Rowell’s Saddlery is for Tourists, History Buffs, Too

A horse and herd of cattle are optional at . The longtime Western retail store on Castro Valley Boulevard is as much a destination for tourists—from Germany, Japan, Sweden and elsewhere—as it is for local horse lovers.

Janet Lemmons, the store's owner, didn't anticipate this when she bought the store nearly 30 years ago, but now she thinks it makes sense. “People come here to feel a part of that legacy of the West,” said Lemmons. “When they put on a cowboy hat or walk out of here with boots on, they take away a little piece of our history that I think lives on.”

Looking around the store, you see cowboy relics of years gone by: ropes, spurs, branding irons and, of course, cowboy hats. The smell of leather wafts through the air. Old photos of John Wayne and “Wild Bill” Elliott dutifully watch over the comings and goings. A warm, laid-back atmosphere greets everyone who enters, whether a paying customer, a cowboy enthusiast or a traveler taking in the sights.

“Lots of families will bring their relatives visiting from other countries into the store. They will want a cowboy belt buckle, a hat or boots to remember their trip," Lemmons said.

Something mysterious happens to visitors who put on a cowboy hat. she said. “It’s so funny how people react when they get that cowboy hat on their head," Lemmons said. "They really do stand a little taller and stride with more purpose.”

Visitors want a taste of what it might have been like when the heroes of the wide-open Old West rode into the sunset. At Rowell's, not only do you feel the spirit of the cowboy era, you also sense echoes of the store’s past. 

Harry Rowell opened the Saddlery in 1941 with an initial investment of $50,000. By 1943, Rowell’s was a successful retail business, selling saddles with the monogram “JHR” that were shipped all over the world. In 1956, Rowell appointed Cecil Jones to manage the Saddlery and in 1960 Jones bought the business. The Saddlery was relocated in 1970 and Jones sold the store to his daughter, Terry, and her husband, Walt Rivas. 

Today, Lemmons enthusiastically promotes the American cowboy legacy left by Rowell.

Lemmons took the reins at a remarkably young age. At 16 years old, she wanted to earn extra money to feed her hobby: riding horses. She pestered Rivas for a job and was ultimately successful, despite his reluctance to hire someone so young. At 18, she bough the business, backed financially by her parents, Marjorie and Dale Engelage. Lemmons' mother can often be found in the store listening to customer’s requests and finding just what they need.

Though the store no longer makes the world-renowned Rowell’s saddles, it still repairs saddles and does custom leatherwork like leather chaps, knife sheaths, bridles and even ax belts for the fire department. And if you wander in, you can still sense the ghosts of cowboys past.