LBJ’s Texas Ranch
|
 |
Welcome to the LBJ Ranch
|
|
Type
of Activity
|
Communications
Support
|
Location
|
Location
|
Johnson City Texas
|
Date
of Activity
|
November
1963 thru January 1969
|
Coordinates
|
30° 14′ 29″ N,98° 37′ 32″ W
|
The ranch is located on the north side of United States Route 290, about fourteen miles west of Johnson City, which lies between the highway and the south bank of the Pedernales River.
It is now a National Park that protects the birthplace, home, ranch, and final resting place of Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States. During Johnson's administration, the LBJ Ranch was known as the "Texas White House" because the President spent approximately 20% of his time in office there.
On July 12, 1952, they moved into their ranch home. To commemorate the event, LBJ took a small limb and scratched in the concrete ...walkway near the south gate, the date and "Welcome to the LBJ Ranch."
 |
The
President enjoys the Ranch with his family
|
Beginning in the summer
of 1955, with Senator Johnson's heart attack and the long months of
recuperation at the ranch, more and more public business was carried on at his
Texas home. By the summer of 1957, Mrs. Johnson recalls, their living room had
been largely used by office activities. A secretary had taken over her desk,
and another desk and secretary were moved in during periods of heavy workloads.
The room was becoming, increasingly crowded and hectic. Telephones seemed to
ring constantly.
The Johnson's accordingly
decided to have an office addition built onto the west side of their home. Which
would include a new Office, living Room and Bedrooms.
THE OFFICE
Mrs. Lyndon Johnson
recalled that from the autumn of 1958 until January 1973, this new room had
been her husband's office, first as senator and majority leader, then as vice
president and president, and finally as rancher and elder statesman.
She pointed out President Johnson's desk and chair in the
northeast corner. The desk had been given to her husband by his staff when he
left his position as majority leader of the Senate to be inaugurated as vice
president on January 20, 1961.
President Johnson's desk and chair were in the
northeast corner and faced west. In the west wall, above the north cabinets,
was a built-in, remote control, television . The desk occupied by the president's
senior secretary and her chair were in the northwest corner, facing east. In
the southwest corner, also facing east, was a second secretary's desk and
chair.
 |
LBJ’s Office at the Ranch
|
The
White House Communications Agency addressed the communications needs of
President Johnson and installed a totally new voice communications system in
the Ranch house which also included a recording device in the office that the
President could activate from his desk.
 |
LBJ’s Office at the Ranch
|
After
LBJ became president, there was a piece of Plexiglas installed to shield the louvers in
the door giving access to the den. This was to ensure that there would be more
privacy for confidential conversations in the living room or den when this door
was closed.
THE
LIVING ROOM
Until 1958, when the
office was built, the living room this
was where most of the inside entertaining and a "considerable amount"
of business took place. Sometimes, however, they convened in the dining room or
den.
 |
LBJ holds a meeting in the ranch’s living room
|
Liz Carpenter, Mrs. Johnson's press secretary,
recalled that the office was unsuited for presidential meetings because it was
a crossroads of ringing telephones, speech writing, messages, and other activities.
If the meetings were held indoors, the living room was the usual choice.
 |
LBJ holds a meeting in the ranch’s living room
|
The living room offered
more access to services and on the north wall was another three eyed monster as
they were called by WHCA technicians. This was three TV’s side by side on a stand,
so all three networks could be monitored simultaneously and remotely
controlled.
 |
The Living room at the Ranch
|
During the presidential
and post-presidential years there was a large recliner chair in front of the fireplace
for the President, This recliner chair had been given to him by his staff and
was finished in cream-colored corduroy. There was always a telephone within
reach of the president's recliner.
THE
PRESIDENT'S BEDROOM
President Johnson always wanted
a comfortable room with lots of light, access to the swimming pool, three
television sets, and his favorite Melvin Warren paintings. Whenever he was
hospitalized, he took the things he loved with him--the Warren paintings, etc. During the times that President Johnson was recuperating he would often hold meetings in his bedroom.
