The Fair

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll let the building do the talking. Way back in 1888, a man named Andy Aston put up a structure on the square with one purpose in mind: harness and saddle-making. Now that's a particular kind of work, the kind that smells like leather and ambition in equal measure.

And the building Aston erected was ready for exactly that. Then came 1906, and with it a remodeling. Ironwork went up (that good, sturdy, look-at-me ironwork) while a man named George Landers was part owner.

Whether Landers had strong opinions about ironwork or just good timing, we can't say, but the ironwork stayed. Around 1908, the harness shop relocated, and that opened the door to what you might call a parade of commerce. Retail stores moved in.

Joe Kerr ran his grocery out of that space. Drygoods firms came and went. But two names stand out from the rest.

One was simply called The Fair, which is where this marker gets its title, and there's a certain modesty to naming your store after something as open and honest as a fair. The other was the store of a merchant folks called Blue-Front Riley. Now that nickname (Blue-Front Riley) came from the facade of his earlier store, on the west side of the square.

A blue front. That's all it took. One distinctive facade, and a man carries that name for the rest of his days.

Turns out in a Texas town, your building can follow you around longer than your shadow.

What the marker says

Erected 1888 by Andy Aston for a harness and saddle-making shop. Ironwork was added during a 1906 remodeling, while George Landers was part owner. After harness shop was relocated about 1908, various retail stores operated here, including the grocery of Joe Kerr and several drygoods firms. Notable were "The Fair" and the store of "Blue-Front Riley", a merchant nicknamed for the facade of his earlier store, on the west side of the square.