Days Left: 129
The Padgitt Family Contribution to the History of the Swiss Avenue Historical District:
J. D. Padgitt was the co-founder of Padgitt Brothers Manufacturing Company, the largest wholesale saddle manufacturer in America. He was also instrumental in organizing The State Fair of Texas. His family's presence on Swiss Avenue was not quite as prolific as was the Higginbothams, but it was significant, nonetheless. Mr. Padgitt built three impressive homes on the street. In 1912, he built a classic Prairie Style home at 4933 Swiss for his daughter. Five years later, he built his own High Prairie Style mansion at 4937 Swiss, designed by architect Charles P. Sites. And that same year, he built the Italian Renaissance Style home at 5421 Swiss, designed by famed architect Hal Thomson, as a wedding gift for his son, J. Durell Padgitt and J. Durell's wife, Mai Blanche.
Due to his expertise as a major leather-goods manufacturer, Mr. Padgitt designed and patented a medical saddle bag for use by the British and American Army during World War I. His contributions to the Allied war effort resulted in Mr. Padgitt receiving death threats from German sympathizers, which he ignored. The threats culminated in saboteurs posing as coal delivery men and dropping explosives through the coal chute in the basement of his home on Swiss Avenue. The saboteurs were spotted and apprehended a few blocks away and the plan was scuttled before the explosives could be detonated.
Gig Em Ags, God Bless Old Army and Marching in Behind the Band! Whooooopppp