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Reconstruction & Gilded Age

Steiner & Dallmeyer Building

Burton, Washington County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Built by 1875, this commercial structure first housed the Burton Farmers Co-op. In 1903, German immigrants William Dallmeyer and Joe Steiner opened a mercantile business, which was in operation for over fifty years. The store housed the first telephone in town and served as a local cotton marketing center. Features of the building include a double-gable roof, wooden balustrade, and a 1913 addition with a false front and recessed central entry.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Built by 1875 to house the Burton Farmers Co-op, this commercial building took on new life in 1903 when German immigrants William Dallmeyer and Joe Steiner opened a mercantile store that ran for more than fifty years. It held the town's first telephone and served as a cotton-marketing hub, its double-gable roof, wooden balustrade, and 1913 false-front addition still marking Burton's main street.

Why it matters

The store reflects the immigrant-run mercantile economy and cotton trade that anchored small German-Texan farming towns for generations.

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Related people

  • Β· William Dallmeyer
  • Β· Joe Steiner

Themes & tags

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