(There was quite a delay between blogging about Visiting Llano, part two and part three; all because my little laptop was recalled by the manufacturer. It is back now, and I am happy to have her back! )
On my day trip to Llano in March, 2012, after touring the "railroad" historic area, we crossed the Llano River bridge and soon arrived at the Courthouse Square.
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| Llano Bridge |
The Llano Courthouse, is a lovely large old structure with a clock on top which was rebuilt in 1893. The previous courthouse was destroyed by fire in January, 1892.
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| Llano Courthouse Tower & Clock |
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| Built of Brick, Granite, and Sandstone in 1893. |
The old oak tree standing near the courthouse must be very old. If we could only see the town grow as it has. Imagine seeing the cowboys gathering for the cattle drives to Kansas, the saloons and town streets of the 1800's, and the ladies of the Woman's Culture Club attending their meetings in 1901.
The beautiful tower and clock can be seen throughout the Llano town area. The courthouse is built of granite, sandstone, and brick.
The history of Llano is interesting. It was the home of American Indians for centuries prior to the Spanish arriving and finding silver near Llano at Riley Mountain in 1756. Llano County is a treasure-trove of minerals including crystals and according to some old sources, possibly the home of lost gold mines. In 1838 a Mrs. Webster and her children were taken by Indians and she lived with them for two years before escaping. She quickly reported gold and silver mines belonging to the Indians which resulted in many prospectors coming to seek the "lost" Spanish-Mexican mine and Indian gold which have never been located. Some say silver and gold are located inside granite pockets in this Llano Uplift region of Central Texas. Near Llano you can see rare brown granite with sky blue crystals and pink feldspar which can be found nowhere else on earth. Rare pearls have also been found in fresh water mussels along the Colorado River which have been valued from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Llano was settled by Germans beginning in 1844. Cattle-rustling was a huge problem until the 1870's.
Many early buildings remain such as the historically significant 'old jail', a solid looking beautiful old building - probably not so beautiful to those who were forced to reside inside. The old jail, now known as "Red-top" because of its red roof, was built in 1895 of local granite at a reported cost of $11,500. The first floor was the home of the "jailers" and the four cells and two drunk tanks were located on the second floor. Prisoners reportedly slept on the floor on cot mattresses, and there was no electricity on the second floor. Their meals were prepared by the jailer's wife. There is no third floor, and the top of the jail is where the gallows was located. A hole in the floor allowed bodies to fall down to "hang". Reportedly no one was hanged from the "gallows" although skeptics say there were hangings. It was last used as a jail in the 1970's and was used as a "Headstart" building in the 1990's. It is reportedly being restored by the Friends of the Llano Red Top Jail.
Many early buildings remain such as the historically significant 'old jail', a solid looking beautiful old building - probably not so beautiful to those who were forced to reside inside. The old jail, now known as "Red-top" because of its red roof, was built in 1895 of local granite at a reported cost of $11,500. The first floor was the home of the "jailers" and the four cells and two drunk tanks were located on the second floor. Prisoners reportedly slept on the floor on cot mattresses, and there was no electricity on the second floor. Their meals were prepared by the jailer's wife. There is no third floor, and the top of the jail is where the gallows was located. A hole in the floor allowed bodies to fall down to "hang". Reportedly no one was hanged from the "gallows" although skeptics say there were hangings. It was last used as a jail in the 1970's and was used as a "Headstart" building in the 1990's. It is reportedly being restored by the Friends of the Llano Red Top Jail.
Some old structures surrounding the town square are now home to restaurants, little intriguing shops, a jewelry store, and other businesses. (see below)
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| Buildings on Llano Square |
I was fascinated by the historical sign near the courthouse which tells about "The Woman's Culture Club" which was founded by Jennie Clopton, local music teacher in 1901, originally called the "Woman's Literary Society". This club established a public library, worked on beautification projects in public areas as well as other projects.
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| Woman's Culture Club of Llano |
My friend and I ate at The Acme Cafe, a restaurant in an old historic building on the square, where we had a delightful lunch. She ordered crab cakes and I had a vegetarian sandwich and soup. Here is a picture of the inside of the Acme.
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| Acme Cafe |
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| The Acme Cafe |
There are several interesting restaurants in Llano and it is difficult to decide where to enjoy your meal. I look forward to trying breakfast or lunch next visit at The Berry St. Bakery (http://www.berrystreetbakery.com/) which is in an older home and has an outdoor eating area, on the corner across from the square.
During our visit to Llano, we also visited Jim's Jewelry on Main Street on the Square, a gift shop and Charlie's Furniture and Gift Shop.Llano is known as "The deer capital of Texas" and the density of deer in the Llano Basin is greater than any other area in the United States.
"Phebe - Cottage Dreamer" blog would be incomplete without at least one cottage picture from Llano. This little cottage, near the old jail, intrigued me. The "Llano resident" that came out to greet us on our visit April, 2011 appeared to be part of the "neighborhood watch program."
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| Small Llano Cottage |
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| Chicken in Llano in April, 2011. Note: Many readers may be surprised that chickens are allowed in some Texas towns. However, they are even legal in the city of Austin, which boasts some amazing chicken coops. |
On Rt. 29 near Llano, hundreds of people each year stop to photograph and enjoy a "Bald Eagle" pair and their offspring. The adults have nested for the winter for several years beside the Llano River close enough for visitors to view the baby eagles growing, eating, and learning to take flight. Last year the couple had one baby eagle; in 2012 they had "twins."
(Last year's bald eagle in the nest (above photo) -I'm guessing this is mom or dad sitting on the eggs - I visited several times last year and enjoyed watching "Junior" grow and fly. It is a thrill to see the parent sitting over on another branch or tree as "Junior" begins to leave the nest and spread his wings. Babies do not develop the traditional white head until they are older. Eagle couples reportedly mate for life.)
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| Parent in 2012 Watching Baby Eagle from Afar. |
Until next time, Wishing you happiness and hoping you visit a small town near your home! Hugs, Phebe
(My thanks to the Llano Chamber of Commerce, and three websites for information about the Llano area. http://www.texfiles.com/llanotexas/aboutllano/yesterdaytoday/index.htm and
http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/living-the-dream/living-the-dream/true-western-towns/4254-llano-texas, and http://www.llanomainstreet.com/Redtopjail/Redtop.html.
Note: All photos in the Llano blogs were taken by Phebe and may not be copied without permission.)
Llano, A Main Street City
