The history of the camel experiment lives on at this general store and restaurant
Creator of “The Sound of Texas,” one of the longest running syndicated radio programs in Texas
Producing a pantry staple, the Texas-born company competes with global brands
One of the challenges in recognizing “Texas” companies is determining what that means. Numerous companies that were established by Texans in Texas are now owned by national or international conglomerates and their headquarters may or may not be located within the Lone Star State. And, like many “transplanted” Texans, many fine enterprises that began elsewhere have found a corporate home within our state. The following list (with date of establishment) is offered as a tribute to those ventures at least 50 years old that were born and bred in Texas.
As you read through this issue of Authentic Texas, take stock with us of several widely recognized and well-established Texas businesses that have a local, regional, statewide or even national impact. As a publication devoted to the heritage and culture of Texas, we typically draw attention to historic homes, theaters, highways, battlefields, forts, courthouses and museums. We share information on living history events and special productions that contribute to the fabric of Texas culture. On the following pages, we showcase commercial enterprises that are also part of the Texas mosaic.
Each of the companies highlighted within the following pages has been in business for several decades and many have been managed by more than one generation of a family. And, while this is not a “top ten” listing of Texas corporations, each has made a significant difference in their sphere of influence.
Our two editorial partners – the Texas State Library and Archives (TSLAC) and the Texas Historical Commission (THC) – have valuable roles in documenting and recognizing the people and businesses that contribute to the state’s economic and commercial growth. The TSLAC article provides just a sampling of the materials and information that can be accessed in person or online. Established in 2005, the THC’s Texas Treasure Business Awards program has undergone a tune-up. Perhaps there are businesses in your community that should receive this recognition – discover how you can help make that happen!
We hope you enjoy reading about and interacting with the people, places and things that make up our authentic Texas.
Happy Heritage Trails Y’all!
Margaret Hoogstra Publisher
The Texas Heritage Trails program is based on 10 scenic driving trails created as a marketing tool in 1968 by Gov. John Connally and the Texas Highway Department (now the Texas Department of Transportation). In 1997, the State Legislature charged the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to create a statewide heritage tourism program. The THC responded with a program based on local, regional and state partnerships and using the 10 driving routes. These “trails” serve as the nucleus of 10 heritage regions and include heritage tourism attractions both on and off the trail.
HILL COUNTRY TRAIL TxHillCountryTrail.com
INDEPENDENCE TRAIL TexasIndependenceTrail.com
BRAZOS TRAIL TexasBrazosTrail.com
LAKES TRAIL TexasLakesTrail.com
Founded by Texas Heritage Trails LLC
PUBLISHER
Margaret Hoogstra director@authentictexas.com
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR
Tammie Virden sales@authentictexas.com
ADVERTISING SALES
Sharon Whitaker swhitaker@authentictexas.com
ADVERTISING SALES
Philip Walker pwalker@authentictexas.com
FOREST TRAIL TexasForestTrail.com
MOUNTAIN TRAIL TexasMountainTrail.com
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Troy Myatt
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
Steven Lyons
FORTS TRAIL TexasFortsTrail.com
PECOS TRAIL TexasPecosTrail.com
CONTRIBUTORS
TROPICAL TRAIL TexasTropicalTrail.com
PLAINS TRAIL TexasPlainsTrail.com
Austin Allison, Don Cooper, Susan Floyd, Loretta Fulton, Rachael A. Nadeau Johnson, Blanca Larson, Mallory Laurel, Bob McCullough, Eric W. Miller, Andy Rhodes, Natividad Roman, Tristan Smith, Jefferson Spilman
EDITORIAL BOARD
Texas Brazos Trail Region
Pamela Anderson, LLC Manager
Andrea Barefield, Executive Director
Texas Forts Trail Region
Tammie Virden, Executive Director
Texas Mountain Trail Region
Randall Kinzie, LLC Manager Wendy Little, Executive Director
Texas Pecos Trail Region
Bill Simon, LLC Manager
Melissa Hagins, Executive Director
Texas Plains Trail Region
Allison Kendrick, Executive Director
Texas Heritage Trails LLC
P.O. Box 208, Abilene, TX 79604
AuthenticTexas.com (325) 660-6774
Texas Heritage Trails LLC is owned and operated by five nonprofit heritage trails organizations.
stood
time
made
It is said that state mottoes reflect the character and beliefs of the citizens of that state; or, at least it did when the motto was adopted. A state motto is typically a phrase or sentence that showcases a state’s ideals, its unifying beliefs, or its goals. All U.S. states have at least one motto, and some states have more than one! Although official state mottoes are a matter of law (passed by a legislative body), unofficial mottoes are sometimes on the state seal. It’s not unusual for mottoes to provide insight into a state’s history. Many state mottoes are from other languages such as Latin and Greek, or even French, Italian and Native American languages.
In Texas, there are a variety of short phrases or sentences that might be mistaken for our motto such as:
Come and Take It.
Remember the Alamo.
Drive Friendly.
Don’t Mess with Texas.
While these phrases are popular and adorn t-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs and even highway signs, the Texas state motto was adopted in February 1930 by the Forty-first Texas Legislature and is simply one word: “Friendship.” It
is widely acknowledged that the motto comes from the Native American word that was adopted as the name of our state.
According to the Handbook of Texas Online:
The word Friendship . . . was probably chosen because the name Texas or Tejas was the Spanish pronunciation of a Caddo Indian word sometimes translated to mean “friends” or “allies.”
Furthermore:
The word texas (tejas, tayshas, texias, thecas?, techan, teysas, techas?) had wide usage among the Indians of East Texas even before the coming of the Spanish, whose various transcriptions and interpretations gave rise to many theories about the meaning. The usual meaning was “friends,” although the Hasinais applied the word to many groups—including Caddoan—to mean “allies.” The Hasinais probably did not apply the name to themselves as a local group name; they did use the term, however, as a form of greeting: “Hello, friend.” . . . Whatever the Spanish denotations
of the name Texas, the state motto, “Friendship,” carries the original meaning of the word as used by the Hasinai and their allied tribes, and the name of the state apparently was derived from the same source.
As for those other statements, “come and take it” and “remember the Alamo” are battle cries with deeply rooted meanings for Texans past and present. They remind us of the defiance and bravery exhibited during the struggle for Texas independence. (Although it’s interesting to note that “Remember the Alamo” was the motto of the Republic of Texas.) “Drive Friendly” (aka “Drive Friendly – the Texas Way”) was adopted in 1973 as the state’s official slogan for traffic safety. “Don’t Mess with Texas” is the trademarked slogan for an anti-littering campaign originally launched in 1985 by the Texas Department of Transportation. While both statements are recognized as great advertising slogans, they appeal to that intangible but very real quality of Texas pride. And Texans are mighty proud to embrace friendship and be known world-wide as friendly.
by Allison Kendrick
Imagine the scene of a family sitting around in a living room after they’ve finished dinner. The parents are on the couch, maybe a sister sitting in a chair and a brother sprawled out on the floor. They are gathered closer than just sitting in the room; their attention fixed on what appears to be a wooden box. If this were a painting one might title it “The Golden Era of Radio.” Radio was the first broadcast medium and families gathered most evenings to tune in to their favorite radio mysteries, plays, talent shows, variety hours, current news, cooking shows and more. This era lasted well into the fifties before television surpassed radio as the most popular broadcast medium.
Radio kept its place in the broadcasting world, but shifted to different formats of news, talk, sports and music. Broadcasters began to curate and provide their own distinctive formats and programs and their personalities came to life over the radio waves. Media theory philosopher Marshall McLuhan quoted, “Radio affects
most intimately, person-to-person, offering a world of unspoken communication between writer-speaker and the listener.”
Cue “the Voice of Mitchell County,” KVMC signing on in 1950, in Colorado City, Texas. However, it was not until the 1980’s that a single name would be associated with that tagline. Jim Baum graduated high school in 1954 and spent a couple of years in the National Guard serving his country. He then went on to play minor league baseball for the Pittsburg Pirate’s farm league for two years. After his baseball career came to an end, he found his true passion of radio. He worked at radio stations in Abilene, Big Spring and Midland before he purchased his own station, KVMC.
Owning a station was a personal goal and passion of Baum’s and he had finally achieved it. Along
with his wife and several like-minded individuals, Jim Baum ran KVMC and truly became the voice of Mitchell County. Not only was he the station owner, but he was also the Mayor of Colorado City three times, holding the position for more than 20 years. He was known for taking in rescue dogs, collecting baseball cards and his love of local sports teams. Jim’s personality and love for his community shone through his long-standing segment called “Community Close-up”, where he would ask members of the community to come in for an interview. This was known to be a special opportunity, should you be lucky enough to be asked. It was said he served up a mix of local news, wry observations, history, music, and mirth. He would often stay on the air well into the night to keep the community informed of
area wildfires, thunderstorms and even a tornado in 2004.
Jim devoted nearly 40 years of his career to KVMC and Mitchell County before his passing in 2018. One of Jim’s wishes was to leave several items in the care of the Heart of West Texas Museum in Colorado City. Today, you can visit the Jim Baum Exhibit at the museum to see some of the radio equipment and even read the logs of his “Community Close-up” segments. On March 30, 2022, the Jim Baum Memorial Highway sign was officially unveiled on a stretch of Business Interstate Highway 20-J in his honor. Today, KVMC/KAUM continues to boast 70 years of broadcasting and supports the community of Colorado City as Wolf Country 107.1 FM.
by Loretta Fulton
Erath County Day turned into Bruner Automotive Family Day on March 1 as the Stephenville business was honored by the Texas Historical Commission on the steps of the state Capitol with the Texas Treasure Business Award.
The timing was deliberate. Although the Bruner family knew of the award late last year, March 1 was chosen as the date to receive it since many Stephenville and Erath County officials would already be in Austin for Erath County Day, as designated by the state Legislature. “We just kind of piggy-backed on that,” said Greg Bruner, president of Bruner Automotive Family and great-grandson of the founder, Charlie Bruner.
The award was presented by Mark Wolfe, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission. A certificate gave the history of the dealership, but probably the most important words to the Bruner family concerned the company ethic: “Overarching principles of living the Golden Rule and cultivating an environment of trust have been consistent guiding philosophies,” the certificate stated.
No doubt, the generations of Bruners who
got the business up and running were smiling from on high. Greg Bruner started working in the parts department of the dealership when he was in eighth grade, hanging fan belts and other parts on the wall and sweeping up. Getting a driver’s license in high school earned him a big jump in responsibilities. “I got promoted to go wash cars,” he joked.
While earning a business degree with a concentration in accounting at Baylor University, Bruner worked summers and school vacations at the family business. But it wasn’t until the past 20 years or so that he got interested in the history of the business and all the significant eras it had spanned.
Charlie Bruner and his son, Vernon, established a full-service gas station in the early 1920s in Kerens, located in Navarro County. Vernon added automobile sales after Charlie’s death. It became the first of many dealerships to be known as Bruner Chevrolet.
Today, Bruner Automotive Family includes locations in Stephenville and Early. The Stephenville dealership carries vehicles made by Chevrolet, GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Fiat. The Early dealership carries Chevrolet, GMC, and Toyota vehicles.
