organizations · updated 2026-08-29
Gebhardt Chili Powder Company (Gebhardt Mexican Foods)
confidence: single-source weakest: ev-0026
One of Three Rivers Glass's largest named customers, documented producing 61,000 chili-powder bottles per day in 1927
One of Three Rivers Glass Company’s largest named customers, and a San Antonio institution: the company that turned chili powder from a regional curiosity into a national product. Founded in 1896 by a German immigrant who figured out how to grind dried peppers into shelf-stable powder, Gebhardt grew into what it claimed was “the largest spice manufacturer in the world” by 1915.
William F. “Willie” Gebhardt (born March 16, 1875, in Germany) immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1883, settling in New Braunfels, Texas by 1885. In 1892, he opened a café where he developed a spice blend initially called “Tampico Dust” — grinding dried ancho peppers imported from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. By 1896 he marketed it as “Gebhardt’s Eagle Brand Chili Powder.” In 1898, Gebhardt relocated to San Antonio; the company incorporated in 1903. By 1915, profits approached $1 million, producing 18,000 bottles of chili powder a day from two San Antonio plants. By 1922, the workforce had grown to over 200, with products reaching nineteen countries.
Connection to Three Rivers Glass
A November 21, 1927 Cuero Daily Record article reports Three Rivers Glass producing approximately 61,000 bottles per day for Gebhardt — 2 oz. and 6 oz. capacity chili-powder bottles [ev-0026]. This makes Gebhardt one of the best-documented TRG customer relationships: a named customer, a named product (Eagle Chili Powder), specific bottle sizes, and a daily production figure — all from a contemporary newspaper source. The 61,000-bottles/day figure is TRG’s total glass output for the Gebhardt contract; Gebhardt’s own 18,000-bottles/day figure (by 1915) is their filling rate.
WorthPoint collector listings confirm surviving TRG bottles bearing the “3R” maker’s mark with Gebhardt branding.
Ownership Timeline
- 1936: Founder William Gebhardt retired
- 1956: Gebhardt died June 11, San Antonio
- 1960: Sold to Beatrice Foods Company
- 1990: ConAgra Foods acquired the brand via Beatrice/Hunt-Wesson
See Also
- Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Company — another major San Antonio food-industry TRG customer