DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Frank Teich, right here in Llano County. Now settle in, because this is a story about a man who came a long way to leave a permanent mark — and I mean that in the most literal sense possible. Frank Teich was born on September 22, 1856, in Germany, and before he ever set foot on American soil, he was already studyin under master German artists and sculptors.
The man had stone in his blood before he ever touched Texas granite. He came to the United States in 1878, and by 1883 — five years later — he was established in San Antonio as an accomplished stonemason and artist. Five years.
Some men spend a lifetime chasing that kind of reputation. Frank Teich built it in five years in a country that wasn't even his yet. Then comes the job that opens every door: his supervision of work on the State Capitol.
Now if you want your name to carry weight in Texas, there is no heavier credential than that. And sure enough, it led to other jobs — construction of the Tarrant County Courthouse, and then the creation of numerous Confederate memorials and other monuments throughout the South. Stone by stone, county by county, this man shaped how an entire region chose to remember itself.
But here's where the story takes a turn that speaks to something deeper than craft. In 1901, Frank Teich founded Teich Monument Works, right near Llano. And that decision — planting his business in this particular corner of Texas — resulted in the development of the area's granite production industry.
One man, one decision, one year. The ripples from that are still carving through this county today. Frank Teich was born September 22, 1856, and he lived until January 27, 1939.
He is buried in the Llano Cemetery — surrounded, in a way, by the very stone that defined his life's work. Some legacies are written down. His was carved.
What the marker says
(Sept. 22, 1856 - Jan. 27, 1939) A native of Germany, Frank Teich studied under master German artists and sculptors before coming to the United States in 1878. By 1883 he was established in San Antonio as an accomplished stonemason and artist. His supervision of work on the State Capitol led to other jobs, including construction of the Tarrant County Courthouse and the creation of numerous Confederate memorials and other monuments throughout the South. In 1901 he founded Teich Monument Works near Llano, which resulted in the development of the area's granite production industry. He is buried in the Llano Cemetery.