John Henry Lohmans, a native of Hanover, Germany, emigrated to Texas in 1842 and settled in Austin, where he opened a large dairy farm. In 1867 he moved into this area west of Austin and cleared a farm from the abundant timberland. He worked on several road construction projects in the area and privately financed the building of Lohmans Ford Road. Lohmans Crossing Road (.5 mi. W) follows the general path of that early route, and Lohmans Ford Road, along with others in the area, was significant in the formation of an early Colorado River crossing network.