James Polk Johnson Cemetery

The final resting place of town founder James Polk Johnson

NPS Photo / Jack Burton

Quick Facts

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Johnson City, Texas

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Born in Alabama on August 24, 1845, James Polk Johnson was still a child when his family moved to Texas in search of a better life. As a teenager he served in the Civil War and then moved to Blanco county to join his uncles Tom and Sam Ealy Johnson in their cattle droving business. For a time it was the largest cattle operation in Blanco and surrounding six counties, but the partnership was eventually dissolved in 1871, and James bought out his uncles' land holdings.

By 1879 local settlers desired to establish a town in the area. At a Fourth of July celebration on Town Creek they selected James Polk Johnson's land for the site of the new community. Unfortunately, James's dream of making Johnson City the seat of Blanco County was not realized until 1890, six years after his death. Little did he know that the town that bears his name would someday also be known as the hometown of his cousin and 36th president of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson.

James Polk Johnson's Legacy

James Polk Johnson became successful in his own right. Before his death at the age of 40, he constructed several buildings in Johnson City that still exist today.