Pape Pecan House in Seguin not only has a wide selection of goodies made with the state nut, but it also has what may be the largest collection of nutcrackers in the world.
Three generations of the Pape family have been involved in the nutty business since 1961. They sell everything from trees to harvesting equipment to wonderful amaretto-chocolate-covered pecan halves.
Being avid collectors of all sorts of things, Kenneth and Zelda have amassed a collection of nearly 10,000 nutcrackers and related memorabilia over 45 years. The collection is so huge that they had to move it from their large retail store to two rooms at their equipment barn south of town.
The earliest nutcrackers were levers. These worked fine, but they needed embellishment with the likenesses of animals and humans. Another popular design was the screw type, which ranged from the simple to artistic.
Nutcrackers in the form of soldiers and kings were created in Germany in the 1800s. The Papes have hundreds of this type that resemble sports players, Santa Claus, and even presidents. Hillary Clinton was the model for two nutcrackers.
The Pape Pecan House Nutcracker Museum is at 5440 S. Hwy. 123, and the retail shop is at 101 S. Hwy. 123. The shops are open Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm, and Saturday, 8am to 1pm. For more information, call 888/688-7273.
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This article appears in December 9 • 2011.
