Circa 1890s

This building is one of the oldest surviving commercial structures in Cat Spring, Texas, and it tells the story of how small towns on the Texas frontier kept life moving.
It stands as a reminder of Cat Spring’s pioneering spirit and its role as one of the earliest German settlements in Texas. Blacksmithing was central to community life in the 19th century—providing wagon repairs, farm tools, and ironwork essential for daily living.

The first blacksmiths in Cat Spring, Karl Palm and Jacob Peshek, began working here in the mid-1800s, serving settlers who were building farms and businesses along the San Bernard River. Their trade was not just about iron and fire; it was about survival, growth, and the making of a community.

In the 1800s and early 1900s, the blacksmith was as essential as a mechanic or hardware store is today. Inside shops like this, a smith used a forge, anvil, hammers, and tongs to shape hot iron into the tools and parts that people needed every day:
• Horseshoes and wagon wheel rims
• Plows, axes, hinges, and gates
• Repairs for farming equipment and household items

By the 1890s, the arrival of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad transformed Cat Spring. Businesses moved closer to the new depot, and the blacksmith shop was relocated to Front Street, the same stretch where this building still stands today. It became a gathering place where neighbors exchanged news while wagons were shod and tools were mended.

Today, owned, restored and reimagined by Reichardt Construction, the shop continues to welcome nee bysiees. While wagon repairs aren’t happening in the shop anymore, the Wagon Haus has a front row seat to the start of the Salt Grass Trail ride held in February each year.

Carli Jeffrey, creator of Wagon Haus, hopes this space will be more than just a venue, but a gathering place for our community. It serves as a venue for markets, family celebrations, and local events, while also operating as a farm store supporting area farmers and small businesses.

Lastly, it also serves as the operational home and workshop for Carli’s first business, Agave Events — a luxury wedding planning and floral design company.