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Still
operating under the guidance of 92 year-old Luther Fleming Goss.
The corrugated
steel building with the no-nonsense signage is one of the last authentic Texas
oases left. Originally built as a Model T garage and a blacksmith shop, it’s been
the home of Goss barbeque since anyone can remember. |
Belmont’s
Premier Business
TE photo, July 2008 |
Luther
Goss and a roll of
butcher's paper - an important part of what separates serious barbeque from the
mediocre.
TE photo, July 2008 |
The Goss family has
figured prominently in Belmont
commerce since the 1850s and at one time they owned the local cotton gin. An aging
photo of the gin hangs on the wall of the dining area although it was torn down
sometime in the 1970s.
Luther Fleming Goss was born in 1916 and attended
school in Belmont.
He allowed that the rock shell across the highway was once a general store (circa
1886) and that a second store on the same side of the road was separated from
the first by a 30 foot alley. When asked if he had bought candy from either store
as a child, Mr. Goss simply stated: “We didn’t have any candy.”
Luther
came of age in the 30s and (although it may seem hard to believe) he says he “found
Belmont
too small.” He became an oilfield worker and traveled to various oilfield towns
around South Texas including Refugio
and Benavides.
He said that his crew sometimes visited the notorious town of Freer
– but only to stop in at a domino / beer joint that was operated by a former coworker.
Goss’ crew had the difficult job of “knocking out” blowouts – one of the
most dangerous jobs in the oil patch. Despite Herculean efforts, results were
sometimes disappointing. Mr. Goss tells of a blowout near Rita (outside of Refugio)
that melted the state highway and burned the ties of the railroad tracks – resulting
in a bend in the highway that remains today. |
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Dining
room ambiance.
TE photo, July 2008 |
The dining room walls
of the business are covered in Belmont-related
newspaper clippings, photos and stories like the local man who once tried to introduce
Yaks to Central Texas – supposedly for their milk and butter. (This enterprise
predated the Emu-raising bubble of the 1980s and met the same degree of success).
One photo of a bull rider being thrown from a huge animal brought the
remark – “I don’t remember the name of the man but the bull later broke his back
in a rodeo and had to be put down.”
If you’re traveling between Seguin
and Gonzales (or Luling
and Nixon) take the time to stop in for some
authentic barbeque – served on traditional butcher’s paper.
Like the minimal
signage and the understated façade – it’s a no-frills trip back to the decade
of your choice. |
A
poster or menu?
TE photo, July 2008 |
The
Goss Cotton Gin in Belmont - no longer standing
TE
photo, July 2008 |
Mr.
Goss giving a dining room tour.
TE photo, July 2008 |
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