EDITOR’S NOTE — This is the 71st of a series of articles marking Kerr County’s sesquicentennial.

By Irene Van Winkle

West Kerr Current

As far as memory goes, the Schreiner Company Store is likely the oldest continuously-operated retail business in Kerrville. Its history goes back 137 years, when Captain Charles Armand Schreiner (1838-1927) opened the doors on Christmas Eve in 1869 with a modest inventory and high hopes.

He knew he would have to compete with others who had already established a foothold in town. However, from the time he landed in Texas, he was soon thrust in the role of supporting his family. 

Schreiner was hardworking, ambitious and business-savvy, and was always involved in various ventures. In 1852, he arrived in America at age 14 with his family, from the Alsace-Lorraine province near the German/French border. 

The group came to San Antonio first — parents, Gustave Adolphe and Charlotte, with Charles and his five siblings. Gustave died less than a year later of a rattlesnake bite.

Schreiner signed up with the Texas Rangers, an assignment which often brought him up to the Hill Country, and gave him a chance to scout out the area.

Various sources from the Kerr County Historical Commission, courtesy of Board Vice-President Joe Luther, indicates that in 1857, Schreiner and Caspar Real, his brother-in-law, bought land and built a log cabin along Turtle Creek and started a ranching business. In late 1858, they bought a small store at Camp Verde. From this store, Schreiner and Real contracted with the government to provide beef and other supplies to the Second Cavalry. By the time the Civil War began, he had applied for U. S. citizenship. 

Several merchandisers were already in Kerrville.

George P. Phillips ran a small store in 1859 at the corner of today’s Jefferson and Earl Garrett streets, now the site of Grimes Funeral Home. At the same time, the Jackson brothers also operated a small mercantile store at the intersection of Water and Washington streets. John E. Ochse ran a store on the present site of Notre Dame Catholic Church and in 1859 was supplying provisions to the Texas Rangers. Ochse and Charles Schreiner were fierce competitors for years. 

During the Civil War, Schreiner fought for the Confederacy, while his brother, Aime, remained loyal to the Union side. 

In 1869, Schreiner moved to Kerrville, and with $10,000 of backing from August Faltin of Comfort, formed Faltin and Schreiner Mercantile Co. along Mountain (now Earl Garrett) and Water streets.

According to J. Evetts Haley’s book, “The Story of a Country Store,” written in 1969, it consisted of a 30x60’ cypress building, with warmth provided by a box stove, and a fence around it to keep out cattle.

On one side was a shed/storehouse and sleeping quarters. At the back was a cellar housing barrels of coal oil, beer, whiskey and molasses. A rough board counter ran along the building in an L-shape, stocking barrels of sugar, coffee, rice, lard and dried fruit. 

Shelves behind the side counter held bolts of calico, as well as jeans and hickory. Harnesses and saddles hung on hooks at the opposite wall, while buckets, kegs and tubs hung by the stove.

Evetts noted that Schreiner’s ledger showed that his first day’s sales totaled $3.50 from two customers: George Hollimon, Sr. purchased 7-1/2 lbs. of coffee for $2, and John D. Wharton shelled out $1.50 for two quarts of whiskey.

As a responsible employer, Schreiner also made sure he paid his employee: he took out $1 for himself.

Over time, Schreiner established himself as a trustworthy person. If asked, he would hold customers’ money for safekeeping either under a floorboard or carry it with him. This practice evolved into another business he formed in 1879 — Charles Schreiner Bank.

Before then, however, money had to be deposited elsewhere, and his courier was Simon “Peg-leg” Ayala, who made regular trips on the long journey to Oppenheimer Bank in San Antonio. Ayala, who was from Monterey, Mexico, had a wooden leg. His knowledge of the area, and modest appearance worked in Ayala’s favor, and he was never robbed. The Ayala family worked for the Schreiners through several generations.

For additionally safety, Schreiner maintained a force of “Minute Men” from 1859-1863.

As Kerrville and its commerce grew, Schreiner’s store prospered, and 10 years later, he bought out Faltin’s interest. Then he set his sights on new enterprises.

Out in far West Kerr County, Indian raids were still ongoing, but the range was suitable for cattle. In 1880, Schreiner bought the Taylor-Clements Ranch and its YO brand. The YO Ranch became headquarters for the Schreiner Cattle Co., and the Live Oak Ranch, now forming portions of the YO, was headquarters for the sheep operations.

When Schreiner bought the YO Ranch, Apache raids were still occurring up on the Divide. He established a number of wool and mohair warehouses, and helped make Kerrville the wool and mohair capital for many years.

Much of this became possible when the railroad arrived in Kerrville in 1887. This created a huge potential to expand commerce, travel and import and export goods.

The railroad ran across from Sidney Baker, down Main Street, and then in front of the warehouse from the north side into the yards behind the store.

In 1889, the store was expanded and renovated. Charles Schreiner Bank opened in an adjacent building on Water Street. A portion of that building is still visible on the second story of the store. Next to it used to be the Schreiner’s Wool and Mohair warehouse. It later relocated to McFarland street, and the white building still stands there.

Next to that, eventually, was the JC Penney store, closer to Sidney Baker Street. Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital occupied the corner.

When the store expanded, the JC Penney Store was torn down

Later, around 1917, the bank moved across Water Street along by the Guadalupe River. The old bank building then became part of the store. About that time, Charles Schreiner moved into the bank offices, taking his son, L.A. with him.

Around 1911, Kerrville’s resident population was 1,800 people who enjoyed telephone service and electricity. Schreiner’s bank and mercantile store were the anchors of the downtown district.

