Rifle Hall Americana Antique Show

Ralph Willard, antiques dealer in Dallas, has been an exhibitor at the Round Top, Texas, massive spring and fall shows since their inception. Because he now oversees that portion of the show which traditionally occupies a historic dance hall, he decided collectors might enjoy knowing something of the building's past. Nostalgia for days gone by in that tiny town unfolded through interviews with several old-timers of the area. Following is what visitors will be reading:

Your Stroll Into History

It's not just the antiques inside the Round Top Rifle Association building that fascinate—the wooden hall itself has roots deeper than the ancient moss-draped oaks shading its exterior.

As you stroll through this old dance hall of the late 1870s, you walk the same boards that withstood many a vigorous German and Czech oompah-pah beat and countless social events.

Thanks to a few updates, the Schuetzen Verein (the Shooting Club) building still stands proud and serviceable, although its extraordinary architectural detail—a self-supporting pitched ceiling (no center post)—now hides behind the workings of modern air-conditioning.

In back of the building, Boggy Branch—its clear waters trickling from a limestone bed—serves as northwest boundary of the 10.75 acres purchased by the Round Top Rifle Association so long ago. Members wanted a place for socializing, celebrations, and contests, namely for a break from the hard life of raising family, crops, and livestock.

It takes old-timers to remember the best of times, back when Round Top, a jewel of Fayette County, was full of grace without all the amenities of technology. Today, as you joined hundreds of antiques shoppers, you parked your car where many a buggy bumped in over ruts and hoof prints.

The original German migrants came to Round Top because political unrest in their homeland had become intolerable. In celebrating their freedom, they became fierce loyalists to the American flag. To this day, one of the little town's major events is the Fourth of July two-mile-long parade around the town square, and subsequent celebration at the dance hall. It claims to be the oldest Independence Day observance this side of the Mississippi. September lures the families back for a tradition that originated with the building itself—the annual Schuetzenfest, a shooting contest.

Ronny Sacks, Round Top State Bank president and CEO, and one-time head of the Round Top Rifle Association of Fayette County (so renamed since its incorporation in the early '20s), described the time-honored event. The contest is held from 9 to 11 a.m. the third Sunday of September and is open to public view. For safety, the rifle range is located some distance behind the hall. The target, an antique itself, is a metal octagonal design with 12 black rings etched into steel. The white bull's-eye is about the size of a silver dollar. It looks big when you stand next to it, he said, but it's a real challenge 60 yards away where shooters (men only, age 18 and up) must stand. Each gets three shots with his .22-gauge open sight rifle.

Glenn Krause, lifelong citizen of the area, notes that the bull's-eye is equipped with a little trigger. If a lucky shooter hits it, a white rooster snaps upright from the back of the target. Something to crow about!

Early that same evening the new and the previous year's winner lead a grand march into the hall. They find it proudly fastooned with American and Texas flags and the association's banner. Other members follow two by two. The new Koenig (king) receives a traditional cedar crown and a gold medal for his keen eye. Next, his fellow members grab him and hoist him into the air in a celebratory gesture. Yes, they catch him on the way down because he now has the duty of serving for a year and, more to the point, buying everyone a beer. By this time, all spectators are in the mood to finish the evening with a festive dance.

Here's a mental exercise for you: imagine that all of today's tempting displays vanished, leaving only a bare room. (Note to congenial Ralph Willard, dedicated expeditor of the hall's current show: don't despair, we're only pretending!) Now place long benches on three sides and on the fourth place a stage to be occupied by a dance band. That's how Evelyn Fricke, now in her nineties, remembers many a visit as a young lady to the Round Top Rifle Hall. For decades, the musicians consisted of one talented family, the Etzels, though many other renowned bands have performed since. Women and children occupied the benches, while men stood in the center of the floor to evaluate the assortment of partners. When music erupted, the men darted forward to claim their choices. Wisdom would have it that a married man choose his wife for the first dance, and if she'd been holding a baby, she placed it on a blanket under the bench, safe from flying feet. Grossmutters (grandmothers) who chose not to dance stayed seated to enjoy the commotion and keep a watchful eye on the bundles under the benches.

But husbands and wives and young lovers did not stay together long because “tagging” was the custom, and partners switched frequently. Meanwhile, there was another kind of watching going on—just outside the door, but with a clear view of the activities, was “The Bull Pen.” Men who were not inclined to dance bought tickets for the privilege of just standing there with their ales and observing the goings-on.

Georgia Tubbs, who cradles the Round Top Historical Society in her thoughts and deeds, remembers a long-gone feature at the dance hall's site. It was a bowling alley located in a small building west of the hall, but it was unlike the kind found in cities today. She recalls watching her mother, Ella Lavien Etzel, test her skills, likely with nine pins instead of ten and bowling balls in two sizes, large with finger holes, and small without. The alley was raised, she said, so that the bowler didn't have to bend over. Georgia's guess is that the game originated in Germany.

Annie Banik is another old-timer whose sharp memory can recall the special fragance of Christmas at the hall. The branches of a mighty cedar tree, perhaps 15 feet tall and massive in circumference, dipped under the weight of apples, oranges, and stick candy—no other ornaments needed. In those days, with all three items seasonal and imported, the treats were highly anticipated. At the end of the festivities, which included a raffle for prizes, all the tree goodies were snipped down and handed to eager children. To this day, Mrs. Banik associates the aromatic mix of fruit and fresh cider with the hall's version of Christmas.

Still, that winter holiday vies with another event in her memory—February's costume party and dance celebrating Valentine's Day. At age eight, she won first prize for showing up in a white crepe paper dress embellished with red hearts. All told, she says, there were many socials throughout the year, some of which influenced her life—the dance, for instance, when a young man named Robert Banik came forward from the cluster of gentlemen in the center of the floor and asked her to be his partner—not just to dance, but for life. They married in 1942.

About 26 years later something wondrous occurred in quiet little Round Top. Emma Lee Turney, already a successful producer of antiques shows in other Texas areas, rented the hall for her first venture into deep country. Like Emma Lee, Ralph Willard of Dallas couldn't be sure that city folks would be lured to bucolic Highway 237 and then to even more remote Farm Road 1457, but he brought his folk art wares down and decorated a booth. What happened was amazing.

As a longtime antiques dealer and specialist in estate sales, he still marvels at how Emma Lee set in motion the great adventure of pursuing country collectibles. The trend she sparked spread throughout Texas and eventually aroused “can't live without it” passion in all of America. Imagine someone from the far reaches of Maine hauling a truckload of antiques to Texas and asking along the way, “Where do I turn to get to a place called Round Top?” The answer could well be, “Just follow that long string of cars.” Every spring and fall, and some dates between, collectors flock to Round Top for a time warp of sorts, an adventure in the past.

So this old building has always been a destination, almost the heart, of this little town. Each generation takes care of it with a patch here and there, a renovation as needed without disturbing its Old West essence. No wonder it is still standing, still welcoming all who seek a pleasant memory.

Enjoy your visit. And by all means, come back—there's always more excitement ahead in yesteryear.