fed tributaries, the North and South Llano, stret ...

History

The

Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe from Oklahoma and Texas. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct language, extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Tonkawa ...

tribe were the first known inhabitants of the region before European settlement. European settlement began by April 20, 1842, with the founding of the

Adelsverein The ''Mainzer Adelsverein at Biebrich am Rhein'' (''Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas''; "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas"), better known as the ''Mainzer Adelsverein'' (; "Nobility Society of Mainz"), orga ...

Fisher-Miller Land Grant, setting aside three million acres (12,000 km²) to settle 600 families and single men of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestry in Texas. By June 26, 1844,

Henry Francis Fisher Henry Francis Fisher (in German ''Heinrich Franz Fischer'', 1805–1867) was a German Texan. Born in Kassel, Electorate of Hesse in 1805, Fisher left the mainland in late 1833 spending a year each, in London and New York, and two years in New Orlean ...

sold his interest in the land grant to the Adelsverein, and by December 20, 1845, both Fisher and Burchard Miller had sold their remaining rights to the organization. In 1847, the

Meusebach–Comanche Treaty The Meusebach–Comanche Treaty was a treaty made on May 9, 1847 between the private citizens of the Fisher–Miller Land Grant in Texas (United States), who were predominantly German in nationality, and the Penateka Comanche Tribe. The treaty ...

was signed, and the Bettina commune, named after German liberal Bettina Brentano von Arnim, was founded as the last Adelsverein community in Texas. However, the commune failed within a year due to a lack of governing structure and conflict of authority. By 1860, the population had reached 1,101, including 21 slaveholders and 54 slavess. During the Civil War, in 1862, one hundred Llano County volunteers join Major John George Walker Division of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

, and in April 1864, a cavalry company under Captain Brazeal was formed to defend against Indian attacks. This unit served under Brigadier General John David McAdoo until it disbanded in June 1865 at war's end. By August 4, 1873, Packsaddle Mountain was the site of the region's last battle with Native Americans, marking a turning point that allowed the county’s farming economy to expand without the threat of attacks from local Native tribes. Progress continued with the arrival of the Llano branch of the

Austin and Northwestern Railroad The Austin and Northwestern Railroad began construction on a rail line west of Austin, Texas, United States, USA, toward Llano, Texas, Llano on April 20, 1881. The railroad was originally built as a Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge line with p ...

on June 7, 1892 , followed by the completion of the County Courthouse in 1893, designed by Austin architect A. O. Watson. In 1895, the Llano County Jail was erected by the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St Louis, MO. By the turn of the 20^th century, Teich Monument Works was established by Frank Teich, along with the Llano Women's Literary Society was organized a year later in 1901 with sixteen charter members. That same year, the Victorian style Antlers Hotel, a railroad resort located in Kingsland, opened for business.

Darmstadt Society of Forty

Count Castell of the

negotiated with the separate Darmstadt Society of Forty to colonize 200 families on the

Fisher–Miller Land Grant The Fisher–Miller Land Grant was part of an early colonization effort of the Republic of Texas. Its 3,878,000 acres covered between the Llano River and Colorado River. Originally granted to Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller, the grant w ...

in Texas. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, and equipment, and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves. The colonies attempted were

Castell A ''castell'' (: literally, ''castle'') is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in a part of Catalonia (Spain), now also found in the rest of Catalonia, in the Balearic islands and in the Valencian Community. At these festivals, s ...

, Leiningen, Bettina, Schoenburg and Meerholz in Llano County; Darmstädler Farm in

Comal County Comal County ( ) is a County (United States), county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 161,501. Comal County is known for its rich German-Texan and Eu ...

; and Tusculum in Kendall County. Of these, only Castell survives. The colonies failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and also due to conflict of structure and authorities. Some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany.

Library book bans

Llano county libraries were purged of books containing sex education and discussion of racism in 2021 and 2022 by county commissioners. Titles removed include '' In the Night Kitchen'', '' Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents'', and '' Between the World and Me''. Librarian Suzette Baker in Kingsland was fired for her refusal to remove books from the shelves. The library board voted unanimously to close its meetings to the public in 2022. After a lawsuit was filed, a federal judge ruled in March 2023 that at least 12 of the books must be placed back onto shelves. In response, county commissioners considered closing the library in a special meeting. They have appealed the decision by the federal judge.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (3.3%) are covered by water.

Enchanted Rock Enchanted Rock is a pink granite mountain located in the Llano Uplift about north of Fredericksburg, Texas and south of Llano, Texas, United States. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, spans ...

, a designated state natural area and popular tourist destination, is located in southern Llano county. Two significant rivers, the Llano and the

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, flow through Llano County. These rivers contribute to Lake Buchanan,

Inks Lake Inks Lake is a reservoir on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1938 by the construction of Inks Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Located near Burnet, Texas, the lake serv ...

, and Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, which are all located partially within the county.

Major highways

* State Highway 16 * State Highway 29 * State Highway 71 * State Highway 261

Adjacent counties

* San Saba County (north) * Burnet County (east) * Blanco County (southeast) * Gillespie County (south) * Mason County (west)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, 17,044 people, 7,879 households, and 5,365 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 11,829 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.3% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. About 5.1% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Of the 7,879 households, 16.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were not families. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.56. In the county, the population was distributed as 15.9% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 18.4% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 30.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,830, and for a family was $40,597. Males had a median income of $30,839 versus $21,126 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $23,547. About 7.2% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Horseshoe Bay (partly in Burnet County) * Llano (county seat) * Sunrise Beach Village

Census-designated places

Buchanan Dam The Buchanan Dam () is a multiple arch dam located on the Colorado River of Texas. The dam forms Lake Buchanan and was the first dam to be completed in the chain of Texas Highland Lakes. The dam is used for generating hydroelectric power and ...

* Buchanan Lake Village * Kingsland * Tow

Other unincorporated communities

* Bluffton *

* Valley Spring

Ghost towns

* Baby Head * Bettina * Click

Notable person

* Emil Kriewitz, who lived with the Penateka Comanche, served as guide for Fisher–Miller Land Grant settlers, 1870 Llano County justice of the peace, 1871 Llano County election judge, and was postmaster of Castell from 1876 to 1883. He was buried in Llano County Cemetery.

Politics

Llano County, in common with the

Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...

, voted predominantly for Democratic presidential candidates well into the 1960s, with those voters being in the majority even in the

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

and 1956 campaigns, with both races from the 1950s featuring native son

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

heading the Republican ticket. This trend reversed itself beginning in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

and has become more pronounced, beginning in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

References

External links

Llano County government’s website
* {{coord, 30.71, -98.68, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 1856 establishments in Texas German-American history Texas Hill Country Populated places established in 1856