The significance of the family business really struck Greg Bruner in 2015 when he received a 25-year plaque from Chevrolet. He knew that his grandfather’s 25-year plaque and his father’s 25-year plaque were hanging on a wall of the dealership. “And now I have a 25-year plaque,” he said, realizing the significance of his family’s legacy.
His father, the late Dwain Bruner, was the first to open a dealership in Stephenville. Dwain and Robert Bruner were the grandsons of the founder, Charlie Bruner. When their father, Vernon, was approached by Chevrolet regarding Dwain purchasing his own dealership, Dwain moved to Wolfe City and then, in 1969, to Stephenville, where he purchased his second Chevrolet dealership. Dwain Bruner died in 2021 at age 90.
The honor from the Texas Historical Commission was the third family-based award for the Bruner dealership. In 1996, the McMurry University Family Business Center awarded the dealership one of its Excellence in Family Business Awards. In 2011 Baylor University’s Institute for Family Business honored the dealership with its Large Family Business of the Year Award.
Greg Bruner credits Julie Smith, manager of Stephenville’s
Main Street Program, for the latest recognition from the Texas Historical Commission (THC). Stephenville was the only city in Texas selected in 2020 (the year of COVID) for inclusion in the Main Street Program, which operates under the umbrella of the historical commission. During Smith’s first Zoom meeting with the THC, she learned about the Texas Treasure Business Awards.
The program was created in 2005 to pay tribute to the state’s well-established businesses and their historical contributions to the state. A blurb on the historical commission website explains why the awards were created: “By acknowledging local businesses while they are still in operation, we honor them as places of living history and are able to record their stories and ensure their legacy for generations to come.”
When Smith first heard about the program, she immediately thought of the Bruner Automotive Family and started researching what paperwork was needed, including the application form. Smith was more than happy to do the legwork since her family had a long association with the Bruners. She, like others in Stephenville, appreciate what the family and the business have done for the community. “It’s so nice to recognize our legacy businesses in town,” she said.
For Greg Bruner, receiving the recognition from the Texas Historical Commission was humbling. He appreciates the dealership’s history, which covers significant eras and changes in the automobile industry. And, he appreciates the loyal customers and loyal employees who make the business possible.
He recalled talking to his dad once about the Bruner dealership’s history in Stephenville. His dad said he just took it one day at a time, not thinking about the years and decades that were accumulating. Now, Greg Bruner is doing the same thing.
“Here we are 50-plus years later,” he said, “and still rolling.”
The continuous involvement of family – three sets of father-son relationships – over a span of 75 years is a unique business heritage in this day of rapid turnover of ownership in most automotive dealerships.From the 1996 Excellence in Family Business Awards program, McMurry University Family Business Center Left Bruner Toyota dealership in Early, Texas Top Bruner Chevrolet in Kerens, Texas 1938 Middle Bruner Chevrolet
Mountain Zone TV is the oldest family-operated business in Alpine, and one of the oldest in the region. In 1956, broadcast television was non-existent in the Trans-Pecos mountainous area of Brewster, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties. And, the technology for rebroadcasting television signals did not exist yet. But that would soon change.
After being discharged from the U.S. Army in 1949, Wallace Neu and his Italian-born wife Janett moved to the Alpine area. As Wallace became successful working as a vacuum salesman, he and Janett settled down and started their family. Wallace enrolled at Sul Ross College where he soon discovered his love for technology, especially broadcast television.
By 1952, Neu was self-educated in the relatively new broadcast industry and began making plans to bring
television to Alpine. He began to formulate a plan using a 30-foot tower, antennae and amplifier to capture and rebroadcast the signal of an area television station (KMID channel 2 out of Midland). However, the signal was too weak. The Neu family, and the rest of Alpine, would have to wait a few more years.
In 1957, KOSA-TV launched out of Odessa at three times the power of KMID, so the dream had a chance of becoming a reality.
Investors were brought together and the application for an ultra-high frequency translator was filed with the Federal Communication Commission. When approved, Neu had the means to bring CBS into Alpine homes!
In a brief history of Mountain Zone TV, Steve Neu, the eldest son of Wallace and Janett Neu and the company’s current chief executive officer, wrote, “Friends and neighbors would
come over and stare at the TV set, mesmerized by the images on the screen! The obvious question soon followed: Can we get this at our house?”
Since Alpine is surrounded by mountains, the equipment would have to be situated above the horizon. Twin Peaks, at over 6100 feet tall and with a straight 1400 foot elevation change, was determined to be the best location.
There was no road or way to drive up the mountain. Getting materials up a steep, narrow trail would require many men and there was no money for that expense. Neu would once again have to be resourceful.
Enter the Sul Ross State College football team! Neu approached the head coach and pitched his proposal: instead of intense two-a-day workouts, would the coach be interested in having his boys hike the necessary materials up to the top of Twin Peaks?
It’s one thing to engage in a strenuous and steep climb, it’s another thing to carry bags of cement and containers of water 1400 feet to the top of a mountain. Neu’s second son, Michael, described the hike this way: “So they rigged up padded harnesses, and the entire team began hauling the materials. It was hot. It was hard work. And these guys were literally frothing under the straps, like a horse might under a saddle after a hard run. It was incredible!”
Nevertheless, the equipment was erected and Alpine residents had television! Arguably the first cable television in Texas.
As soon as they could walk, Robert Potts Jr. and Michael Potts would visit the family business, Cochran, Blair & Potts Department Store in downtown Belton. They would entertain customers and visit with employees. Eventually, they would help around the store, cleaning display cases, taking out the trash and wrapping presents at Christmastime.
Now Robert, Michael and Robert’s wife, Ashley, are running Texas’ oldest department store—the seventh generation to operate the historic, family-owned business. With a commitment to customer service, an appreciation for history and a work ethic that has been handed down from generation to generation, they are making sure the store stays current.
It wasn’t a given that Robert, 34, and Michael, 32, would join the family business. While their father, Rob Potts Sr., and grandfather, Roy Cochran Potts, who died in March 2019, may have hoped they would be involved, there was no pressure to do so.
Rob Potts Sr. went to Texas A&M, where he earned a degree in industrial technology and, perhaps more
significantly, met Ashley. He started full time at the store in 2009. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted to come back here,” he says.
Ashley, who is from Henderson, has a health degree. She initially worked part time at the store; she moved to full time in 2013. Robert and Ashley have one child, Grayson, a boy born in 2018.
Michael also went to Texas A&M. With a degree in economics, he worked in banking for a while before returning to the store. “Dad never really pressured us to come back. We just naturally gravitated back to the store,” he says.
Michael and his wife, Julia, who is a first-grade teacher in Belton, have a daughter, Maddox, also born in 2018. Even though Michael and Julia both grew up in Belton, attended the same high school and college, they never knew each other well — at least not until grandfather Roy Potts “set us up,” Michael says. “He always got a kick out of that.”
While Robert’s title is president and Ashley and Michael are vice presidents, they share duties and work together to make sure customers are served. And even BRAZOS
though Rob Sr., is approaching retirement, he comes to the store every day to give guidance and counsel. Rob’s wife, Brenda, is a retired P.E. teacher.
Keeping the store’s merchandise mix current and serving customer needs are paramount for Robert, Ashley and Michael — just like they were for the previous six generations.
“We have tried to respect our previous customers and bring in new customers,” Ashley says.
The front portion of the store includes women’s and men’s departments as well as gifts, including Cochran, Blair & Potts memorabilia and merchandise such as cologne, candles, T-shirts and hats that are popular with the large number of tourists who visit the historic business. The store also has expanded its selection of children’s clothes and has added “classic wood toys,” which fit well in a classic department store, Ashley says.
“I think a lot of the merchandise selection comes from us engaging with the customers,” Robert says. “A lot of times we know their name as soon as they walk in. Building that relationship and that rapport with the customer, we’re able to better fit their needs by providing products that we know that they’re looking for.”
Ashley says they will often have particular customers in mind when they are selecting merchandise. “We will say, ‘Oh this person would love this.’ We try to listen. ‘Oh, this customer requested this.’ That’s the advantage of having a small business and getting to
know your customers.”
The store has moved to more “lifestyle brands for men and women,” Michael says, pointing to a wall that used to display men’s suits. “Now the whole back half of the store is work boots.”
Work boots is a niche that Rob Sr. saw and pursued in an innovative way, calling on local companies, finding out their needs and developing relationships. He came up with the idea of a “boot truck” that brings boots to a manufacturing plant or construction company in order to sell directly to the employees.
“A lot of companies will require safety footwear if you are going to be in the facility or off-site,” Michael says. “We have contracts set up with them. Some companies will subsidize the purchase, so the employee does not have to pay the full amount. We’re able to tailor the selection and the product for each individual company based on the needs the employees have.”
The most visible changes to the store were the result of a renovation project that began in mid-2016 and ended just before Christmas 2017. It was the most extensive project since the store reopened in 1929 after a devastating fire a year earlier. The project was completed in segments in order to keep the store open.
“The whole goal was to take the store back in time in appearance,”
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1869
Founded by Colonel H.M. Cook, a Mississippi veteran of the Civil War, the store originally was called Cook Mercantile Company. First located in Centerville, Texas, the store moved to Buffalo, Texas, to operate closer to the railroad.
1884
moved to its final location in Belton. As sons/son-inlaws joined and left the business over the years, the name changed five times from 1869 until 1917 when it became Cochran, Blair & Potts Department Store.
Roy and Jean Potts purchased the entire ownership. Their son, Rob Potts Sr., took over operation and was later joined by the seventh generation, Robert Potts Jr., his wife, Ashley Potts, and Michael Potts.
It has been owned and operated by the same family for seven generations. A historical marker flanks the side of the building giving credit to all who have kept Cochran, Blair & Potts thriving for 150 years.
Robert says. “I tell everybody it was really fun to do because you were peeling back layers. You could peel back a paneling wall with 1990s color wallpaper behind it, then something from the Eighties and then the Seventies. We really took the building back to the bones of it and really tried to highlight what the store potentially would have looked like when it originally opened.
“We wanted to have more of a classic, timeless feel,” he says. The project started with research, looking through old photographs and visiting with longtime customers. Contractor Jeff Ling of Peerless Enterprises in Belton was instrumental in the design, construction and preservation of the store.
Most of a limestone wall that is now a beautiful part of the décor had been plastered over. The original grand entrance on Penelope was covered. Wood paneling had replaced the old oak woodwork throughout the store.
“The original stone was covered up,” Ashley says. “This entrance (on Penelope Street) was covered up. It had a mural on the outside and then a wall on the inside. We knew it was there from previous pictures.”
The store’s wood floor, which was sagging in spots, required a lot of work, including adding supports in the crawl
space below. Restoring the original tin ceiling took more time and “TLC” than anticipated.
“If we were able to restore it, we spent our time and did it slowly and restored it,” Robert says. “If we had to bring in something new, we did it in a way that’s time-period appropriate. There was a lot of attention and detail that went into that.”
Windows at the Central Avenue entrance were uncovered which, along with the work on the Penelope Street side, brings more natural light into the store. Exterior work also included new awnings and restoration of the iconic Cochran, Blair & Potts neon signs.
