Hiding in Plain Sight

SUNDAY June 27, 2021

"It is wonderful to be in on the creation of something, see it used, and then walk away

from it and smile."

Lady Bird Johnson

The National Park Service calls the Padre Island National Seashore "the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world." The park's official dedication in April of 1968 in front of 10,000 people was just one of Lady Bird Johnson's many lasting accomplishments.

In the new book Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, author Julia Sweig portrays Lady Bird as one of the most powerful first ladies in American history. The petite daughter of a businessman from Karnack, Texas, had big ideas for the nation's future.

It's remarkable how many great destinations in the region are also "hiding in plain sight." The Starr Family Home in Marshall and three other historic homes of famous Texans — from Dwight Eisenhower's Birthplace in Denison to the Sam Rayburn House in Bonham — are trip-worthy, low cost destinations. The Texas State Historical Association maintains and curates all four historic homes as living museums.

We hope you'll turn to County Line again and again for opportunities to visit new destinations in the region. Visit our Destination Guides and Things to Do for great places to visit in the Upper East Side of Texas. For more inspiration visit us online at www.countylinemagazine.com and please drop us a line at info@countylinemagazine.com to let us know what you think.

— Lisa Tang

Untitled watercolor by Texas artist Joe Friddle, a regular at the annual Edom Art Festival that takes place in October. Learn more about Friddle's art online at www.joefriddlearts.com or on Facebook.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

Visit Homes of Historic Texans

The Texas Historical Association's historic house museums represent Texas’ diverse landscape and architectural heritage. Experience how Texans lived over the past 175 years in modest homes, comfortable residences, and opulent estates.

Call ahead to book guided or self-guided tours at several THC state historic sites. Reservations are recommended due to limited capacity. Click the headline link above to read more.

DESTINATION COUNTY LINE

See Five Acres of History at Henderson’s Depot Museum

The Henderson Depot Museum and Children’s Discovery Center offers a cultural and educational experience for all ages, featuring the historic town’s enduring heritage. The Depot campus and downtown Henderson still feature buildings that date before the Civil War, plus many others recognized as historic landmarks.

The Depot itself is much more than a museum — it’s one of 12 or more restored historic structures that invite visitors into the past and experience it first hand. Docents lead tours around the five-acre park and inside the buildings when weather conditions are favorable.

The Depot is located at 514 North High Street near downtown Henderson, and serves as grounds for the annual Heritage Syrup Festival. Click the headline link above to read more.

THIS TIME OF YEAR

Railroadin' Some by Henry Thomas 'Ragtime Texas' (1929)

Remembering Henry ‘Ragtime Texas’ Thomas

Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas was born in Big Sandy, Texas, in 1874, one of nine children of former slaves who sharecropped on a cotton plantation in the northeastern part of the state. Thomas left home around 1890 to pursue a career as an itinerant "songster."

Thomas took to the rails to escape from a life of farm work and made a living by singing along the Texas and Pacific and Katy lines that ran from Fort Worth and Dallas to Texarkana. Click the headline link above to read more.

ARTS & CULTURE

Book Offers New Look at Lady Bird’s Impact

Julia Sweig has written a new book, Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, that portrays the Karnack, Texas, native as having much more impact on the country than planting wildflowers.

From Random House Publishers, the book notes countless examples of her influence during her husband Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency.

Click the headline link above to read more.