About us

A Short History of A Labor of Love

In 1989, John moved out to the country from Houston, and bought a farmhouse built by German immigrants in 1889. The house had been used as a barn for years. After a boatload of sweat equity, he finally moved into the house in 1993.

In early 1996, John & Gay met in Houston. The first time John brought Gay out to see the place, she had tears in her eyes and knew that THIS was home!! Gay immediately got into the spirit of building and creating a new home together. In September of 1996, they got married on the rock patio in back of the house that they had built together! They had an old time country barn dance and reception in the barn.

During that first year of marriage, while driving through Fredricksburg, John & Gay found an 1850s log cabin that been salvaged from Missouri. They were thinking at the time how neat that cabin would look up on the pond where they spent many hours fishing and enjoying the beauty of nature. Soon, the logs were brought in, stacked and chinked, and we did the rest. When it was completed, the upper floor was used as John's office and the downstairs served as a guesthouse for family & friends.

Then, in the spring of 2003, the idea was born to open Lonesome Dove Bed & Breakfast. Not only is the book Lonesome Dove the best Western ever written—it's also John and Gay's favorite! Characters like Gus, Cap'n Woodrow Call & Lori Darlin' bring alive the "pioneer spirit" that the Barnettes felt in this place.

We romanticize the kind of "simple" country life lived by John & Gay's ancestors, and associate them with the characters from Lonesome Dove who had difficult lives: farming, working cattle, etc. to scratch out a living—all without the luxuries of indoor plumbing, air-conditioning or heat! Along the way though, these folks did take the time to laugh, tell stories and play music on their front porches.

In the spring of 1998, Gay's father died suddenly. John built a prayer garden in honor of this very dear man, out in the woods behind the farmhouse. There's a wonderful wooden bridge leading over to it. It's a special and sacred place, nestled in amongst the trees where you can hear birds singing, leaves rustling and the whisper of heaven.

The idea to build a second cabin started several years ago with several sites in mind. Finally, a "perfect" little spot was found, nestled in the woods behind the Prayer Garden. Construction began in August of 2009 and Hat Creek Cabin opened for business in April, 2010.

Lonesome Dove will remind you of times past and will nurture your soul, allowing you to leave behind all the stresses of city life, responsibilities, hectic jobs, etc. And most of all, John & Gay hope you will feel the power of love in this place—just as they have!