Clinton's Birthplace Home, Hope, AR

William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, was born on the 19th of August 1946 in the small town of Hope, Arkansas as William Jefferson Blythe III, named for his late father who had died in an auto accident in May. He lived in this comfortable frame house in Hope with his widowed mother and her parents for four years after his birth in 1946.  In 1950 his mother married Roger Clinton who later adopted Bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Historic Washington State Park, AR

Historic Washington State Park (near Hope, AR), is a quaint, 19^th century museum village of carefully restored homes and public buildings.  In the 1820s and ‘30s Washington was a busy stop on the rugged Southwest Trail/Old Military Road.  After 1840, the town was a bustling commercial, professional and cultural center.  This was where James Black forged an original Bowie knife for Jim Bowie, notables such as Jim Bowie, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett stayed when traveling to Texas, Arkansas’s Confederate Capital was established after the fall of Little Rock in September 1863.

City Hall-1824

 

Williams Tavern-1832

Now restaurant with delicious food run by the state park

 

Courthouse-1836

 

Royston House-1845

 

Purdom House-1850

 

A.M. Crouch House-1857

 

Courthouse-1874

 

Upstairs courtroom-beautiful wood work

 

Print Shop-1915

 

LBJ Boyhood Home, Johnson City, TX

LBJ moved to Johnson City from Stonewall when he was 5 years old and lived in this house until he graduated high school.

 

 

 

Johnson Settlement, Johnson City, TX

LBJ's grandfather and great-uncle established a cattle droving headquarters in the 1860s on the land known as the Johnson Settlement (now part of Johnson City). Their log cabin and subsequent barns, cooler house, and windmill still stand.

Gillespie County Country Schools

As many as 44 rural schools were in operation in Gillespie in the early 20th century.  The Gilmer-Aikin Law of 1949 resulted in the consolidation of most rural schools in Texas.  Remarkably, the main buildings at only 2 of the 44 rural schools in Gillespie County were demolished over the decades.  Today many of the schools are being restored by the "Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools".  There are 17 schools on the Gillespie County Country Schools Driving Trail.  We visited two of the schools: Nebgen School and Rheingold School.

Nebgen School

Rheingold School

 

Danz Cabins-LBJ State Park

The Danz Family was one of the earliest settlers of Gillespie County.

Butchering at Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm (LBJ State Park)

In early February a steer and hog were butchered at the farm.  The meat is used at the farm for meals cooked every day at lunch for the staff and volunteers.  They also make blood sausage, liver sausage and head cheese.