With the renovation complete, what’s the next big thing on the horizon for Cochran, Blair & Potts? “I guess another 150 years,” Robert says. “That would be pressuring our children,” Ashley quickly adds.
Cochran, Blair & Potts celebrated its 150th anniversary with an open house December 5, 2019.
The story of Texas’ oldest department store is maintained with a spectacular collection of artifacts on the second floor of Cochran, Blair & Potts
in downtown Belton.
Organized with displays and artifacts depicting each of the preceding six generations of operation, the museum includes the business’s first ledger in 1869, mannequins with hats from 1930s and 1940s, china sets, registers, business equipment, as well as books and photographs of the store and the individuals who made it a success.
Preserved copies of a Temple Daily Telegram special edition produced in 1929 following a devastating fire a year earlier showcases the store’s merchandise and history.
With a desire to tell the Cochran, Blair & Potts story and display the rich history that was in storage, Jean Potts, Robert and Michael’s grandmother, organized the museum in the 1990s. The space previously was the children’s department.
There’s nothing in the museum for the current, seventh generation – at least not yet. “We’re too young to be in the museum,” Robert says.
Reprinted with permission Don Cooper, November 29, 2019, Tex Appeal.
“Cochran, Blair & Potts: Customer service guides Texas’ oldest department store”
Originally called El Valle Kennels and established in 1935, Barkerhaus Kennels is the oldest operational kennel in El Paso. Although the name implies a spin on the sound of a dog’s voice, Barkerhaus is actually named after founders Stephen and Frances Barker.
Originally from Missouri, the Barkers moved to El Paso in 1929. Mr. Barker was a reporter covering city and county government at the El Paso Times. The Barkers were dog lovers; in 1935 they purchased two acres in the Hidden Valley area of El Paso and built a kennel to board dogs and cats. They also bred
dachshunds and other small dog breeds for sale and show. Mr. Barker was an active member of the El Paso Kennel Club and served as president of the local club several times. Mrs. Barker was involved in showing and judging at dog shows.
El Valle Kennel, dubbed “El Paso’s finest boarding kennel” was operational under the Barkers until their respective deaths in 1958 and 1963.
In 1987, Jim and Angie Morgan purchased the property. They renamed it Barkerhaus to honor the Barkers and to rebrand their operation’s focus on German Shepherds.
Jim, retired from the military police at Fort Bliss, was already skilled in dog handling and training,
so he and Angie started offering those services to the community along with boarding dogs for their vacationing owners.
Today Barkerhaus is a full-service boarding and training facility. The property boasts 60 runs and a large exercise and training field. They have trained service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); wheelchair assistance; emotional support; and for the deaf, retrieval assistance, and sight assistance.
They practice and train Schutzhund (German for “protection dog”), which is a challenging 3-part test. Schutzhund was originally designed to determine if a dog
EL PASO
displayed the appropriate traits and characteristics of a proper working German Shepherd dog, traits such as tracking, obedience and protection. Schutzhund is also an international sport that tests a dog’s desire to work harmoniously with the handler, its courage and fighting drive, intelligence, trainability in nose work and the ability to work independently. It also tests physical traits such as strength, endurance and agility. Schutzhund has grown into a popular sport as dogs of many
breeds, even mixes, can compete.
The Morgans breed German Shepherds for family, protection, search and rescue, police and detection. Jim says “Our program has the ability to provide trained service dogs; puppies or dogs with the potential to become service dogs; or train your own personal dogs, providing they meet our criteria.”
One of the most successful programs that Barkerhaus offers is called the Canine Encounter Training. This four-hour course is
offered to police officers as well as to departments such as code enforcement and water where personnel may encounter a scary-looking dog during the course of their duties. Angie says “we educate them on how to read and interpret the dog’s body language. A lot of dogs can look and act dangerous out of fear but are not actually aggressive. Workers that encounter these situations through their jobs learn how to de-escalate the situation rather than react with lethal force.”
Tiffany Schneider who is a trainer at Barkerhaus adds “when we started this program in El Paso, up to nine dogs a year were being shot and killed by police. That number is down to one in the past 18 months.”
“The goal is to build a better shepherd, but our practice is to love and care for other people’s dogs while they are away” says Angie.
Barkerhaus Kennels are a Texas Treasures Business Award Recipient.
If you were to survey Texans on the things they love most about their state, we can guarantee some of these things would make the list: bluebonnets, barbeque, Tex-Mex, high school football, Dr Pepper, sunsets, George Strait, small towns and Texas businesses. Bluebell, Buc-ee’s and Dairy Queen have the following and admiration of many Texans, but there’s one Texas grocer that has become a shining star in the eyes of residents far and wide: H-E-B.
In fact, the H-E-B bakery tortilla took centerstage in this year’s Super Bowl commercial line up with the tag line “If You Know, You Know” while the song How Do I Live by LeAnn Rimes plays in the background. H-E-B follows up with a statement on the video, “There are certain tortillas, er- things,
that Texans just can’t - and won’t - live without.”
How did this Texas business climb the ranks in popularity to become more than just a grocery store? Where did they get their start?
Let’s go back to their roots in the Hill Country of Texas in 1905. Florance Thornton Butt moved her family to Kerrville and established Mrs. C. C. Butt’s Staple and Fancy Grocery with a sixty-dollar loan. It began as a oneroom grocery store on the ground floor of the family home.
Fourteen years later, in 1919, Florence turned over the management responsibilities to her youngest son Howard Edward Butt. Howard grew up delivering groceries from the store by wagon and went on to introduce major low-cost distribution innovations that maximized profits by taking out the
middleman. He tried four different expansions in Central Texas that failed, but then found success in an expansion in Del Rio, Texas. Howard then purchased three more stores in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. It was around this time of expansion that the name changed to Howard’s initials, H-E-B.
The company continued to see success and in 1971, Charles, the younger son of Howard became President. In 1985, corporate headquarters moved to San Antonio. Howard remained the President until 2010. The current president and chief operating officer is Martin Otto.
Today, H-E-B has over 400 stores across the state and northeast Mexico. They have been ranked by Forbes as the 12th-largest private company in the country. They have won many awards as one of the top places to work, with employees who have dedicated 30 plus years to prove it. They’ve also been recognized for their outstanding customer service, as well as community outreach.
Their successes continue to mount as more locations open, partnerships happen, and people continue to flock there daily often making trips across several communities just to shop at H-E-B.
So, what is truly behind this success story? John Steinbeck wrote, “Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word.” One could say we Texans have a lot of pride, and that is what H-E-B has tapped into, pure Texas pride. They cater to customers’ true Texas lifestyle from popular food combinations like Big Red and barbacoa packages, to brisket queso, to their community blend coffees like Hub City for Lubbock or Houston Blend. They have a “Quest for Texas Best” which is an open call for locally owned, small food and beverage suppliers to have their items considered for placement on H-E-B shelves. They truly celebrate all things Texas.
This combination of celebrating Texas pride in every way possible, great prices and their extensive selection of items has made H-E-B a business Texans can’t live without. If you know, you know, and if you don’t, we hope you get a chance to encounter the H-E-B experience sooner than later.
It’s late 1892 and livestock far outnumber the 600 or so humans in the new Texas Panhandle town of Amarillo. Imagine riding your horse into town to do your weekly errands, including a stop to check out the new bank, Amarillo National Bank (ANB). Tie up out front and mosey into the bank at the corner of 4th & Polk. The future is precarious out on this edge of civilization but thanks to that first meeting with B.T. Ware, one of the bank’s original officers, you count on the bank in the coming years.
Over those years, ANB exhibits many traits associated with being Texan, things like reliability, stability, loyalty, independence, dedication and fairness. Based on those traits, and thanks to the efforts of numerous employees, the bank accumulates a lot of distinctions.
Among them are:
ANB does not close during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in the 1930s.
ANB opens the first drive-up bank in the state in 1950.
ANB connects ATMs to mainframe computers in 1978.
ANB is the first Amarillo-based bank to offer online banking in 1997.
ANB donates millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours to community groups.
ANB continues to grow, reaching more than $8 billion in assets at the end of September 2022, continuing the bank’s status as the largest family-owned bank in the nation.
Which brings us to 2023. I walk into Amarillo National Bank’s downtown headquarters (cattycornered from 4th & Polk) and deposit a check (yes, I am an ANB customer). Then I ride the elevator up to the third floor to meet Richard Ware (chairman and B.T.’s great grandson) and William and Patrick Ware (president and vice chairman and B.T.’s great, great, grandsons). Yes, it’s the same family: five generations over 130 years and counting.
“We aren’t claiming to be the most intelligent bankers but we may be the most fortunate,” Richard says, explaining the family’s staying power. We have a unique corporate legacy that is spreading across Texas, they explain. ANB opened a San Antonio branch in December 2022 and has branches in Austin, Bryan/College Station, Fort Worth and Lubbock. But all three agree the bank’s
bread and butter is Amarillo.
“We started helping the cattle and oil industries and it always comes back to cattle and oil,” Patrick concludes.
The father/son management team is not big on bragging but the family has attracted the attention of Texas Monthly (1999) and American Banker (2017). The Wares, like their ancestors, are quick to deflect attention to more than 900 current bank employees.
“They are our customer service champions. We like to have fun and encourage our employees to enjoy their time working at the bank,” William says.
The Wares put customer service first because it is important to “stick with our customers through thick and thin,” William explains. For example, call the main number (806-378-8000) during business hours and you always talk with a person: no phone tree with a “we value your business” message.
What’s the future? How about female family leadership? The Wares’ sixth generation includes several of B.T.’s great, great, great granddaughters.
“We are the right bank in the right place at the right time,” Patrick says while his dad and brother nod in agreement. “We may not have the same history and the same success if we tried this somewhere else.”
“We plan on being here another 130 years,” William adds.
Nothing says Texas like a windmill spinning in the breeze, pumping water from deep beneath the hard, baked soil.
And, if it’s authentic Texas, it will have an iconic name stamped on the tail – Aermotor. The first Aermotor windmill was introduced in 1888 in Illinois, although other windmills existed at the time. Only 24 Aermotor windmills were sold that first year, but by 1892, the number had jumped to 20,000.
Since 1986, Aermotor windmills have been manufactured in San Angelo, deep in the heart of Texas, with the slogan “Power…as free as the wind.”
The San Angelo facility manufactures only the iconic windmill and replacement parts, not wind turbines that produce electricity in parts of the state. Aermotor windmills have undergone several design tweaks since being introduced in 1888, most notably the Aermotor 702 that was manufactured in 1933. That model featured replaceable bearings and screw-type wheel arms.
“A point of pride today is that nothing much has changed for the Aermotor since the 702 was introduced,” said Nick Ohman, general manager of the manufacturing facility in San Angelo.
Visit San Angelo
DiscoverSanAngelo.com
Aermotor Windmill Company
4277 Dan Hanks Lane San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 651-4951
aermotorwindmill.com
Groups interested in touring should contact Ohman at 325-651-4951 or nick@aermotor windmill.com
Visit Lubbock VisitLubbock.org
American Windmill Museum
1701 Canyon Lake Drive Lubbock, TX (806) 747-8734 windmill.com
“It’s the same basic design that came out in 1933,” he said.
