) was a world-class spur

Spur

A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids and to back up the natural aids . The spur is used in every equestrian discipline...

 maker who immigrated to Victoria, Texas

Victoria, Texas

Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...

 in December 1885 and died in Victoria on May 29, 1949 at the age of 77. Bianchi’s particular style became known across Southwest Texas as the Victoria Shank or bottle-opener spur, terms which are still used today by collectors, some sixty years after production of these much sought-after custom, hand-made spurs ceased.

Bianchi’s father, Luigi (Louis) purchased a farm after arriving in Texas. The 1900 Census

United States Census

The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...

 listed Louis and his youngest son as farmer

Farmer

A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...

. By contrast, Joe and his older brother Paul were listed as blacksmith

Blacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

by trade at the time of their arrival, no doubt due to some experience gained in Italy.

Bianchi worked in partnership with other blacksmith shops including with brother Paul at Bianchi Brothers Blacksmith Shop in 1901. Sometime after his marriage to Mathilde Urban on February 22, 1905, Bianchi opened his own shop next to their home on South William Street. This shop became a popular place for family, friends, cowboy

Cowboy

A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...

s and cattlemen to meet and visit. One could purchase spur

Spur

A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids and to back up the natural aids . The spur is used in every equestrian discipline...

s, bit

Bit

A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states...

s, and branding iron

Branding iron

A branding iron is a tool which uses the process of pressing a heated metal shape against an object or livestock with the intention of leaving a mark....

s and have repairs made to carriage

Carriage

A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...

s, farming implements and household items. Bianchi built park benches

Bench (furniture)

A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...

 for the city square around 1920. As a testimony to the quality of his work, a number of these benches can still be seen in Victoria over 80 years later.

After the introduction of the automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

 resulted in a switch among the population away from horse and buggy, Paul’s work turned to the automobile while Joe continued to concentrate on the needs of the cowboys and cattlemen, in particular, the spurs, bits and branding irons needed for their work. In addition to the distinctive bottle-opener style, some spurs and bits made by the Bianchi brothers can also be identified by markings such as BIANCHI, HANDFORGED and VICTORIA, TEX.



Bianchi offered to repair or replace any spur that proved defective without charge. He also created a pocket size catalog so his products could be ordered by mail. As a result, his products found a market throughout the United States and some foreign countries. He also placed advertisements in The Cattleman magazine as well as the Running W Saddle Shop catalog of the famous King Ranch

King Ranch

King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...

 in south Texas.



Joe was also known for his support of the church and various schools in town. He also joined the local Spanish American militia unit and was an active member of the Victoria Fire Department

Fire department

A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...

right up to the final years of his life. For his industriousness, civic mindedness and decent living, Joe was highly respected by all who knew and worked with him.

Sources

• David C. Bianchi, My Italian Ancestors & Their Descendants, Cambridge Pub, 2004