History of the Buckhorn

Over fifty years ago the old Buckhorn Saloon was more famous as a museum than a saloon, due to the display of heads and horns that adorned its walls and as a saloon or bar-room was conducted in a strictly business manner, that made it famous for the fact that ladies also were welcome as visitors to view the collection of heads and horns.

How did the idea originate to ever assemble such  a vast number and varied assortment of animal heads and horns?

The collection was started as a hobby in 1881 by Albert Friedrich, and through years of perseverance he succeeded in obtaining a representative specimen of almost every type of horned animal in the world.

Outstanding features of the collection are the 78 point Texas deer head and a Texas longhorn steer (entire body mounted), horns measuring (tip to tip) 8 feet 15/8 inches, over 9 feet along the horns, also the world's largest Chandelier, 50 feet long and composed of hundreds of sets of Texas deer horns-total weight approximately 4,000 lbs.

The original solid walnut and marble bar furniture is still in use, including the brass foot rail, and in the center of the large back-bar mirror hangs the head and horns of a tremendous African steer )largest in the world valued at $5,000) measuring 7 feet 9 inches tip to tip and over 11 feet along curve of horns, with a circumference of 21 inches at the base.  Hanging nearby and in sharp contrast is what is claimed to be the smallest cow horns in existence being 101/2 inches in length and 27/8 inches at the base.  Raised in this (Bexas) county.

Texas is well represented by such mounted heads as, Deer, Antelope, Wild Mustang, Javeline, (wild hog) and numerous fine specimens of the famous Texas Long-horn cattle of long ago.  Numerous lifelike mountings of the rare Death Locks (deer horns locked in battle).  Also a full body mounted burro, an albino deer and a life size bucking bronc.

Other states are represented by such specimens as Buffalo, Moose, Deer, Rocky Mountain Sheep and Goats, etc., including a large cattalo head (Buffalo Origin), Alaska by Caribou Sheep, Moose, etc.

African Springbok, Lichenstein, Hartebest, War Hog, Barbarisa, Double Horn Rhino, Beschbok, Kudu, African Buffalo Eland, etc.

A very interesting part is the huge African Gorilla, mounted in standing position, nearly 51/2 feet tall.

India Musk Deer, Axis Deer, etc., China Shomberg and Sika Deer, Virgin Islands Deer, Russian Elk, Spanish Bull from Mexico, Bull-Fight.  A well-preserved prehistoric specimen is the set of horns from the very rare Irish Elk measuring 9 feet 1 inch across.  Five fingered moose from Norway.  Huge mounted head and neck with tusks of Walrus.  Nine foot spear of Narwhal from the Arctic.  Whole mounted Albino Deer, Iguana Gila Monster, Two-headed Calves, Deformed Cattle Hoofs, Kaiser's Drinking Horn, Pioneer and Indian Relics, etc.

A unique feature of the display is the collection of 32,000 rattlesnake rattles, many of these being fashioned into designs, all under glass.  The creation of these designs was the patient and artistic work of Mrs. Albert Friedrich, wife of the founder. Several of the rattle designs are inlaid in the bar-front, forming the oddest soda fountain counter to be seen anywhere.  637 snake rattles have been arranged into a design forming a life-size picture of a deer and a design representing two Indian heads has 1090 rattles.  They were gathered over many thousands of square miles of Texas and Mexico during a long period of years.  The Buckhorn Curio Shop Store is one of the most worthwhile and popular points of interest in San Antonio and is termed the world's oddest store.