Edmond E. Risien, Pecan Pioneer
San Saba, San Saba County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1853-1940) Cited by 42nd Texas Legislature and the public as a world leader in pecan industry. Spent lifetime upbreeding native San Saba pecans. Born in Dover, England. Came here in 1870s. Installed first San Saba water works. Some pecan varieties he originated were Onliwon, San Saba Improved and Western Schley. Mrs. E. E. Risien, born in Plymouth, England, 1853, died in San Saba 1953. The Risiens had four children: Doris, Norma, Winnie and E. Guy (son who carried on work with pecans). Erected 1969
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the hill country of San Saba, Edmond E. Risien turned the wild native pecan into a cultivated crop. An English immigrant who arrived in the 1870s, he spent decades selecting and improving San Saba's pecans, developing named varieties that helped make the pecan a commercial industry — work later recognized by the Texas Legislature. His son E. Guy carried the effort forward.
Why it matters
Risien's grafting and breeding helped launch Texas's pecan industry and shaped an American agricultural specialty rooted in a native tree.
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Related people
- · Edmond E. Risien
- · E. Guy Risien
Themes & tags
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