Between President Johnson's bed and the east wall was the large massage table used by Lt. Tom Mills, a medical liaison, and other corpsmen to give LBJ an evening massage.
 |
The President's Bedroom
|
While LBJ occupied this room
there were three television sets on the stand in the southwest corner. These he
could operate by remote control from his bed, and, if he wished, he could view
programs originating from the three networks simultaneously.
 |
The President's Bedroom
|
On the "unremarkable"
bedside table, near the door, was a telephone. Like the telephone in the office
there was a recording device attached and the President could manually activate
it from the telephone. Also, in that area were the hookups for the house's
intercom system and the president's oxygen system.
THE
AIRSTRIP
A 3,000-foot asphalt landing strip was built in
1955 and, until extended to 6,150 feet in 1964, handled only light aircraft.
 |
| A JetStar or similar aircraft usually landed at the ranch |
Air Force One never
landed at the LBJ Ranch. Although the strip was long enough, the caliche base
lacked enough stability to support the impact of the big Boeing 707 in landing.
 |
| James Cross LBJ’s pilot seen here with the JetStar |
 |
| Interior of the JetStar |
THE
LBJ RANCH HANGAR
The hangar was built by a
Houston contractor in 1956. The frame, formed of oil pipes, was put up after
the concrete foundation was poured.
The hangar at the LBJ
Ranch in January 1962, was not being used for the purpose for which it was
built because the Johnson's Lodestar was too large. During the vice-presidential
years, the hangar area for hay storage, and bales were sometimes stacked to within
inches of the overhead girders. Soon after Lyndon Johnson became president, the
ranch Foreman was told "to get the damned hay out so the hangar could be
used for more vital purposes. "
 |
| Hanger Area also WHCA Comm. Trailers and USSS Command Post |
After this was done,
measures were taken to convert the interior into an area for presidential press
conferences and a movie theatre as well as an area where the airplane could be
housed.
When the president acquired
his King Air, its tail assembly extended too far above the ground to permit it
all the way into the hangar. To alleviate this difficulty, changes were made to
the large front door.
The center room at the
end of the hanger was used by the telephone people as a communication room
during the vice-presidential years.
The hangar is painted LBJ
green and is a multipurpose, 17-room structure. It includes, in addition to the
hangar, a projection room (equipped for both 16- and 35-mm movies), kitchenette,
restrooms, storerooms, and quarters.
HANGAR
AREA STRUCTURES
 |
| The hanger area and Airstrip at the LBJ Texas Ranch Compound |
In 1967, several
maintenance-oriented structures were erected or relocated in the area adjacent
to the hangar. These included the
following:
Freezer-cooler Shed
This corrugated-metal
structure with shed roof adjoins the north side of Klein's shop. Its exterior
is painted LB J green.
Five-unit Carport
This structure is between Klein’s shop and the old Martin barn.
It is screened from view on the south by a row of wax Ligustrum. Consisting
of a flat corrugated-metal roof and steel supports, his five-stall structure,
originally part of the 10-unit east carport, was relocated on this site in the
autumn of 1967. It is painted LB J green.
Housed in two of the bays are the two Lincoln Continental convertibles
owned by President Johnson and donated to the American people.
Single-unit
Carport
This structure , consisting of a flat corrugated-metal roof on steel
supports, was west of Klein's shop in the autumn of 1967. It had been one of
the 10 units in the east carport and is painted LBJ green.
Car
Wash Shelter
Located on a concrete pad with a drain on a site southwest of the
hangar 
is the car wash shelter . It consists of a metal roof on steel
posts and is painted white.
Welder Storage Shed
This structure is positioned between Klein}s shop and the
freezer-cooler shed. It has a flat corrugated-metal roof and steel supports and
is painted a gray-green.
