The area around Llano was first settled by Europeans in the mid 1800's and Llano became a flourishing town later that century. Early settlers faced great adversity and endured numerous attacks from the native peoples they sought to displace.

For most of the settlers land for farming or ranching was the great attraction. Ranching has always been a mainstay of the local economy.

Over the years various schemes have been put forward to enrich the town, the local people, and investors by mining for gold, silver, iron ore and uranium but the only commercially enduring mineral resource has been granite.

Perhaps the best known granite outcrop in the region is Enchanted Rock. The Llano Uplift - which shapes the landscape of the area - was formed by underground volcanic activity millions of years ago. Since then much of the softer overlying rock has been stripped away laying bare the harder underlying granite domes.

This rugged landscape, hot and dry in summer, is covered mainly by scrub oak, mesquite and cactus interspersed with coarse grass. In the spring - if winter rain has been sufficient - the land bursts into bloom. In April huge areas are covered with bluebonnets (a wild lupin). Later the land is coated in yellow as a second wave of wildflowers bloom.

Through the midst of this landscape - and through the town of Llano itself - flows the river Llano. Clean and unpolluted, refreshing on hot summer days, serene and starlit on summer nights, a haven for fish and birds, a welcome watering hole for wildlife, a place for exploration and adventure.

Visit Llano County Historical Museum to see artifacts and items of interest from the early days of the town and the surrounding area.

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