A timeline on the Aermotor website notes a point of pride from 1933, too. That was the same year that the Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, was held to celebrate the city’s centennial year. A timeline entry notes that Aermotor dealers and their families were allowed to camp in the Aermotor factory yard and eat in the company restaurant while attending the exposition.
The Aermotor Windmill Company website, aermotorwindmill.com, includes a wealth of information about the company’s history and the windmill itself, including a “How a Windmill Works” section. The website also touts the Americanmade iron and steel and American craftsmanship that goes into constructing an Aermotor windmill.
“The phrase ‘Made In The USA’ means a lot to everyone at Aermotor Windmill Company,” the site boasts.
The Aermotor windmill is so iconic in Texas that an entire section of the American Windmill Museum in Lubbock is devoted to it. The gift shop features a 24” x 36” Aermotor advertising poster from the early 1900s.
Ohman, general manager of
Aermotor Windmill Company, is happy to show off the 40,000 squarefoot manufacturing and warehouse facility in San Angelo. Older people especially enjoy touring the plant, no doubt for the nostalgia that the iconic windmills invoke. But younger age groups, too, can appreciate the experience. Students from Angelo State University’s Department of Engineering are among the younger folks who have benefitted from a tour. Groups interested in touring should contact Ohman. He’d be pleased to hear from you.
“I love showing this place off,” he said. “It’s like show and tell for me.”
AUTHENTIC PLACE
Ofthe many species of exotic animals inhabiting the Texas Hill Country, the first to arrive were camels from the Middle East, part of an experiment undertaken by the U. S. government before the Civil War. Some observers at the time termed it folly; others believed it to be genius. In any case, the camels continue to intrigue 165 years later.
The camels came to Texas thanks to U. S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, who ultimately became president of the Confederacy. Davis theorized that camels could outwork and outlast other beasts of burden in resupplying military outposts on the western frontier. In 1854, Davis was successful in securing $30,000 from Congress to test his idea, and Maj. Henry Wayne was assigned to procure camels from Egypt, ship them across the Atlantic and march them from Indianola on the Texas coast to Victoria, then to San Antonio and finally Camp Verde between Kerrville and Bandera.
On August 26 and 27, 1856, 33 camels arrived at their new home, a cavalry installation that was “one of a chain of military posts established by the United States in western Texas after the annexation of Texas, in 1848, for the protection of settlers against hostile Indians,” according to Army records. It‘s conceivable that one of the officers assigned to the area at the time –Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee, whose specialty was engineering – laid out the camp. Other officers with
connections to Camp Verde who like Lee went on to serve as Confederate generals were Albert Sidney Johnston and John Bell Hood, namesake of Fort Hood near Killeen.
Kerrville historian and newspaper columnist Joe Herring says that people tend to focus on the unusual creatures imported from far away and fail to remember the problem those animals were being used to solve.
“The United States had vast new territories in the 1840s for which it had no practical routes for civilians, military or trade,” he explains. “The experiment associated with Camp Verde was an important continuation of efforts to survey and understand these new lands, and that’s why so many important names from history are associated with the small Hill Country military outpost.”
After the Civil War broke out in 1860, the camp passed into the
hands of the Confederacy, and in 1865, the U. S. government again assumed control. All in all, the camels hauled more over longer distances than mules and horses, but lack of federal funding after the war and the rise of railroad transportation doomed the camel experiment. On November 30, 1869, Camp Verde was deactivated, and a fire in March 1910 destroyed buildings at the site. Today, a historical marker on Camp Verde Road a mile west of State Highway 173 summarizes the place’s relatively-brief-but-colorful story.
Yet the history of the camel experiment lives on, thanks to the Camp Verde General Store situated near the intersection of Ranch Road 480 and Highway 173. Camel imagery in the form of sculptures, paintings and even stained-glass windows permeates the two-story, limestone mercantile founded in 1857 as the Williams Community Store. Soldiers from Camp Verde
frequented the store for essentials and especially alcohol since consumption of the latter wasn’t permitted at the camp.
Today’s Camp Verde General Store, which welcomes guests seven days a week except for major holidays, was built in 1908 after a flood washed away the original structure. Its quaint and comfortable feel derives from the wellworn wooden floors, pressed-tin ceiling, old-time display cases and vintage postal boxes. Manager Lisa Emmons says the store offers shoppers jewelry, candles, housewares, a vast selection of jellies and salsas, skin care products, kitchen accessories and much more.
In 2012, a restaurant next to the store was enlarged to accommodate more customers and offer more-varied fare. It seats up to 85 hungry patrons and tempts them with lunchtime entrees such as meat loaf, chopped steak, hamburgers and chicken strips. Two
years ago, the restaurant began serving breakfast delights such as French toast, omelets and huevos rancheros. “It’s important to note that we’re a totally-from-scratch restaurant with locally-sourced food products,” says Dominic Brown, restaurant manager.
If they still have room after consuming more-than-generous portions, diners can opt for cool treats at the gelato bar and a choice of toppings. Other favorite desserts include coconut cream pie, banana cream pie and the apple basket a la mode. Some come adorned with chocolate in the silhouette of a camel. Tables and benches on the tree-shaded patios surrounding the restaurant and store enable guests to eat in the fresh air when the weather cooperates.
When Christmas nears, the staff transforms the store into a holiday wonderland with lights, tinsel and creative displays of must-have gifts. In past yule seasons, a juvenile camel-sized sculpture sporting a Santa hat appears to be casting an approving eye over the festive scene from a second-floor vantage point.
Long ago someone claimed that a camel is actually a horse poorly designed by a committee. Its reputed limiting factors include unusual appearance, ungainly manner and poor temperament. But Major Wayne and his contemporaries showed the camel did indeed prove to be valuable on the western frontier as one successful expedition after another sallied forth from a Texas oasis, Camp Verde.
Transitory or not, tumbleweeds possess the sort of legendary semi-permanence in Texas that makes them one of the most prolific icons that represent the state. It is no surprise then that one of Texas’ most prolific broadcasters, Big Spring’s Bob Lewis known professionally as “Tumbleweed Smith,” took on this Texas-style moniker to create one of the longest-lasting radio programs in the state. “The Sound of Texas” is a daily syndicated radio program that is heard on more than 50 stations across the state.
Throughout its history the program has become not only a method by which a Texan transmits the story of Texas, but also a vessel for preserving that story for future generations.
A Texan through-and-through, Bob Lewis was born in Waco in 1935 and graduated from Fort Worth’s Arlington Heights High School in 1953. After graduating from Baylor University in 1957 and after a subsequent three-year stint in the United States Army which
included two years in Germany, Lewis returned to Texas to begin a career in radio broadcasting. In fact, Lewis credits a specific event during his time in the Army for spurring his desire to work in the radio industry. On his return trip to the United States from Germany aboard a troop ship, he witnessed his fellow soldiers cheering for radio advertisements they could hear in New York Harbor as the ship approached the city. Upon seeing this Lewis wanted to do “the most American thing there is: news, advertising, reporting, communication,” a career he could accomplish by working in radio broadcasting.
Lewis made his way to Big Spring where he got his start at KBST, but he temporarily relocated out of the state to pursue a journalism degree at the University of Missouri, one of the best-regarded journalism schools in the United States. In 1969, Lewis made his big break. After being hired by Big Spring’s KHEM as news director, Lewis conjured “Tumbleweed Smith” and “The Sound of Texas” radio program. The first program
aired on September 1, 1969, featuring Midnight Cowboy’s Jon Voight who was in town shooting the movie. By the end of 1969, there had been more than 100 Tumbleweed segments featuring interviews focusing on subjects as wide-ranging from a calf roping school and greyhound training to “Horseback Church Services” and the Caverns of Sonora. This varied programming persists even today, and in 2008 the program reached its 10,000th episode and featured none other than Jon Voight nearly 40 years following the initial program.
Lewis’ collection of interviews comprises one of the largest privately held sets of interviews in the nation, but it isn’t the size of the archive that matters. It is the content within that ranges five and a half decades of Texas history and the stories of those that date back even further. With this venture, Lewis produced more than just a radio program about Texas; he single-handedly curated an entirely Texan exhibition of what makes this great state tick.
Tumbleweed Smith at Lamesa Chamber Banquet
Tumbleweed Smith at the Planview Chamber Banquet debuting his new jacket
Texas Trail of Fame Star at the Fort Worth Stockyards
THE RISE & HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO’S C. H. GUENTHER & SONS FOOD EMPIRE – FROM GRAVY TO BREADS
by Bob McCullough
So wrote ambitious, 24-year-old millwright Charles Hilmar Guenther to his parents back in Germany in 1851 after he emigrated to America three years earlier. He found living in early Texas not to be as pleasant as living in Germany, but his determination and knowhow launched a company that today ranks as one of the world’s largest purveyors of food products, including the iconic Pioneer and White Wings flour brands.
Guenther’s decision to practice his trade in Texas stemmed from a shortage of millers in the state. He set up his first water-powered mill to grind grain into flour at the juncture of Live Oak Creek and the Pedernales River just outside Fredericksburg. But a drought in 1856 stunted growth of grain crops and reduced the flow of water necessary to power the mill.
Declaring that “with me, milling is the main thing,” Guenther moved farther south to San Antonio, where “only one meager water mill” existed. His new mill on the swifter-flowing San Antonio River a mile south of downtown opened in 1860 and filled what he called “a real need for a good mill.”
It was Guenther’s entrepreneurial spirit that led to creation of
Previous Page Immigrating from Germany to Texas in 1851, Carl Hilmar Guenther became a prosperous and well-respected businessman whose company is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Texas. Guenther built the first flour mill in San Antonio which is still located in the same spot (background photo).
Lower Left Built near his business on the San Antonio River, Guenther’s home was one of the first houses constructed in what became the King William Historic District.
IS NOW THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE MONEY.”
Right In 1899, the company incorporated and renamed many of its products in compliance with the terms of the legal settlement between C.H. Guenther & Son and the Guenther Milling Company, operated by Carl Hilmar’s son, Arthur. To emphasize its place as one of the earliest mills in South-Central Texas, the company created its Pioneer Flour Mills brand, with both sacks and barrels bearing the image of C.H. Guenther. | Courtesy of C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. Archives
the oldest family-owned business in Texas and one of the oldest continuously-operated, family-owned milling companies in the U. S. True to the name of his brand, Guenther not only pioneered as a Texas miller but soon flourished as a successful Texas businessman.
His company, C. H. Guenther & Son, began with the production of flour and grew to offer a vast array of food products, says Svetlana Markova, senior brand manager.
“Today Pioneer competes with global brands in various categories,” she explains. “It’s the number 2 branded gravy in the country and the number 1 white gravy platform consisting of country, sausage, peppered, biscuit and smoky bacon gravies. Other very popular gravies include brown and roasted turkey, and there are a variety of seasonings and easy-to-make baking and pancake mixes. White Wings is well-known for its flour and tortilla mixes that have been enjoyed by generations.”
In Markova’s view, what sets Pioneer and White Wings apart is product quality that hasn’t changed over the years.
“This is something we take very seriously,” she says. “Family members from different generations often say to us that ‘this is the taste
I remember when my mother or grandmother made it.’ Such feedback speaks to the commitment the company has made to product quality and positive consumer experience year after year.”