SECURITY-ASSOCIATED
STRUCTURES
Secret
Service Guard Shacks
 |
Secret Service Guard Post
|
Secret Service Guard Shack
Two of the original three Secret Service small frame structures with asphalt-shingle, gabled roofs still exist today. These lap and gap sided structures are painted white. They have single doors with double-hung windows in the other three walls. They are positioned of the east and west security check and at the cattle guard south of the Pedernales.
 |
Secret Service Guard Shack
|
LBJ
ranch weather station
North of the ranch house, at the northeast corner of
the yard enclosing the Secret Service building, is a weather station. It is equipped
with a louvered wooden stand, thermometer, and rain gauge. The combined anemometer
and barometer are in the Secret Service building. This equipment is employed to
provide weather data for air traffic and to supply weather reports as called
for by Lyndon Johnson when he was absent from the ranch.
Secret
Service Command Post
During the vice-presidential
years, there were no Secret Service people at the ranch except when the Johnson's
were in residence. Whenever the Johnson's were expected, several security people
would appear a few hours before their arrival.
At first the Secret Service
employed Klein's old shop as their office, or they sat in cars. A trailer was then
moved into position by General Services Administration (GSA) north of the ranch
house and east of the frame well house; contractors were hired to make the
necessary plumbing and sewer connections.
This building served as the
Secret Service's ranch command post until after the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy and the swearing in of Lyndon Johnson as 36th president.
Understandably, security now became all important. There
was an influx of agents, and more commodious facilities were needed. After the Secret
Service took possession of the structure, GSA became responsible for its
conversion from a ranch quarters into a Secret Service command post and for its
periodic maintenance.
Several structural changes were made to adapt the building to its new mission. The bathtub was removed from the bathroom and several urinals were added. The screened porch at the northeast corner was enclosed and outfitted as an office. The window and framing in the south wall were removed and replaced by a picture window giving the USSS a better view of the entire Compound.
 |
Secret Service Command Post
|
Behind
the Secret Service Command Post is a series of dark green buildings. This was the Command
Center. Within four weeks of President
Johnson taking the oath for
the Presidency in November 1963, right after President
Kennedys assassination, the LBJ
Ranch had enough communications equipment
for a small city: microwave towers providing 120 channels to Austin, two-way
radios, teleprinters, cryptographic machines, and an extensive telephone system
with 100 lines. These buildings housed the WHCA switchboard and Communications Center with 50-kilowatt emergency generator.
WHITE
HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY COMPLEX (WHCA)
The WHCA complex consisted of three connecting trailers . These
structures housed the WHCA switchboard, the cryptograph section, and quarters
for the military aides and other personnel on 24-hour call. WHCA would
establish a detachment of permanent technical personnel to maintain and operate
the radio, paging and cryptographic equipment they had installed.
White House Communications/ Switchboard Building
This building, a single-story steel structure painted
gray-green, has a shallow, sloping gable roof. Manning the switchboard while
the President was away from the Ranch was also the detachments responsibility!
Military
Aides Trailer
This 10’ x 30' metal trailer has a flat roof and is
painted gray-green. Connected with it are two large cooling units . The axis of
this structure is north-south. The Military Aids Office was incorporated in
this trailer with facilities for on Duty personnel.
Communications Center Trailer
This 10' x 40' metal trailer is at right angles to the military aides' trailer. It has a flat roof with a cooling unit on top. There is a single entry , and its exterior is also painted gray-green. WHCA also maintained the Secure teletype equipment located at the Ranch.
 |
Aerial View of the entire Compound of the LBJ Texas Ranch WHCA
and USSS CP left of the hanger
|
PRE-PRESIDENTIAL WHITE
HOUSE TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS.
During the vice-presidential years, the number of telephones in
the house and its immediate grounds was increased from 11 to 15. These were installed
in areas frequented by Johnson, like the swimming pool. There was also a
separate service system to the foreman's quarters in Stonewall.
As the months passed, Vice President and Mrs. Johnson found they required more space in the house for visitors and employees, and they asked Southwestern Bell to move its equipment out of the hangar. Southwestern Bell constructed a small structure erected behind the building subsequently occupied by the Secret Service. Known as the "O" carrier building, this structure housed the ranch telephone equipment until shortly after President Kennedy's assassination.
Before the Dallas tragedy, in anticipation of President and Mrs.
