Forty-five years ago (in January, 1965), Gale Ligon took the oath of office as the new sheriff of Llano County. Carlos Ashley Jr. was named county attorney. The Llano News announced that Llano county had received 35 inches of “badly-needed rain” in 1964, and plans were announced for a new Catholic church in Kingsland. Johnny Sawyer and Judy Winkel were named Students of the Month in a new program at Llano High School, the Junior Stock Show drew 374 entries, and Duncan Motors moved from its Ford Street location (obviously not appropriate for a Chrysler/Plymouth/International dealer) to 1008 Bessemer Avenue, formerly the location of Wootan Motors.

T.G. Houston Motor Co. should have been on Ford Street, but instead was at 120 E. Main. In a large ad that week, that dealership bragged that the 1965 Ford “rides quieter than a Rolls-Royce.” Other advertisers were Whitley Jewelry (in the Hotel Llano Building), which announced “pre-inventory bargains throughout our store,” Mildred’s Dress Shop (“sale on winter merchandise”), The Man’s Store (“Nuf Sed”), with $50.00 suits for only $42.50, and Pinkie’s Grocery. Pinkie’s advertised two pounds of Armour’s Star Bacon for 87 cents, round cheese for 49 cents a pound, two #303 cans of hominy for just 15 cents, oranges for 10 cents a pound and beef ribs for 29 cents a pound.

Other grocery stores which advertised in The Llano News that month were: Northside, System, C&B, Quality and Donop’s. The I-Deal Shop advertised dresses, Charlie’s Store offered “Complete Carpet Service,” Buttery Hardware bragged on “Instant Heat.” With Markel and Super-Lectric electric heaters. Buttery also advertised Plymouth tillers. Acme Dry Goods offered a whole page full of bargains at its January Clearance Sale.

Ratliff Chevrolet was across the street from T.G. Houston, at 115 E. Main. It advertised a list of used cars to go with its new Chevys. Duncan Motors advertised a brand-new Plymouth Valiant for just $2,004.00. The Highland Lakes National Bank in Kingsland published a balance sheet showing $1,579,273.59 in assets; the Driftwood Inn in Sunrise Beach was rated “Llano County’s newest and most modern restaurant.”

In other news, Buttery Hardware built a new warehouse at Berry and Haynie, where the “old veterans school building was formerly located.” The Highland Lakes Tourist Association took delivery of 100,000 colorful new tourist promotion brochures, and firemen managed to save most of the load when a trailer packed with 30,000 pounds of mohair caught fire on the Fredericksburg Highway. Construction workers were using dynamite to dig a foundation for a new service station on Highway 1431 in Kingsland.

Four new Chamber directors were named in 1965: Mrs. G.L. Dansby, Ross Bauman, Dr.Robert Hunger, and Lee Duncan. A front-page story in the paper January 14 told how “Rattlesnake Hunting Becomes Popular Sport,” and a picture showed Raymond Reed and Bill Williams hunting (as part of a party of 19 men) on the former Leo Hardy ranch at Cap Mountain. They caught four large snakes that day, and put them in a tank (with 83 others they had captured on previous trips) at Scott’s Gulf Station, at the intersection of Highways 16 and 29.

Gerald Paul McBride and Cindy Settemeyer made the front page on January 21; they exhibited the Grand Champion steer and heifer at the 1965 Llano County Junior Livestock Show. Elaine Settemeyer and Frances Grenwelge won ribbons for their pink-frosted angel-food cake and pecan pie, respectively. Ann Rode, Roland Rode, Randy Lewis and Lyndon Herridge showed prize-winning lambs, and Danny Taylor had the Grand Champion Barrow.

Reverend Marvin Koenig was installed as the pastor at St. James Lutheran Church. Barber/humorist Cayce Moore, from Hearne, was the speaker at that year’s Chamber of Commerce banquet; Carlos Ashley was Master of Ceremonies. Outgoing president Don Waldrope remarked that “the Highland Lakes have been a greater asset to Llano County than many people realize” before handing the gavel to incoming president Bobby Gage. Frosty Miller received a track scholarship to Texas Tech, and Adele Wright won Grand Champion Angora at the Hill Country District Livestock Show with her prize goat, “Queen Elizabeth.” Pinkie’s advertised cans of Pillsbury biscuits for just a nickel.

The January 28 edition of The Llano News announced that “Constant expenditure brings good highways,” “Junior Livestock Auction brings record $6,844,” and “Contract let for Kingsland Community Church.”

Charles Ratliff had just returned from a trade show in Dallas, and he accurately predicted that more and more people would purchase color televisions. Llanoan Bill Stewart (a 1959 LHS grad) had just received a Master’s in Engineering degree from the University of Texas, and Darrell Staedtler had just come home from Nashville to complete his studies at Southwest State College in San Marcos. He had a songwriting contract with the Wilburn Brothers music publishers, and was planning “to return to Nashville for a few days in March to cut a record.”

A three-car wreck occurred at the south end of the bridge in Llano, when D.C. Holland stopped to make a left turn into the ice plant, and was rear-ended by a car and a truck which had been following behind. Mrs. Glen Smith, a noted muralist, gave a talk to the Kingsland Pen Chat Club, And Duncan Motors held a Grand Opening at its new location on Bessemer Avenue. That was January, of 1965.