Llano County's Granite Geology and German Settlement Roots

Llano County was created in 1856 from parts of the Bexar District and Gillespie County. The county seat, Llano, is about 72 miles northwest of Austin.

German immigrants began settling the area after 1847. That year, John O. Meusebach struck a peace deal with Comanche leaders. The deal opened the Fisher-Miller Land Grant region to European settlers. Communities like Castell were founded in 1847 and still exist today.

The ground under Llano County is part of the Llano Uplift. That is a dome of very old Precambrian granite. Erosion wore away the rock above it, leaving the granite exposed. In 1900, Frank Teich started a granite monument works in Llano. The county became a well-known source of Texas granite.

The Highland Lakes sit along the county's eastern edge. Dams on the Colorado River created them. The lakes brought electricity to the area. Later, they drew tourists, especially during and after the Great Depression.