What began in Fredericksburg and San Antonio now touches other Texas locales. C. H. Guenther & Son employs 700 Texans in five plants – San Antonio (dry mixes, wheat and corn milling); Bryan (fresh buns and muffins); Dallas (frozen dough); Duncanville (frozen dough); and Denton (dry mixes, wheat and corn milling).
Texas farms also grow some of the grain the company requires for its products. “We’re not exclusively Texas-supplied because the weather doesn’t permit Texas to meet all our needs,” says James Schick, vice president of purchasing, “but about one-third of our supply comes from Uvalde and Medina.”
Grain from Texas and elsewhere arrives at a San Antonio landmark that once held the distinction of being the city’s tallest structure – a square, castle-like, 20-story grain elevator made of concrete and emblazoned with Pioneer and White Wings in huge lettering. It opened in 1922 as part of a major mill expansion, and it continues to function in the
production process. It also stands as a highly visible and convenient icon that both day and night helps wayward motorists and pedestrians regain their bearings.
Upon arrival at the elevator, grain goes to various bins in the tower for cleaning, blending and eventual transfer to the milling unit for grinding into flour and packaging for distribution.
Down below at ground level, visitors enjoy breakfast or lunch at The Guenther House restaurant, many of them oblivious to the manufacturing process taking place next door. The stately, two-story structure that now houses the restaurant was built in 1860 as a spacious dwelling for the growing Guenther family. The builders used local materials including limestone quarried from a site that ultimately became the city’s Brackenridge Park on the San Antonio River north of downtown. Mortar used to cement the stone blocks contained sand mixed with horsehair.
Guenther’s youngest son, Erhard, became president of Pioneer Flour Mills in 1902 and undertook a major remodeling of the family home that made The Guenther House appear much as it does today. In addition to the restaurant, the former family
homestead now includes a museum, originally the library, as well as The San Antonio River Mill Store and The Roof Garden.
Historical treasures on display at the museum include antique baking accessories, cookie cutters, mill memorabilia and a 1917 Pioneer Flour Mills pay ledger, while the store showcases cookware and Guenther’s Gourmet Baking Collection, also known as The San Antonio River Mill Brand that includes waffle, pancake, biscuit and gravy mixes as well as preserves, honey, sauces and Founder’s Choice coffee that’s served in the restaurant. The bright and airy Roof Garden on the upper floor of The Guenther House, once the site of dances, now hosts a variety of meetings and catered special events.
Donna Vaughan, who joined The Guenther House staff as a server six months after the
restaurant opened in March 1988, manages multiple functions as director of hospitality, programs, corporate facilities and The Guenther House.
“I still enjoy listening to folks reminisce about the mill and the beautiful King William neighborhood where The Guenther House is located,” she says. “Now and then, guests will bring in pieces of china – Pioneer anniversary plates that were given to customers beginning in 1909. The last of those plates was distributed in 2001 as part of the year-long celebration of our company’s 150th anniversary.”
Each year more than 200,000 guests from around the world dine at The Guenther House amid its vintage décor that includes stainedglass window panels, ceramic tile flooring, solid-copper light fixtures and decorative touches like plaster bundles of corn and wheat that pay tribute to the miller’s trade. Among
“The number one focus when developing new recipes is to offer easy-to-make, flavorful dishes,” she says. “We look to a simple prep process, avoiding too many ingredients that overcomplicate things but, at the same time, produce a final result that our consumers are happy with. We look to flavor trends as well as anything else that may be relevant to the usage of our products to provide consumers with versatility of use.”
Versatile Vaughan not only spends considerable time supervising operations at The Guenther House but also works in the C. H. Guenther & Son corporate headquarters adjacent to Brackenridge Park. The company – under family ownership until 2018 and now owned by Pritzker Private Capital – acquired the old ButterKrust bakery in 2005, remodeled it and occupied the new office space in 2012 to keep pace with rapid growth.
The company’s global growth that has occurred over more than a century is the product of determination and a pioneering spirit that led a talented young German millwright to Texas where he established one of the world’s largest and most successful milling companies, a veritable “flour power.”
CINNAMON STRUESEL COFFEE CAKE
INGREDIENTS
brown sugar, packed butter; room temperature sour cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil and flour 9”x13” pan. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Add Pioneer mix, blend well.
of cinnamon large, room temperature butter melted 1 cup ¾ cup 1 cup 1 4
½ cup 1 cup 1 tsp 2 5
¾ tsp 3 eggs ¼ cup 2 cups 3 6
Prepare struesel – combine brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Set aside. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle half of struesel over batter: Swirl struesel into batter with a rubber spatula.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Bake 22-25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining struesel over cake; drizzle melted butter on top. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes more; remove from oven. Let cool.
Eats & Drinks
44 Molina’s Cantina – Houston’s oldest family-owned and operated Tex-Mex restaurant; El Paso’s unique Chico’s Tacos; visiting the home of Dr Pepper in Waco; familyowned Julio’s Chips in Del Rio
57 Commemorating the Bicentennial of the Texas Rangers
60
Texas Rangers 2023
in the arts
In a city now rife with TexMex restaurant options on nearly every street, once upon a time Houston boasted only a select few options. When a skinny 18-year kid named Raul Molina decided to seek a better life for himself, that all changed. Raul struck out from Laredo, Mexico, for places unknown in Texas, but potentially to work on a pipeline. Over eight decades later, the restaurant landscape has changed in Houston, however, Raul created a popular, and delicious, stalwart.
Eventually, Raul found his way to Houston, where he had a brother who found him work at local restaurants. One such job was at the Old Monterrey Restaurant on West Gray. He worked here as a dishwasher, busboy, and as counter staff and met his future wife, Mary, during this time. Together, the new couple saved their money and on June 12, 1941, the Molina’s purchased the Old Monterrey Restaurant, ten years after Raul had started working there.
When the Molina’s opened the doors to the public, Houston only had four or five Tex-Mex restaurants. Many of their dishes still
seemed exotic and new to diners; introducing them to now time-honored classics like chili con carne, enchiladas, guacamole and more. Raul would wait tables, Mary would cook, and their sons Raul Jr. and George would wash the dishes; all while living in one room above the restaurant.
The process worked; the restaurant wasn’t just successful, it thrived. After two years, the family added the Mexico City Restaurant location on South Main. However, the couple would lose the help of their sons for a short while. With World War Two in full swing, both sons ended up leaving first for college, then for a stint in the United States Army. While both boys were serving in the military, Raul made them partners in the business. Then, in 1945, Raul renamed the operation to Molina’s Mexico City Restaurant, moved to a new location on South Main, then changed its name again to Molina’s Restaurant & Cantina.
This long-standing heritage at the restaurant is important. On the menu, next to each original dish still being served, a little red marker “since 1941” sits next to it. Some of those long-standing favorites include their chili con carne, enchiladas de Tejas, and the generously portioned Mexico City dinner
plate (which includes a beef taco, a cheese enchilada, a bean tostada, a chili tamale, guacamole, chili con queso, rice, and beans). The chili con carne comes from a recipe that was being used the day Molina opened the door for his first customer in 1941 and the salsa is the same recipe that they used in the beginning as well. The same can be said for the escabeche and tamales. Names on the menu aren’t always just “fajitas” or “enchiladas” either. No, many of the menu items have a person attached to them, such as the “Nancy Ames’ Special Nachos,” the “Berly Burrito,” and “Enchiladas a la Michael.” It all comes back to the people.
Throughout the successive decades, Raul and his sons opened and relocated their restaurants, making sure they took advantage of Houston’s population explosion and staying on top of the city’s ever-changing demographics and growth. During the 1970s, the company began catering – something they long said they did not wish to do – following multiple requests from both longtime customers and even American presidents. Molina’s had quickly become one of the most popular Tex-Mex Restaurants in Texas.
Raul Sr. eventually announced his retirement. In 1977, Raul Jr. took over full interest in the business. He himself has children, none of which he planned to have joined him in the family business. However, all three sons – Raul III, Ricardo, and Roberto – have all chosen to work in the family business. Today, they all
Molina’s Cantina: Westheimer 7901 Westheimer Houston, TX 77063 (713) 782-0861
Molina’s Cantina: Bellaire 3801 Bellaire Houston, TX 77025 (713) 432-1626
Molina’s Cantina: Fulshear 6300 FM 1463 Fulshear, TX 77494 (832) 789-6450 molinascantina.com
three co-own and maintain day-to-day operations of the restaurant. After more than eighty years, Raul Sr.’s, deep love for his family and their customers is evident and permeates throughout their locations.
The Molina family now operates three locations in the Houston area, having relocated multiple times during its evolution. The oldest location, opening in 1966, is in west Houston on Westheimer; a location in Southside Place on Bellaire has been in operation since 2011; while the Fulshear location opened in 2021. Visitors to any of these locations will quickly see how important their family, employees and diners are. Family photos abound as do shots of diners enjoying their meals, including guests such as Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
It’s impossible to count the long heritage and lineage of diners who have continued to return over the years. However, many of the Molina’s Cantina employees have been a part of the Molina family for years, if not multiple decades. Children and grandchildren of both employees and patrons now visit the cantina. Raul Jr had an old axiom that “...we may operate restaurants, but
we manage people.” As a matter of fact, to this day, a member of the Molina family will visit each restaurant location daily not only to meet and greet patrons but also to check in on their employees. ”We take our guests cradle to grave, but it really is true. Different generations of folks; they’ve raised their kids and now their kids are coming in,” Roberto Molina jokes about their connection between the restaurant and its people.
“We try to treat people like family. We try to give personal service; service first,” explained Roberto about their secret to longevity and success. “We don’t worry so much about losing the sale as we do keeping the guest. That’s real, real important to us. We also try to treat our staff like family. We have some long-term staff members; they’re becoming harder to find and harder to keep these days and that’s what we are trying to accomplish.” It truly is a family deal here, and that family spans beyond those with the Molina last name. With more than eighty years of service, spanning multiple generations, Molina’s remains Houston’s oldest family-owned and operated Tex-Mex restaurant.
They are not authentic Mexican food, and they are not TexMex, either. In fact, Chico’s Tacos are technically not really tacos. What they are though, are the local legends of deliciousness that can only be found in El Paso, Texas.
Most people that have travelled throughout Texas have probably noticed that the further west you go, the more differences you’ll see with Mexican food. The tacos that you find in the Rio Grande Valley, or San Antonio and Austin are different than the ones out west. The taco debate is ongoing and deserves a story of its own to discuss the intricacies, but Chico’s Tacos don’t fit in any category, they’re not even a hybrid of the other tacos.
Chico’s Tacos are stuffed, rolled and fried (think flauta); swimming in a sauce that is somewhere between tomato soup and mild hot sauce, but waterier; and topped with a humongous heap of the yellowest cheese on the planet. The menu item is simply called “Single Order” which is 3 tacos served in a paper boat with green salsa on the side. A “Double Order” (6 tacos) is also available.
So how did this variation of the taco come to be? In 1953, boxing
promotor and jukebox mechanic Joe Mora opened his first restaurant on El Paso’s south side as a side gig, using the recipe he created as a teen. The recipe was born because while his parents were away at work, Mora would take care of his younger siblings. With limited resources, he had to be creative with what he had. Meals needed to be simple, and cheap.