. Kennedy's visit to the LB J Ranch, arrangements had been made with White House
Communications Agency to install switchboards at the ranch and Austin's
Commodore Perry Hotel.
PRESIDENTIAL TELEPHONE
COMMUNICATIONS AT THE TEXAS WHITE HOUSE
In the days immediately following November 22, 1963, Southwestern
Bell and Southwestern States agreed that the former would assume responsibility
for installing and servicing local telephone facilities required by the President.
Southwestern Bell thus faced a monumental challenge of installing and placing
in operation by December 12, the date Johnson was scheduled to make his first
trip as President to his home, a complete communications network.
A site was cleared, foundations poured, and the building
assembled within 72 hours. Next, sophisticated equipment was rushed to the
Pedernales and installed by a 100-man crew working around-the-clock.
Three microwave towers were erected--one
on Hartman's hill, another at the Sawyer Ranch, and a third at the new
telephone communications building. The microwave system provided 120 channels
from the ranch to Austin. The switchboard was positioned in a trailer hauled in
and parked east of the "O" carrier building. A second trailer served
as a communications center and was equipped with teleprinters and several
cryptographic machines. These linked the Texas White House with 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue . Southwestern Bell working with WHCA had met the challenge, and, on
December 10, the new communications system operational. It was now announced
that Johnson's first presidential visit to the Texas White House had been
delayed until Christmas. Permanent microwave towers were substituted for the
trio of temporary towers. The "O" carrier equipment mandated doubling
the size of the telephone building. A 200-pair cable was "plowed" in
east of the ranch.
The telephone communications building housed enough equipment to
service a small city e One-third of the structure was occupied by
power equipment. There was a 50-kilowatt emergency generator preempted from
American Telephone and Telegraph. A beautiful chrome-plated machine, the generator
had been scheduled to be at the New York World's Fair.
In addition, Southwestern Bell servicemen
installed 72 telephones. There were call directors in every room. White House
Communications Agency selected the type of telephones to be installed at the
ranch and Mrs. Johnson the color of the instruments. There were telephones in
every room of the Texas White House, as well as in the president's bathroom and
at the pool .
Following the president’s return to Washington in early January
1964, At the request of WHCA, radio circuits were established For the USSS and given code names-- Baker and Charlie
for the Secret Service and a third frequency for the staff people. President Johnson
complained about the poor audio quality of the line employed for top secret
communications until he became accustomed to it. This line required two or more
circuits and a "scrambler" to guard 
against wiretapping .
The President's cars and the boats at Lake LBJ had radio-telephone capability. These provided direct communications with the ranch switchboard.
WHCA personnel manned the PBX switchboard and serviced all their
equipment. Southwestern Bell maintained the gear in the
telephone building. When the President was. in residence,
personnel were on duty round-the-clock in the communications building.
 |
| The Texas White House Compound, |
Television interviews and programs originating at the ranch called
for 
special equipment , and this was provided the networks . The
transmission was via microwave channel to Austin .
In June 1966 Southwestern Bell replaced the 70-foot microwave
tower east of the telephone exchange with a low tower near the exchange's southwest
corner. Although the latter tower was dismantled and removed, the concrete foundation
can be identified. 
In 1965 San Antonio civic interests brought pressure to bear,
and it was 
determined that Randolph Field was to share with Bergstrom as
the Texas arrival and departure points for Air Force One on the presidential
visits to the Hill Country.
A press center was therefore established at San Antonio's El
Tropicano Hotel to supplement those already in existence at Bergstrom, the
Fredericksburg Community Center, and in Johnson City. The press center at Johnson City was established because of
pressure from the media people for such a facility at the ranch, which the 
president vetoed. Southwestern Bell and General Telephone
Company accordingly set up the Johnson City press center to meet this demand.
After LBJ left
the presidency in January 1969, Southwestern Bell removed the microwave system
and drastically reduced service to the ranch. Although WHCA continued to
maintain some radio systems the Detachment personnel were re-assigned. The
USSS did keep some permanent support for the President and First Lady when he
left office Security reasons.
