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B+History
History · Llano

Llano dates to 1856, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 69% of U.S. towns · #60 of 642 in Texas. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 55 buildings. Below: maps from 1887 on and the census since 1860.

1856founded
4on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
6famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Llano began

When was Llano founded?

1856

Llano dates its founding to 1856 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 77 in 18602020 census: 3,325170 years

How historic is Llano?

B+

More historic than 69% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1857.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Llano’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Llano is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #60 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Llano’s overall grade.
Founding era1856, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194013.1% of homes (±5.1) · typical TX town 1.6% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register4 listings, 59 historic buildings, 169 per 10,000 residents · typical TX town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 69%
NewerOlder
Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 91%

Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Llano’s 169 sits above most of its state (97% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 59 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.1 points). Two sources give 1856.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Llano’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Llano are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18877 editions of the USGS map, 1887 to 1992. Watch Llano change.A historic districtThe Llano County Courthouse Historic District takes in 55 historic buildings.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1894 to 1921, drew every building in Llano.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Llano’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Llano’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Llano on the map, 1887 to 1992

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Llano. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Llano on the 1887 USGS mapLlano on the 1894 USGS mapLlano on the 1904 USGS mapLlano on the 1918 USGS mapLlano on the 1955 USGS mapLlano on the 1985 USGS mapLlano on the 1992 USGS map1887Llano sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Llano.

On the National Register

4 listings protect 59 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
59
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Llano County Courthouse and Jail
Llano County Courthouse and JailSouthern HotelBadu BuildingLlano County Courthouse Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Watson, C1
Llano County Courthouse and JailWatson, C
Southern HotelBuilding
Badu BuildingBuilding
Llano County Courthouse Historic DistrictDistrict

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Llano came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Llano.

Read it all →

Llano County was established in compliance with a February 1, 1856, state legislative act. The Llano River location was chosen in an election held on June 14, 1856, under a live oak on the south bank of the river, near the present site of Roy Inks Bridge in Llano. Into the 1870s, the town was little more than a frontier trading center, with a few log buildings housing business establishments, a post office, and a few homes. In 1879, the first bank, Moore, Foster, and Company, was founded, and during the 1880s, Llano acquired a number of new enterprises that served the county's farmers and ranchers. After the county outgrew the one-story stone building that had housed its public offices, in 1885, an ornate brick courthouse was completed on the square on the south side of the river. A fire on January 22, 1892, destroyed this courthouse; the present county courthouse was completed and occu…

ChaptersBook bansGallery

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Llano, 1856 to 2002

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1856
    FoundingLlano is established
  3. 1857Post officeThe Llano post office opens
  4. 1887On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1894Born hereErnest H. Hereford is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1904Born hereCecil Smith is born here
  8. 1980Born hereBrad Kassell is born here
  9. 21st century
  10. 2002Born hereCarver Willis is born here
By decade

Llano, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Dillard Cooper in his elder years2011Dillard Cooper in his elder yearsSouthern Hotel in Llano, Texas 20102010Southern Hotel in Llano, Texas 2010Badu building in in Llano, Texas 20102010Badu building in in Llano, Texas 2010Austin NW west terminus2010Austin NW west terminusSanSaba Watershed2006SanSaba WatershedLlano Watershed2006Llano Watershed
Every building

Llano, building by building, 1894–1921

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Llano fire insurance map, 1894, sheet 11894Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Llano, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,500190019502000Peak: 3,325

Between 77 and 3,325 people in every census since 1860.

15 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Llano’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Llano

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
C
Cecil SmithAmerican polo player · b. 1904
B
Brad KassellAmerican football player · b. 1980
C
Carver WillisAmerican football player · b. 2002
Ernest H. Herefordb. 1894
K
Kenneth LandAmerican sociologist · b. 1942
William PonderAmerican flying ace · b. 1891

Questions about Llano’s history

What year was Llano founded?

In 1856, according to Wikidata. Llano’s post office opened in 1857, and the census of 1860 counted 77 people here.

How does Llano rank for history?

Llano is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #60 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Llano?

4 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Llano County Courthouse and Jail (listed 1977, the first), and 1 historic district, the Llano County Courthouse Historic District, with 55 contributing buildings. 59 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Llano?

13% of Llano’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1976.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.