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Lyndon B. Johnson & the LBJ Grasslands

Presidential Namesakes, Natural & Manmade

How Lyndon Got His Name, A couple, a baby & the name of a future President

Lyndon B. Johnson was born on August 27, 1908 in a simple frame farmhouse near Stonewall, Texas, the firstborn of five children. He would remain nameless for three months.

His father, Samuel Ealy Johnson, was a farmer, a school teacher, and a member of the state legislature. His mother, Rebekah Baines Johnson, was from pioneer stock and her grandfather was a well-known Baptist leader in Texas during the Civil War.

Samuel tended to like heavy drinkers, and each time he suggested a name for ‘baby Johnson’, Rebekah would fervently disagree. The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months and still baby Johnson remained nameless.

One day, Samuel suggested that they name the baby after a county lawyer named W.C. Linden who was quite notorious for going on a drunk for about a week after every case. Rebekah agreed on one condition; she could spell the name however she chose.

Years later, Lyndon was campaigning for Congress when he was approached by an old man supporting a white carnation inside his lapel. He greeted Lyndon warmly, telling him, “That was a very good speech. I want to vote for you like I always have. The only thing I don’t like about you is the way you spell your name.”

After further inquiry from Lyndon, the man introduced himself as W.C. Linden.

The LBJ Grasslands

To honor these men of merit, new and historic structures as well as natural areas throughout America bare Presidential names - monuments, log cabins, libraries, forests, parks, lakes, gardens, streets – just to name a few.

Lyndon B. Johnson, the thirty-sixth President of the United States of America, was a Texan who loved the outdoors, as did his wife, fondly known by most of us as Ladybird. Ladybird spearheaded the bluebonnet planting pulse in Texas in an effort to beautify America. But that’s another story. This article will focus on a vast open stretch of land named in honor of President Johnson known as the LBJ Grasslands.

Amid the Vietnam cold war, and the manner in which President Johnson assumed the presidency, few would argue he lived in the shadows of President John F. Kennedy. Lyndon was always ‘his own man’. During crucial decisions and stressful events, he found solace in the unspoiled lands of America – the prairies, the Texas hill country and the open range. The LBJ Grasslands are a living tribute to one of America’s most fascinating presidents.

Located in Decatur, Texas, (where else?) the LBJ Grasslands is home to an abundance of wildlife and waterfowl. There are groves of towering Loblolly pines so tall that when you try to view their peaks, the back of your head will almost touch your feet! Anchored in one small grove is a trickling stream, generally coated in a vivid green fluff of lichen. The Grasslands area is very pleasant and pristine, scented by the clustered pine groves located there.

Deer are plentiful, as are birds including blue jays, mocking birds, robins and redbirds. If you wander off the beaten path you’ll discover persimmon, wild plum, and nut trees. There is one area within the Grasslands that contains a beautiful bridge that shoots over an extreme blue-hue of a stream.

Though wildlife is abundant, people and traffic remain minimal. Due to this, the Grasslands make a fantastic backdrop for wildlife photography.

If you’re fortunate to cross paths near the Grassland, take a few minutes to stop and enjoy the serenity and peace folded around this vast strip of land, so suitably named in honor of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

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