When Mora opened his first location on Alameda Avenue, he caught some flak for the name, with people saying that they’re not tacos. Mora’s answer: “right, they’re Chico’s Tacos.” In fact, there is still ongoing controversy between the traditionalists who refuse to eat Chico’s Tacos because they are not authentic, and the rest of us, who just don’t care.
In addition to their legendary tacos, you can also get a hot dog on a hamburger bun topped with chili, mustard and pickles; burgers, burritos and grilled cheese. Don’t forget the crinkle cut fries.
Eating at Chico’s won’t break the bank – a single order with fries and a drink is under ten bucks – cash only but there’s an ATM onsite. There’s also a jukebox in the corner to honor Mora’s profession as jukebox mechanic. Chico’s is pure nostalgia for every El Pasoan who grew up going there and scarfing up these little trays of happiness.
In 2003 the 78th Texas House of Representatives adopted a resolution (HR 84), introduced by El Paso representative Norma Chavez, honoring the Mora family and celebrating the restaurant’s 50th anniversary. Chico’s has been featured on the Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate . Standup comedian Gabriel Iglesias mentioned Chico’s in his 2009 Comedy Central special I’m Not Fat, I’m Fluffy, which was taped in El Paso.
When Joe Mora founded Chico’s featuring his creation, he probably had no idea how popular it would be, or how it would grow to be an iconic El Paso institution. Mora died in 1992, but his children have kept up the tradition. Chico’s has four locations in El Paso and serves over 15,000 tacos a day.
What is more Texan than a Dr Pepper? For many, the answer is nothing. There are many people in our state who would even say they bleed Dr Pepper. But how did this drink come to be so popular? Join me as we explore the creation of Dr Pepper and its legacy.
Although the history of soda goes back centuries, most of the
modern sodas we think of today got their start in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Dr Pepper isn’t an exception to this. It all started in 1885 at the Old Corner Drugstore in Waco, Texas. It was common for sodas to originate at the pharmacy back then as they were considered health drinks and even sometimes medicine. A young pharmacist, Charles Alderton, enjoyed mixing up different concoctions at the soda
fountain and one day he decided to make a drink containing many of the flavors the fountain offered, 23 to be exact. Do we know those magical 23 flavors? Unfortunately, no. It is a top-secret recipe as you would expect! But what we do know is that there were tons of flavors available in the soda fountain back in the late 1880s. If it was edible, it might have been a syrup flavor. We see what we think of as normal
flavors like raspberry, orange, and pineapple, but there were lots of other flavors like celery, coffee, rhubarb, and even clam. With this seemingly endless supply of flavors, we can’t even venture a guess at what those wonderful 23 flavors might be.
Back when Dr Pepper was first invented, it was just called a “Waco.” When it started to become popular, Wade Morrison, proprietor of the Old Corner Drugstore, decided to give it a name. There are a lot of stories out there as to why he chose Dr Pepper, but the truth is we just don’t know which one, if any of them, are true. From there Dr Pepper began to become popular, and it couldn’t just be contained at the Old Corner Drugstore anymore. Together, Morrison and Robert S. Lazenby formed the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company (AMBC) to bottle Dr Pepper and other soft drinks under the Circle A Brand family such as Circle A Ginger Ale, Aqua Lithia, and Celery Champagne.
Lazenby was a beverage chemist who eventually became the president of the Dr Pepper Company. During his time with Dr Pepper, he stabilized the Dr Pepper formula so that it was shelf stable and was able to sit in bottles at stores. He also added caffeine to Dr Pepper! Originally, Dr Pepper did not have caffeine as some people thought caffeine to be dangerous. In its early days, it was advertised as being “absolutely free from caffeine, cocaine, or any injurious drug” or simply just “free from caffeine and drugs.” When Dr Pepper premiered to the world at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 in St. Louis, fairgoers would have seen advertisements with similar wording in the hopes of enticing many to try the drink.
When the AMBC was formed, the company moved into a building on 5th Street. Shortly thereafter it was decided they needed a building specifically for bottling their sodas. Designed in a Richardsonian Romanesque style by Milton Scott, a prominent architect in Waco, the building had many features that made it an efficient and state-ofthe-art bottling plant. One of the main features was a well dug in the building
Middle
Above A six-pack of Dr Pepper bottles photographed for KBAP-TV in 1964 | Courtesy UNT Libraries Special Collections
Next Page the Dr Pepper trademark specifications including the template for Dr Pepper’s lettering and crown, long oval, and short oval trademark logos and signage proportions | Courtesy Dr. Pepper Company
that could be used by the employees for all their water needs. This well tapped into the artesian aquifer system that runs underneath Waco and was in use for several years. When visiting the Museum today, you can see the well that was partially excavated during the renovation of the building to turn it into the Museum.
The well isn’t the only interesting feature about the AMBC. If you visit the Dr Pepper Museum today, you might notice a few unique features in the old AMBC plant building:
• Safety precautions. Because the AMBC had a well inside the building for their business purposes, it also had a port to the outside of the building. If a neighboring business was on fire, the fire department could pull up to the side of the AMBC, unlock the port and run a hose into the well. This would be a quick and efficient way to extinguish a fire before it threatened other businesses in the area.
• The original 2nd floor. Some of the original flooring still exists on the second floor. One room has the original floor: a series of slopes with a gutter along the wall. It was designed so spills of soda syrup could be easily cleaned. At the end of the day, water was dumped on the floor, the syrup would dissolve, and it would all flow
to the gutter along the wall. From there, the liquid would go into the city’s sewer system.
• Look up! When visiting the Museum, make sure to look up! You might see leftover machinery from the bottling plant. On the third floor, ceiling beams painted green, are all original to the building.
• Circle A emblems. Harking back to the Circle A Beverages that were made in the plant, the Circle A emblem is visible in several places inside. Check out the Mary Street side of the building to see a couple of them and several of them are on the original front staircase in the AMBC.
Production ceased at the AMBC in 1965, as the plant was not large enough to bottle soda in both bottles and cans, which had recently come onto the market for soda. Dr Pepper production moved to another location in Waco for a time and then eventually left Waco altogether. In the 1980s, a group of concerned citizens began the process of turning the vacant AMBC into the Dr Pepper Museum. The Museum opened on May 11, 1991. Today, Dr Pepper is part of Keurig Dr Pepper, and the Dr Pepper Museum is a private, non-profit museum dedicated to telling the story of the soft drink industry.
There is no “period” in Dr Pepper. The period after the Dr was dropped in the 1950s due to a font change making it difficult to read and it wasn’t added back in.
Waco was once famous for its artesian wells and was known as “Geyser City.” The name of the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company comes from this, and the famous artesian waters were used in bottling their sodas.
Dr Pepper is the oldest major soft drink in America.
Dr Pepper was introduced to millions of visitors at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair where it became an instant success.
To produce all the Dr Pepper that would be needed for the World’s Fair, Lazenby temporarily moved to St. Louis shortly beforehand to open another bottling facility.
Dr Pepper, and several other soda companies, had test kitchens in the 1950s and later whereby recipes were developed using their brand of soda. These recipes were then published in cookbooks to increase soda sales.
In 1823, upon requesting and receiving permission to raise a militia, Stephen F. Austin called for “ten men…to act as rangers for the common defense.” According to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the first known patrol of these Texas rangers took place between May 5 and July 5, 1823.
From their volunteer beginnings, the Rangers were formally instituted in 1835. One hundred years later – in 1935 – the Texas Rangers became a major division within the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Today, the Rangers have lead investigative responsibility for major violent crimes, unsolved violent crimes, serial criminals, public corruption, public integrity offenses, and officer-involved shootings. They are also responsible for the state’s border security operations program and DPS tactical operations.
And this year the Texas Rangers, one of the most respected law enforcement organizations in our country, celebrate their 200th anniversary.
Recognizing the significance of this milestone, the Texas Public Safety Commission and the Texas Department of Public Safety charged the Texas Ranger Association Foundation, the Texas Department of Public Safety Foundation, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco with coordinating, promoting and commemorating the Texas Ranger Bicentennial™. As such, the staff and board members from these three non-profit organizations have joined together with numerous private individuals and businesses across the state for a year-long celebration.
One of the primary goals of this bicentennial commemoration is to raise awareness of the history and
extraordinary service that has characterized the Texas Rangers since their founding, as well as to educate the public on the modern Rangers and their dedicated service to the citizens of Texas.
Texas Ranger Bicentennial™ festivities kicked off on Friday, January 13, 2023, at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and continue to be held across the state throughout this year. Current and past Texas Rangers have been honored at the Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston Stock Show and Rodeos and an educational exhibit has been at several major events.
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is offering special programs and exhibits during this bicentennial year. Also, visitors to the Fort Worth Science and History Museum can tour the special Bicentennial Exhibit to explore the Ranger’s rich history and enduring legacy.
Texas Ranger Bicentennial For Information about bicentennial events and projects. TexasRanger2023.org
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
I-35 at University Parks Drive 100 Texas Ranger Trail Waco, TX 76706 (877) 750-8631
TexasRanger.org
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History 1600 Gendy St. Fort Worth, TX 76107 (817) 255-9300 fwmuseum.org
Taste it, and you can’t put it down!
That’s what thousands of loyal customers across Texas and throughout the United States experience with Julio’s Chips!
This small company has humble beginnings – literally from Julio Garcia’s family kitchen in Del Rio, Texas. Today, the company produces 135,000 pounds of chips, 13,650 cases of salsa and 7,420 cases of Julio’s special seasoning each week and the state-of the art production facility runs 24 hours a day Monday through Friday. They make tortillas that are converted into chips, add the seasonings (a Tex-Mex mix of garlic, paprika, cumin and lime that is robust without being overdone), and bag the chips.
In November 2022, the Garcia family was recognized by the South Texas Business Partnership of San Antonio for sustaining Julio’s Chips with economic growth and stability. H-E-B’s program “Be the Change” also recognized the family’s legacy for their dedication and determination in their success and for being one of H-E-B’s valued suppliers. Along with their professional staff, Julio’s Chips president Miguel Garcia and chief executive officer Pete Garcia direct the company’s operations and maintain the dedication and work ethic of their parents and family.
Julio T. Garcia – the namesake of Julio’s Chips –was born in Crystal City and married the love of his life, Lilia. Making a home in Del Rio, they raised ten children. Julio worked at a variety of jobs before finding his calling as a chef. At the Branding Iron Steak House, the steaks seasoned with Garcia’s favorite herbs and spices were a hit. Garcia’s seasoned chips with salsa and guacamole were added to the menu as an appetizer and became a popular item. The Branding Iron eventually closed, and Julio went to work down the street at Cedar’s Steaks. He was there for five years until changes were made by new management and he became unemployed.
In the meantime, Julio’s wife Lilia worked as a cook for the local school district and operated a small catering business out of their home. For her catering customers, Lilia prepared tamales and enchiladas and
provided corn tortilla chips with salsa as a value-added condiment. With time on his hands, Julio pitched in to help. He learned his wife’s recipe for salsa and with his commercial kitchen experience, devised a more efficient preparation process. One day a local bank hired the Garcias to cater a party. The next day, the Garcias were surprised to receive a second order from the bank for more chips and salsa.
