Hi, I'm Ranger Joe and welcome to the second installment of the Texas White House:
Past, Present, and Future. I'm excited to share with you how President Johnson acquired the
Texas White House and how it became an important part of United States history. As you have learned
in our last episode, Senator Johnson purchased a two-story home from his aunt Frank Martin.
When Senator Johnson purchased the house, it needed major renovation and repair before Lyndon and
the family could move in. The initial repair and renovation of the house was completed in July 1952;
however as Senator Johnson moved up in his political career, many renovations came with it to
accommodate the number of visitors that the family would entertain in the home. Lyndon B Johnson would
fly back and forth from Washington, D.C. to the Texas Hill Country to recharge his battery and
improve his health. It was during these years that Lyndon B. Johnson's home in the Texas Hill Country
began to take a new meaning for the Johnson family and for the many people who visited. Not only would
Lyndon use this place to recharge his battery, as a break from the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C.,
but this ranch would become a center of political power during his time as President. President and
Lady Bird Johnson believed, and frequently said, "All the world is welcome to the LBJ Ranch and
Texas White House. They hosted many barbecues at the LBJ Ranch for foreign Heads of State.
During his presidency from 1963 to 1969, he spent 490 days, one-quarter, of his presidency
at the Texas White House. From the Texas White House, President Johnson held cabinet meetings
and worked tirelessly to accomplish his political goals. As required by law, the Secret Service became
a permanent presence, protecting the President and First Lady, on a full-time basis at the LBJ Ranch.
President Johnson was briefed by his staff on the front lawn of the Texas White House
on subjects such as, the Vietnam War, the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and domestic issues
such as the War on Poverty, civil rights movement, and the space race. Balancing their personal life
from their public life, the home is where the Johnson family could be together as a family.
The home was the place where president Johnson could relax and unwind
by walking in the fields around his ranch, going on solitary drives in his vehicles,
visiting with family and friends, and occasionally playing dominoes with friends.
After the presidency, President Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson would live in the
Texas White House on a permanent basis. President Johnson passed away on January 22, 1973.
After President Johnson's death, Lady Bird Johnson established herself as the public
face and the hostess of the Texas White House. The Texas White House was part of
President Johnson's circle of life at the LBJ Ranch - he was born here, spent the most
important parts of his life here, and he died here, in his beloved big house on the river.
Join us here, for our next episode about Lady
Bird Johnson and her influence in the Texas Hill Country and beyond.