Sauer Cabins

Before the arrival of indoor plumbing and electricity to the Hill Country, chores were done by hand.

Photo courtesy of LBJ State Park

Quick Facts

MANAGED BY:

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site

Johann Frederick Sauer and his wife Christine, both immigrants from Germany, married in nearby Fredericksburg in 1865. Four years and four children later, they settled this land in 1869. Their family prospered and grew and, by 1885, several stone buildings were built near the original rock and log cabins. Eventually, the Sauers had 10 children. One of them, Augusta Sauer Lindig, served as midwife at the birth of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1908.

With most of their children out on their own by 1900, the Sauers sold the farm to Herman Beckmann and moved closer to their sons in Doss. The Beckmanns used the Sauer cabin as a living space until their own home was completed. Later, they converted the Sauer cabins into work and storage space. Today, state park staff and volunteers use the historic home as the Beckmanns did in 1915.