Julio worked day and night to satisfy a rapidly growing base of customers who would knock on the door of the Garcia home to buy Julio’s corn chips. But with a large family and limited time, Julio needed a steady income and accepted a job working the grave-
yard shift at a convenience store.
There, Julio observed that the late-night partiers returning from Mexico seemed to prefer purchasing small trays of nachos made with typical round chips and processed cheese. Julio thought his chips and salsa would be a better product and presented his idea to the store manager. The manager agreed to buy chips and salsa from Julio. Son Miguel remembers, “My dad would come home at seven-thirty in the morning and start cooking chips. At five o’clock he took a nap and was out the door with six buckets of corn chips at 10:30 p.m., just in time to make the night shift at the store. On weekends, he’d take ten buckets of chips.”
As demand grew at the convenience store and from sales at the house, the family determined they needed more space for the corn chip cooking operations. With the help of friends and siblings, Miguel remodeled the garage into a makeshift commercial kitchen to accommodate corn chip production. When the remodeling was completed, Miguel thought the building needed some color. He painted the garage bright yellow with red and
green trim and explained to Julio, “Dad, we’re going to be the yellow house.” Today, bright yellow, red and green are the company colors.
When necessary, Miguel and his dad bought more fryers to increase production volume. And when business increased to the point of needing more help, Julio’s son Jose quit his job to work at Julio’s Chips. In 1996, Jose moved to San Angelo and eventually opened a factory on Chadbourne Street and two separate burrito restaurants. By opening the stores in San Angelo, Jose doubled the market share of Julio’s Chips and was able to sell Wal-Mart on the idea of carrying Julio’s Chips in its Super Centers. He also pioneered the idea of creating restaurants around the brand.
By 2000, the family was still manually churning out corn chips and Miguel wanted to automate the process. But the bank wouldn’t talk to Miguel unless he could show them bona fide profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and a business plan. He needed to automate accounting. Miguel turned to Del Rio business consultant Delia Ramirez who engineered moving
DON’T MISS
Julio’s Corn Tortilla Chips & Restaurant 3900 US-90 Del Rio, TX 78840 (830)298-2223 julioscornchips.com
Julio’s Burritos 1911 South Chadbourne St. 3334 Knickerbocker Rd. 214 North Bryant Blvd. 720 West 29th St. San Angelo, TX Juliosburritos.com
the entire accounting process to a computer network. Sandra Saucedo, Miguel’s niece, took over the day-to-day bookkeeping. With up-to-date financial statements in hand, Miguel was approved for a commercial loan and a new building was completed in 2002.
Julio’s Chips remains a family operation. Julio is retired now, but still visits the plant many afternoons. Miguel runs the Del Rio manufacturing operation. His niece Sandra Saucedo is the office manager; Miguel’s wife Angie fills in where help is needed. Miguel’s brother, Pete, is the operations manager overseeing the entire production process. Julio Jr. takes care of the distribution of Julio’s in San Antonio. Brother Jose still operates a second factory and restaurants in San Angelo as a franchisee. And Delia Ramirez still serves as a business consultant for the family business.
Julio’s Chips is located at 3900 Highway 90 East in Del Rio, Texas. The restaurant in front of the factory is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drive through hours are 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.; dine-in hours are 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Mike Capron is a well-known Texas cowboy artist and a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran.
Capron says he has always been fascinated with riding, roping and painting. After graduating from high school, he eventually landed his first “real” cowboy job working on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. Then in 1965, Capron enlisted in the Marine Corps and served as a radio operator in Viet Nam. When his enlistment ended, he returned to Texas and to being a cowboy. Capron’s art education has come from a variety of sources to include correspon-
dence and individual lessons.
Since 2012, Mike and his wife Anne have resided in the small West Texas town of Sheffield, Texas, near the Pecos River. Capron’s studio is on Main Street in the old General Store and is a gathering place for friends, cowboys, residents and travelers.
When asked about his approach to art, Capron says, “I appreciate art all the way back to cave paintings. Charles M. Russell’s paintings excited and convinced me of the importance of accuracy and believability, especially horses.” He adds, “Before I paint, I must have an emotional connec-
tion to the subject.”
Just across the Pecos River, in Crockett County, is Fort Lancaster, a state historic site managed by the Texas Historical Commission. Fort Lancaster’s history includes visits by the U.S. Army camels before the American Civil War, Confederate Texans during the War Between the States, and the U.S. Army Buffalo Soldiers.
The most dramatic event at the fort, the Battle of Fort Lancaster, occurred on December 26, 1867. Company K, 9th U.S. Cavalry Regiment defended the fort against the Kickapoo and their allies. Fort Lancaster is the only U.S. Army fort in Texas that was directly attacked by Native Americans. Although 32 horses and six mules were captured
represented a late afternoon battle in December. His cowboy expertise, his riding and roping experience, and Russell’s impact on his original works of art influenced the accuracy of the horses and mules.
To focus his research, Capron considered the following aspects: “How did the Kickapoo ride horses? How were the Kickapoo equipped? What was the Kickapoo plan? Where were they going afterwards?”
Capron’s research guided his artistic vision of the stampede along with his personal demand for accuracy. Spending hours in his Sheffield studio, Capron created a spectacular painting titled We Share Land, You Share Horses that focuses on the Kickapoo surround-
by the Kickapoo, Buffalo Soldiers successfully defended the fort against overwhelming odds and being attached on three sides.
In 2018, artist Mike Capron met with Site Manager Jefferson Spilman. According to Capron, “I wanted to paint something from the fort’s history.” After discussion, Capron chose to focus on the Kickapoo stampeding Company K’s horses and mules during the battle. Captain William T. Frohock, Company K commander, described the stampede as the decisive moment during the battle.
Capron’s in-depth research included The Kickapoos: Lords of the Middle Border by A.M. Gibson, photos of Kickapoo from the late 1800’s, and the Fort Lancaster site library. He made frequent fort visits to ensure the landscape and light
ing the stampeding horses and mules. In the background is the fort with Company K soldiers. Mike captures the excitement of battle, the fast movement of horses, the fright in the eyes of the Army horses, and the determination of the Kickapoo.
When asked about We Share Land, You Share Horses Mike says, “The painting is a piece of local history, and I am excited to illustrate the Battle of Fort Lancaster. I would like to encourage people to appreciate telling stories of the past, either verbally or visually. There’s still a lot to paint in our history.”
We Share Land, You Share Horses by Mike Capron is displayed at the Fort Lancaster Visitors Center.
I would like for all of my paintings to be completely believable by the viewer but have the look of knowing it would be impossible to get this shot from a camera.Left Mike Capron’s painting We Share Land, You Share Horses Below Artist Mike Capron at work in his studio Bottom Closeup of the Battle of Fort Lancaster
Though the main mission of the State Archives is to preserve the records of state government, we also collect, maintain, and make accessible records of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations, including paper, digital, prints and photographs, video and sound, and artifacts at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). All together, these treasures represent a rich and ever-expanding collection of materials that provide
snapshots of Texas history and culture from every area of the state and every period of its colorful history.
This includes records relating to iconic Texas businesses; we have particularly robust holdings documenting local food companies and breweries through the years, especially in the 20th century, and through photograph collections— many of which have gone on to become major national and international brands, recognizable far beyond Texas’ borders.
The Frito Company got its start in San Antonio in 1932 with its recipe for fried corn chips, which began production in the kitchen of one C. E. Doolin’s mother. The operation quickly expanded first to the house next door and then to a plant in Dallas in 1933, diversifying to include potato chips and cheese cracker sandwiches. Throughout the next decades, Fritos products gained popularity, and by the time of Doolin’s death in 1959, the company was valued at $60 million in annual sales.
Two historic Texas breweries documented in the State Archives are the Pearl Brewing Co. and Lone Star Brewery, both founded in San Antonio. Both made it through Prohibition in the 1930s and expanded to national distribution later in the century. Pearl Brewing Company was founded as the San Antonio Brewing Company in 1883 by a group of local business investors. The first kegs of Pearl, based on a foamy German brew called “perle,” hit the market in 1886. The Lone Star Brewery, built in 1884 by Adolphus and Ernst Busch, was the first large, mechanized brewery in the state. Their lager bearing the recognizable Lone Star label has been produced since 1940.
Did you know that Adams Extract has been produced in Texas since the business was founded by Michigan native and Beeville transplant John Anderson Adams in 1905? His son Fred, the first person to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas in 1916, purchased the company in 1922 and relocated production to Austin. In the intervening years, operations have moved a couple more times— always within Texas—and the company’s lines of vanilla extracts, food colorings, and spices have been produced in Gonzales since 2002.
Another historic and recognizable Texas business linked to downtown San Antonio is Pioneer Flour
Mills. The company was originally founded in Gillespie County in 1851 by another German immigrant, Carl Hilmar Guenther, who noticed a paucity of grain milling in Central Texas. In 1859, he moved operations to San Antonio, where the facility became a meeting point and community space for other German immigrants. The iconic, seven-story mill building, still visible from all over the southern part of the city, was constructed in 1922 and is still a major San Antonio landmark— and supplier of pancake mix to another iconic Texas food business you may have heard of called Whataburger. You can even buy the mix for home use from yet another San Antonio-based Texas company—H.E.B.
This is just a small taste of materials preserved at the State Archives. Researchers and the public are invited to visit in person at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin, next door to the Capitol. View the six flags flown over Texas, our six Texas seal mosaics, the panoramic Texas history mural in our lobby, and our Texas history exhibits. Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (research hours 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).
Beginning in 2022, reading rooms are also open the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. –4:00 p.m. Visit our website 24/7 at www.tsl.texas.gov.
The Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) Texas Treasure Business Award (TTBA) stands out from most of the agency’s programs by honoring active establishments that are rooted in both the present and the past. Unlike more traditionally preserved historic things such as houses, forts, battlefields, artifacts, and documents, this program recognizes historic businesses while they are still in operation, treating them as living history that should be preserved for future generations.
The TTBA program was created in 2005 to recognize businesses that have stood the test of time and made exceptional historic contributions to communities across the state. To qualify, businesses must have been in continuous operation for at least 50 years. Many of them have been owned by a single family through the generations.
Last year, the TTBA received a necessary tune-up, as program staff implemented upgrades to make the process of nominating a business much smoother. The
improvements also help collect comprehensive information, providing a meaningful glimpse into the labor involved with keeping a business in operation for half a century or more.
New questions on the nomination form ask, “How has the industry changed since you first opened?” “Does your building have a personality of its own?” and “How does your business reflect your community’s values?” The stories they tell are shared on social media, where the public can participate by adding their own memories alongside the owners’. It’s not uncommon for the locals to have a personal stake in the historic legacy of hometown businesses.
Another update: The program now accepts nominations four times a year to guarantee faster processing behind the scenes. In addition, TTBA staff engages more with agency partners. Since it can be difficult to source the necessary archival documentation that proves a business’ founding date, staff connects Texans with regional THC partners and community
members who can help find missing information.
So, what prompted the TTBA program to get a tune-up in 2022?
