Courtesy of Travel Nevada
Visitors mingle at the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum, where renowned saddle maker Guadalupe Santiago Garcia’s works are on display. Garcia, who lived from 1864 to 1933, opened his G.S. Garcia Saddle & Harness Shop in the building in 1913.
Sunday, May 26, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Nestled amid a row of businesses on Elko’s Commercial Street, a neat, two-story building with bay windows protruding from the top floor belies the history captured within.
Today, the building houses the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum. But more than 100 years ago, it served as the workshop for renowned saddle maker Guadalupe Santiago Garcia.
Garcia, who lived from 1864 to 1933, opened his G.S. Garcia Saddle & Harness Shop in the building in 1907. By then, he had already been recognized as a master leather craftsman.
After Garcia’s death, the Elko Lamoille Power Company took over the building about 1940. Another power company, which would later become NV Energy, bought the building in 1961 to use as its operations office.
NV Energy eventually wound up donating the building for the museum, which opened in 2017.
The building landed on the Nevada Register of Historic Places this month. The new designation places it among other Nevadan landmarks such as the Boulder Dam Hotel, Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, and the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.
The building that sits at 542 Commercial St. in Elko houses the museum on the ground floor that was once Garcia’s shop. The top floor houses the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association headquarters and classrooms for aspiring silversmiths and leather crafters.
Garcia became famous after winning a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair for a saddle he designed. He also is credited with helping establish rodeo culture in Nevada, founding the Elko Rodeo in 1912.
Garcia, who was born in Mexico, moved to California with his family when he was 3 years old, according to an account by the late historian Howard Hickson.
He was fascinated with saddle making and engraving and at age 15 became an apprentice to a master in the business. He eventually ended up in Elko in 1893, where he opened a shop.
The saddle Garcia crafted for the World’s Fair was the finest ever made, Hickson said.
Garcia and his workers used flawless leather, “dyed it black, carved in American Beauty roses, and then adorned it with gold, silver and diamonds. It was truly a leather throne,” Hickson said.
Vintage saddles or spurs made by Garcia can sell for $40,000 or more, said John Wright, owner of the J.M. Capriola Co., a saddle shop originally opened in the 1920s by Garcia apprentice Joe Capriola.
“He was one of the great tradesmen and craftsmen of that time,” Wright said.
After his gold medal victory, Garcia’s work exploded in popularity and his shop moved into a new building in 1907. The building was physically moved across the street to its current position in 1913.
Garcia’s prized saddle is at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, but the Elko museum has his gold medal on display.
The museum in Elko features another of Garcia’s original saddles, along with saddles, bits and spurs from other notable makers.
It’s important to preserve history, Wright said. “History gets washed away every day,” he said.
Garcia’s work was sought after by buyers worldwide, and his customers included Nevada governors, humorist Will Rodgers and actor Douglas Fairbanks, according to Hickson’s history.
“Ordinary cowboys thought nothing of shelling out a full season’s pay to own one of Garcia’s leather seats,” Hickson noted.
The museum was a long-held dream of the late Paula Wright, John’s mother. This vision was shared during the writing of the book “Legacy of Silver and Saddles,” which revolved partially around the legacy of G.S. Garcia.
Dee Dee Garcia, G.S. Garcia’s granddaughter and co-author of the book, recalls, “Paula always wanted to open up a museum and she was always trying to talk me into it. You never told Paula no.”
But nothing became of the notion until 2016, when J.M. Capriola was hosting a branding workshop at a ranch in Tuscarora. One of the attendees — unbeknown at the time — was the CEO of NV Energy.
A chance meeting occurred and Paula Wright’s vision was shared with the NV Energy executive.
The CEO then floated the idea of NV Energy donating the building, with the utility paying for the renovations. It was contingent upon the group gaining nonprofit status as an organization to preserve and promote the history and value of cowboy gear and gear makers.
“It was luck. What are the odds of meeting the CEO?” John Wright said. “He said, ‘I’m the CEO. If you can file a nonprofit and get it established, we’ll donate to you guys.’ ”
The restoration of the building to its Garcia-era glory included rebuilding the front facade. The bay windows were renovated to appear as they did in 1907. The stone exterior was also restored.
“It’s kind of become a social center where people meet up and share stories and swap ideas,” said Jan Petersen, the museum’s former director who applied for the historic status.
Being added to the Nevada Register of Historic Places is an honorary designation, but it does not place any appearance or upkeep requirements on the property.
But recognizing and preserving historic places is important, said Rebecca Palmer, the state historic preservation officer.
Owner Katie Duncan poses in front of the historic Harrison Boarding House on F Street Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The Harrison house provided lodging for black entertainers who were not allowed to stay at Las Vegas Strip casinos in the 1940’s and 1950’s
“They’re locations where people can connect with the citizens who came before them. And they could be anything from historic buildings, a local or state park, or they could be landscapes or sacred sites where cultural activities occur,” Palmer said. “Without those tangible locations, cultures can be lost.”
The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office typically receives 10 to 20 inquiries a year about inclusion on the state register, but only a handful move forward.
The office evaluates each property on criteria such as whether it is associated with events or trends that have made a significant contribution to Nevada history or if it is associated with the lives of people significant to the state’s history.
Palmer said the office aims for “equitable representation around the state.”
The office is also responsible for nominating properties to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places, which is run by the National Park Service.
The office has several properties under consideration at the state level, including the Harrison House in the Historic Westside neighborhood of Las Vegas.
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