Post Office: The post office, general store, and bar were all located in this building when Luckenbach was established in the 1800s. The post office was decommissioned in 1971 but the building retains the post office sign today. The general store and bar are still very active. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Hats and Hondo: A display of hats for sale in the general store is centered around a painting of Hondo Crouch who purchased Luckenbach and lived there from 1970 until his death in 1976. Much of the folklore and vibe of the town can be attributed to Hondo Crouch. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Luckenbach, Texas (population 3) is a town in the Hill Country of Central Texas. But more than a town, Luckenbach is a state of mind; a place where one can slow down, kick back, and enjoy life.
Luckenbach became a town when the post office/general store was built in 1849 by German settlers. It never had a population of more than a few hundred and by the 1960s Luckenbach was a ghost town and was put on the market for sale.
It was then that rancher and folklorist Hondo Crouch and partners bought the town in 1970. The town’s popularity skyrocketed when Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings recorded the multi-million dollar song “Back to the Basics of Love (Luckenbach, Texas)” in 1977.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country and he shares his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Bar Room: The bar at Luckenbach is not your typical barroom setting. Located in the back of the general store, most drinks are served for consumption outdoors where guests gather. The interior of the building is a step back in time with creaking wood floors and fixtures and decor from decades past. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Live Music: Luckenbach prides itself with live music every day. It may be a single entertainer outside under the large oak trees, it may be across the path at the dance hall, or it could be a larger event such as Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic held in Luckenbach from 1995-1999. Shown here is longtime Luckenbach regular Jimmy Lee Jones performing for visitors as they enjoy the shade of the oak trees and a cold drink. Jones is also the Fire Chief and a bar tender in Luckenbach in addition to playing his music on a regular basis. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Wreath: Only in Luckenbach would you spot a wreath on the wall of a building made of wire, Christmas lights, and displaying an empty beer bottle. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach: One well known saying ‘Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach’ is seen on a sticker on this unique bench outside of the general store. That statement is the state of mind that is Luckenbach. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