According to program coordinator Mallory Laurel, one of her first assignments upon joining the THC in 2021 was to interview several TTBA businesses to help promote them as travel destinations.
“Once I started looking into the program I realized its untapped potential, not just as a tourism initiative, but also as a community heritage project,” Laurel says. “Most people don’t think of businesses as figuring into capital-H History. But when they’ve witnessed the community change to the extent they have, and are records of that change, it’s hard to deny these businesses are indeed sites of historical significance.”
Laurel adds that, in many cases, these companies are testaments to sweeping changes across entire industries. Talking to the original owner or even the second- or third-generation owners presents a tremendous opportunity to preserve hyper-local history before it’s lost.
According to Laurel, the TTBA has seen an uptick in applications since last year’s changes, and she anticipates it will grow once the program’s profile increases and people adapt to the quarterly schedule. She notes that a recent success story has been a partnership with Texas Monthly and its Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn to honor around 40 of the oldest barbecue joints across the state. Program staff honored businesses last fall at Texas Monthly’s annual BBQ Fest in Lockhart.
Next up: finally recognizing dozens of historic taquerias and tortillerias across the state, a project that was kicked off last summer, when San Antonio-based THC Preservation Scholar Natividad Roman used a THC social media campaign to crowdsource nominations. She went on to research nearly 35 eligible businesses, including a beloved local tortilleria (see inset).
Laurel says it’s important for Texans to nominate and support these historic businesses because the appeal of the TTBA program is as emotional as it is practical.
How has the industry changed since the business first opened? Every applicant for the Texas Treasure Business Award must answer this question. From obsolescence of catalogs to the proliferation of online shopping, the introduction of robotics, or the shift away from in-person client communication, rarely has a business escaped the 20th century without modernizing in one way or another. Herein lies the secret, for better or worse, to staying in business long enough to seal your legacy as a historic Texas business: adaptation.
Don’t be fooled by the veneer of time. A business may look like it did 50, 75, or in rare cases, 100 years ago, but under the hood you’ll find new parts. With each new decade, some radical shift in the industry escorts another batch of businesses into oblivion, and the list of those that remain grows ever shorter. It takes more than grit to make it to 50.
To comprehend this, it helps to see how short that list is. This is one of the intended impacts of our new effort to recognize businesses within a single category or theme. Sometimes a thing isn’t precious until it’s rare, so we’ll tell you exactly how many historic barbecue joints or taquerias still exist, for example, just to let it sink in.
Keep an eye out for these new lists on TexasTimeTravel.com, the THC’s one-stop-shop for heritage travelers in Texas. We’ll continue honoring everything from historic bakeries to historic movie theaters in hopes that we can stop that list in its tracks, and maybe even add a few more as the years go by. Find many historic businesses across the state at texastimetravel.com/travel-by-theme/historic-businesses.
“Can participation in this program help raise the profile of your community as a historic destination? Yes,” she says. “But the beating heart of this program is being able to say to these hard-working business owners, ‘Something you started is now part of the historical record. Your life’s work will always be remembered.’”
Laurel recalls that she spent a long time trying to find the right literary quote to capture the magic of a historic business for the program’s brochure. She finally came across one from The Wind in the Willows: “But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome.”
She elaborates, “We often have to learn the hard way how important a place is to the community. We
learned this lesson too many times during COVID when businesses were shuttered left and right, and all that remained was the sinking feeling that we had lost something more than a good or service. When we talk about the character of a place or a community’s identity, these businesses, the ones we grew up with, are what come to mind.”
In other words, these places are home.
“That’s why we should be doing everything we can to uplift these businesses, preserve their history, express our gratitude for their place in our lives, and keep them around for as long as we can!” Laurel says.
To learn more about the TTBA, visit thc.texas.gov/ttba
A modified version of this article previously appeared in the summer 2022 issue of the Texas Historical Commission’s The Medallion.
The following businesses were recognized between November 2022 and March 2023.
La Grange — Established: 1959
Second-generation owner, Wendy McDaniels, reflects on taking over her father’s business in an industry that remains predominantly male: “I have Antonio working behind the counter when someone comes in and says to him, ‘Hey boss, I need to talk to you about some of your scrap motors.’ And Antonio goes, ‘You need to talk to her,’ and the guy’s jaw just dropped. He was not expecting to talk to a woman! I just love that because this is a male-dominated business. Going out to job sites...and growing the same respect that people had for my father is just very important to me.”
West Columbia — Established: 1924
According to the Chesney’s, who still own and operate this family business, “In the old days, Mr. Chesney might even make loans to people who could not get one at the bank. It was a slower-paced life. People stayed in their community to shop. Now it is so easy to go to the city to shop, or the malls or online. One thing that our customers still love is that we have free gift-wrapping year-round. Our mother learned to make little roses out of ribbon and always placed one on her gifts. At Christmas, she placed little glass balls on the gifts.”
Stephenville — Established: 1948
In the owner’s words: Seven decades of feeding hungry athletes, coaches, and referees is bound to produce a story or two. Known as the ‘Battle of 377,’ the sometimes-heated rivalry between the Brownwood Lions and the Stephenville Yellow Jackets dates back to 1937, before the café. A fan of Jake and Dorothy’s, former Brownwood Head Coach, Gordon Wood, loved to treat his team to chicken-fried steaks at the café after the game. Current owner and daughter of the eponymous Jake and Dorothy, Kerry Roach recalls these memorable nights, “There were some Friday nights when the referees had to keep the peace long enough for everyone to finish dinner.”
Lubbock — Established: 1971
Bottom Right A 1975 advertisement for Lubbock Lock and Key. Source: Lubbock AvalancheJournal, Lubbock, Texas, Monday, May 26, 1975.
Founder and owner, Larry Viaille recounts how he picked a name for his business: “Most locksmiths in the early 1970s were still named after the locksmith that ran the shop (Deckelman’s, Clark’s, Pangburn’s, etc.) Others were beginning to name their business starting with A, AA, AAA, etc. to get the first listing in the yellow pages. But I wanted a name that reflected the city I had grown to love, so I named it Lubbock Lock and Key. It seemed to have a nice ring to it. Had I known that we would be as involved in the safe business as we are, I might have worked in the word ‘safe,’ maybe ‘Lubbock Lock and Safe,’ but after 50 years I wouldn’t think of changing it now.”
Atortillería in the middle of summer is no joke.
My interview with Robert Borrego Jr., owner of Adelita Tamales and Tortilla Factory in San Antonio took place on what must have been one of the hottest days last July. As I noticed the sweat starting to form on the nape of my neck, I realized I had never had occasion to spend more than a few minutes in a tortillería—or about the time it takes to pop in and pick up a dozen or so fresh tortillas. But in that moment, I was reminded that this is, in fact, a factory. No, Adelita’s is not the steely, mass-production facility the word “factory” usually conjures (later, I learned that the heat and humidity are a vital component of masa preparation).
As I strolled through the sunlit space, with huge fans whirring and the factory floor in clear view behind the register, I noticed that history is on display everywhere. The yellow-painted concrete walls frame a collage of black and white photos and vintage advertisements. By the front door, a glass case
displays a collection of the business’ memorabilia, including tostada and taco shell bags from the 1950s.
A rule a thumb I live by: if an establishment has family photos on the wall, the food is going to be good. Why? Because where there is family, there is heart.
Suddenly, the joyful, 90-year-old Robert Borrego Jr. walked in with his grandson, Robert Anthony Borrego IV, at his side. Both were dressed in sky blue button-downs with Adelita embroidered over their hearts. I was about to learn the Adelita story.
In 2022, I was selected to participate in the Texas Historical Commission’s Preservation Scholars program. Through this summer internship, I had the opportunity to work with the Texas Treasure Business Award program, which honors Texas businesses that have been in continuous operation for over 50 years. As my chosen project, I was thrilled to spend my summer searching for eligible tortillerías and taquerías and to help address the absence of such businesses
Far Left The original exterior of El Popo Tortilla
Top Robert Anthony Borrego IV, Roberto Borrego Jr.
Middle Anthony Borrego holds the same grinding stone that his greatgrandfather used when Adelita was still “El Popo.”
Bottom After being flattened into their final shape, tortillas travel along this conveyor belt before being packaged.
on the list of past awardees.
Adelita’s place in Texas history is undeniable. Its legacy begins with Robert Borrego Sr. who, in 1925, was the first tortilla salesman in San Antonio. In 1938, at the tail end of the Great Depression, Borrego Sr. and his wife opened their own tortillería, El Popo. It was in this tortillería that Robert Borrego Jr. spent his childhood. Memories of rolling small balls of dough for his mother to hand press, or of his mother giving hot, buttered tortillas to customers’ children, are still vivid in his mind. Eventually, El Popo supplied tortillas to every school district in San Antonio and was the first to supply fresh tortillas to the city’s military commissaries. In 1987, after returning from the Air Force, Borrego Jr. took over the family business and renamed it Adelita Tamale and Tortilla Factory.
Anthony Borrego IV, who now manages Adelita with his grandfather, led our tour of the factory. Through the window, he pointed to the towering grain silos just outside as we walked past huge containers of corn soaking in lyme. He demonstrated how to use the modern molino that grinds the juicy kernels into a snow of soft masa, and I was surprised to discover that this molino still uses the traditional volcanic rock to grind the corn. Deep in the craters that form its porous surface is the same history and tradition that surrounds the Adelita factory. After 80 years in operation, what is at the core of making good tortillas remains the same: tradition and corazón (heart).
As a Mexican American and Latino Studies major at The University of Texas at Austin and a proud Chicana, including the history of tortillerías in the state historical record means a lot to both me and to Borrego Sr. He remembers when tacos were merely what the poor students brought to school when they couldn’t afford cafeteria food. He also remembers being denied entry to the Sunken Garden Theatre and other places in the city simply for being Mexican. “From that [humble] beginning, look at where we are now,” he said proudly, and I think he was including me in that statement.
On our way out, the last question I asked Anthony seems almost silly, considering the legacy I had just witnessed. I asked him where he sees the Adelita factory in 20 years. He smiles.
“We’ll be here,” he says, “making tortillas and tamales.”
This year, the Texas Historical Commission will induct over 30 historic tortillerías and taquerías into the Texas Treasure Business Award program thanks to Natividad’s project.
San Antonio — Established: 1972
Though Sandra and John Bradley opened the nationally successful Monarch Trophy Studio in San Antonio in 1972, the business was really started in Houston in 1968 by Sandra Bradley’s mother. As a junior bowling instructor, Mrs. Bradley was frustrated she couldn’t find reasonable prices for her students’ trophies. Then her husband, a tool and die-maker, suggested she start her own trophy business. So, she did, and Monarch Trophy Studio was born, named simply because she thought Monarch sounded “classy.”
Bowie — Established: 1951
Small businesses are no stranger to humble beginnings. Before the highway in Bowie was widened to four lanes, there was a pay phone booth in front of the Bowie Industries building, across Wise Street. When Sig Andreasen and Owen Meyer first opened their business, they didn’t have enough money to pay for a private phone, so they listed their business with the phone booth number instead. When a customer inevitably called, either Sig or Owen would have to run across the highway and answer the public phone. Fortunately, after a couple of years, they were successful enough to afford their own private line.
