Rendezvous: The Assembly of a Legacy

Leo Naumann was born on the banks of the Pedernales River, on the same ranch, in same home and the same bed as his father before him. The 800 acres of land had been settled by his grandfather, a German immigrant.

Leo’s father was the youngest son; he remained on his parents’ ranch, helping his widowed mother, until his mid-twenties. Around that time, he got into the habit of watering his horse at a spring at the same time the new school teacher let her class out for recess. The woman who became Leo’s mother was a graduate of the University of Chicago, a notable accomplishment for that time.

Leo began repairing saddles at his family’s ranch when he was thirteen. Wanting to start his own business, he apprenticed with accomplished saddle makers, Davis Moore in Lampases, Buck Steiner in Austin, and Windy Ryan in Fort Worth. Eventually he opened his own shop on his ranch in Leander, Texas. In the course of his career, he counted Texas Rangers, Livestock Shows, governors, and even an Italian count as his customers. In addition to ranching and custom saddle making, Leo Naumann developed his artistic talent as well. He captured his own experience as a rancher, cowboy and admirer of nature in drawings and sculptures.