Menard County Texas

Emil Toepperwein

Emil Toepperwein was born January 31, 1870 in Fredericksburg, Texas to Herman and Amelia Toepperwein. Emil first apprenticed with Ben Varas, a noted saddle-maker and with an interest in photography, he would work for A. A. Brack who owned a thriving photography business in San Antonio.

After a year's experience with Mr. Brack, Emil purchased a tent and with horse and hack, travelled to various communities plying his photography trade. He arrived in Menard about 1895 and while he continued with photography....he increased his income by opening a saddlery business. (See Emil Toepperwein's Saddlery Shop )

While living at the City Hotel, which was run by the Fritz Luckenbach family, Emil met Sophie Amelia Nauwald. Sophie was born in Burnet, Texas on July 21, 1876 to Charles and Bertha (Nimitz) Nauwald, and was helping her sister, Mrs. Luckenbach, run the hotel. After a short courtship, Emil and Sophie married January 29, 1897 in Fredericksburg, Tx. and returned to Menard to begin their married life.

The saddlery and harness business soon consumed all of Emil's time and left little room for photography. He hired one of his brothers, Ed Toepperwein, to help him meet the demand. Fritz Luckenbach, now Emil's brother-in-law, owned the building Emil used and in 1903, the two men formed a partnership and built another store connected to the saddle shop. It was a two story stone building which became known as the Luckenbach Hardware Company.

In 1912, Emil expanded his business once again when he applied to the Ford Motor Co. for a dealership. He was awarded this in 1915 and at the time of his retirement, he was the third oldest Ford dealer in Texas.

Very civic minded and interested in Menard's growth, Emil and Sophie were charter members of the Eastern Star, Woodmen of the World and Woodmen Circle, and the Presbyterian Church. Emil was said to have helped organize the first band in Menard, was a member of the brotherhood of Masons and was Menard's County Treasurer from 1904 to 1916. Very active with the Boy Scouts, Emil organized the first troop in 1921, and was instrumental in the building and expansion of the permanent Sol Meyer Boy Scout camp.

An avid fisherman and hunter, Emil was reported to have hunted professionally at one time for a San Antonio market with his cousin, Adolph Toepperwein, who became a noted Winchester Arms Company exhibition marksman.

Emil and Sophie would have 3 children: Louisa Ella, Herman William and Dora Toepperwein. Emil died at his home on October 29, 1959 and was buried in the family plot in Fredericksburg, Texas. His wife, Sophie, would pass away on October 6, 1965 and was laid to rest next to Emil.

Source: Menard County History-An Anthology

See Emil Toepperwein's Home....Past and Present

Emil Toepperwein's Work

Emil's business in Menard led him to be known as the originator of the "Menard Rider" saddle and other fancy harnesses, scabbards and leatherwork. Of interest to me is that all these years later, Emil's handiwork can still be found.

I found the scabbard pictured above on a California auction site. The scabbard was made by Emil Toepperwein and described in the following way: "The stitched, hand-tooled and stamped leather scabbard measuring 26 ½- x 5 15/16-inches, stamped on one side: EMIL TOEPPERWEIN/MAKER/ [?] TEX. The tooling includes various decorative motifs, including winged spurs, wheels, and border stampings."

Another auction held in Maine in 2006 listed the above scabbard of Emil Toepperwein's in this way:

WINCHESTER 1866/73 SADDLE SCABBARD. Made of heavy 1-pc saddle leather folded with sewn edge. It has riveted strap keepers on back. Front side is lightly hand decorated & has cartouche "EMIL TOPPERWEIN / MAKER / NE----VILLE TEX". CONDITION: Poor to fair. Leather is stiff & brittle with bottom 3" or 4" missing & about 7" of remaining bottom torn & broken. Remainder of folded edge is dry & crackled with mouse chewing at top edge & small chip & a couple of tears at other edge. A very early Texas cowboy or law enforcement used scabbard. 4-57601 JR567 (100-300)

See Toepperwein's chaps as exhibited in the Bob Bullock Museum

NOTE: While I strive for accuracy in all transcriptions, please be advised that typing errors may be present. I would suggest you always verify my online information with a copy of the actual record.

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Saturday, March 22, 2008 11:00 AM