President Johnson’s Texas White House and Ranch (1963 to 1969)

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 35mm 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 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 gates 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.