Also located along Water Street was Schreiner’s wool warehouse. There was a railroad spur line that ran from depot area down Sidney Baker Street across Main Street and then diagonally across the parking lot to Water Street and the Schreiner complex. There were several camp yards in this area, where freight wagons could park at night and the drivers would sleep. One was located behind the present day Arcadia Theater and the other was in the Schreiner parking lot area.

Not only did Schreiner’s business grow, so did the family. Charles Schreiner had five sons: Louis “L.A.”, Walter, Aime Charles “A.C.”, Gus and Scott.

A.C. Schreiner took over the store’s operations in 1898, and by 1917, received ownership of the store. Ten years later, Capt. Schreiner died, and by 1935, after A.C. died, the store went to A.C., Jr. and W. Scott Schreiner.

In 1952, Schreiner’s store advertised food and goods. A vintage ad in the Kerrville Mountain Sun’s Nov. 13 edition listed hunting gear, supplies and cold-weather clothing:

“Be prepared for the frosted mornings while you’re stalking the big buck or gobbler ...”

Cotton flannel shirts ranged from $2.95-$3.95; hunting caps, $1.25-$3.95; hunting jackets (“all wool jackets, the warmest in the hills,”) cost $12.95-$21.95. Additionally, the ad read, “Specially for the Huntress. You must see these ensembles which include hooded jackets, ski pants, straight and sweep skirts, weskits, etc.”

In another ad, this one for “Schreiner’s Cash Food Store,” two bunches of carrots cost 9 cents, corn was selling for 19 cents a can, sugar was listed at 96 cents for a 10-lb. bag, and cigarettes cost $1.94 a carton.

The store received another facelift in 1963, this time eliminating the grocery portion of the business. 

W. Scott’s daughter, Josephine (“Dodo”) married E.C. Parker, who was elected president of the Charles Schreiner Co. in 1970, a year after W. Scott died. Until then, Parker had served 20 years as the company’s vice-president. 

Several other families were also key in the company operations.

Parker said that W.G. Garrett was Charles Schreiner’s lawyer, whose office was upstairs at the back entryway of Schreiner’s store. Of his two sons, W.G., Jr., became treasurer of the Schreiner Company, and L.D. became secretary.

“They were both still there when I arrived at the company in 1959,” he said.

Incidentally, Mrs. W.G. Garrett was the aunt of Myrta Scott, wife of A.C. Schreiner.

Parker was born in East Columbia, in Brazoria County, Texas at the home of his prominent grandfather, Travis Logan Smith. Smith had come to Texas from Virginia.

Parker’s mother, Gladys, had become ill, he said, which is when he first saw Kerrville, long before he ever lived there.

“When I was about five years old, we moved to San Antonio. My mother went to see Dr. Adolph Herff, who brought her here during the summer,” Parker said. “They had Dr. Thompson’s hospital here, which is now the State Hospital. My grandfather rented out the whole Schofield School for the family to stay in the summer. I remember seeing Pampell’s and the G Street bridge.”

During that time, Smith, who was a banker and merchandiser, would visit with Dodo’s grandfather, A.C.

Eventually, he met Dodo when she visited relatives in San Antonio. Parker attended Thomas Jefferson High School, then got his degree as a petroleum engineer from Texas A&M in 1940, and then married Dodo in 1942.

He did his stint in the U.S. Army and saw action in in Normandy.

“It’s an exciting thing, if you don’t get killed,” he said.

Parker joined the company as it continued “morphing,” he said, which was key to its survival. He served as vice-president from 1960-1970, and was elected president from 1970-1991.

“I was just part of the company, and worked with many of the family members,” Parker said. “It was in the family for six generations, who built it up.”

The grocery portion was still there, he said, and other types of merchandise, such as cement, heavy hardware such as fencing, and even a windmill shop, which was in the warehouse portion. 

In 1963, Parker said, they let the grocery store portion go, partly because of a low profit margin, and competition from HEB. The warehouse was relocated.

Over time, the ladies’ and mens’ departments had grown, and the hardware department had moved.

“By the late 1970s,” Parker said, “we had gotten out of the warehouse business, and more into the upscale clothing and housewares.”

Many employees had worked there, up to as many as 50 at a time, Parker said, and he said they were the heartbeat of the company.

“I’m afraid to mention some, because there were so many, I don’t want to leave anybody out,” he said.

Jasper Henderson from west Kerr County, he said, was in the feed department. Calvin Weinheimer worked for the store, and then went on to the phone company. Rusty Henderson now works as local manager for the Kerrville Telephone Company (which the Parkers also ran for many years), now owned by Windstream.

James Schultz (who now works for Dunlap), Joan Crider, Gloria Dozier and Joy Melvin were but a few other names of recent employees he could rattle off quickly.

“So many of our workers were loyal and hardworking, and now so many of them have to find another job,” Parker said quietly.

The store’s early parent company, Charles Schreiner Company, still exists, but no longer has any involvement in the store. There were two key sales that separated the store from the company.

“We sold just the Schreiner’s Store name and the inventory to Dunlap Company in 1991,” he said.

In 1994 — 125 years after the store first opened — Charles Schreiner Company made its final break with the store, selling the fixtures, furniture and real estate to the Peterson Foundation.

The Dunlap Company then bought it and sold it to Centco in Dallas.

Now, Charles Schreiner Company is an investment company for the Josephine Schreiner Parker family, Parker said, and former KTC treasurer Tom Repka works there, too.

“I hate to see (the store) go, but, that’s life,” Parker said.