LOCAL HISTORY
Many travelers along U.S. Highway 67 just west of San Angelo passing by the two-story white building sitting at the base of Twin Buttes that says “NICK’S” on the side have probably wondered about its origins.
This unique landmark has been undergoing a period-correct restoration as of late, an The Concho Observer was invited in for a tour, so it seemed like a good time to tell the story of this interesting location.
Fencing Business Arrived By Accident
Homer Nickel was the original proprietor at the site, opening a liquor store there in the late 1940s. There he sold his goods, and was known for his generosity. That generosity got Twin Mountain Fence started.
Nickel never set out to sell fencing, but by happy accident founded one of the largest fencing companies in West Texas.
The story goes that one day a truck hauling a trailer full of cedar posts stopped in at Nick’s.
The man said that his truck had broken down, and asked to borrow some money for repairs. Nickel agreed and lent the man the money, on the condition that he left his truck and trailer behind as collateral.
The man took the cash and left, never to return. After a time, Nickel decided to take the posts into town.
He was able to find a good buyer for the stock in under an hour.
The way he told it to Raymond Meza, eventual owner of Twin Mountain Fence: “I thought to myself, ‘I’m in the wrong business!'”
By 1960, Nickel decided he had enough of running the liquor store and rebranded his business as Twin Mountain Supply Co. focusing on fencing materials and salvaged hardware and fixtures.
Raymond Meza Get Involved
Homer’s son, Robert, eventually took over the business, and in time would come to rely on the young boy who was picking up nails in the driveway.
Raymond Meza was born on Dec. 8, 1958, and like a lot of kids back then, got to work early.
His family worked at Twin Mountain and lived in the upstairs portion of the building, and at the age of five he was dragging a magnet along the caliche parking lot, picking up nails outside the ‘Nick’s’ building, and it wasn’t long until Homer Nickel’s son, Robert, took him under his wing.
The boy grew up, and in 1992, he purchased the business from Robert.
After that, Raymond took Twin Mountain from a small outpost into one of the most prominent fencing businesses in Texas. In 2018, Meza said they put in over 700 miles of fencing.
It was a dream of Raymond to restore the building where it all began, and in 2018, he met with Tommy Walker, a specialist in historic restorations.
Walker specializes in these kinds of restorations, with a passion for the small details that make these projects feel authentic.
Historic Challenges
Tommy Walker specializes in the exact kind of construction that Meza was after. An Austin native, he commutes to San Angelo each week to oversee the historic restoration.
Meza met with Walker in 2018, and discussed the project. Getting the historic designation approved was the longest part of the process, and unfortunately, Raymond Meza passed away in 2023, before he was able to see his dream realized.
Once the historic designation was approved, Walker got to work on the project, which is now in its seventh month.
Historic restorations are often complicated by tracking down rare materials, and by having to go back to traditional building methods. The walls are plaster, and though the modern windows are double paned for insulation, they are completely clear, with no greying as required by modern law.
These kinds of changes are allowable, and required under historic restoration guidelines.
“Replace is a dirty word for them,’ he says of the Texas Historical Commission, explaining the process for ‘sistering’ boards into place to fix places that have rotted in the building.
Another aspect Walker spends a lot of time thinking about is the light. Not only should the lights and fixtures be period correct to make the look authentic, but the windows should clear as well to let in natural light and color.
They are eager that the work is being done now, as San Angelo has grown in the direction of U.S. 67 significantly over the last decade. The historic designation will ensure that the building will never be knocked down.
“I’m gonna miss him when he leaves” Raymond’s daughter, Monica, says of Walker. “He runs the show..”
Besides his appreciation for Raymond and his daughter and grandsons, Walker mentions several times the wealth of historic buildings in San Angelo.
Raymond’s Legacy
Raymond’s daughter Monica took over the business following her father’s death in December of 2023 at the age of 64. It was a sudden and sad loss for the family.
She runs the operation now, and feels that the historic property will be a fitting tribute to her father.
“It kind of helps me deal with my grief…this was his baby,” she says of the business. “I really feel like I owe that to him, and to my kids.
“We really try to emphasize the passing from generation to generation. We’ve laid a pretty good foundation for it to continue.”
Raymond got involved in the community right away, volunteering his spare time to numerous organizations like the Christian Men’s Network, the Stock Show and Rodeo, the West Texas Boys Ranch, and the Women’s Shelter off of Bryant Blvd.
He was an original member of Leadership San Angelo, and became board president in 1999.
Besides these, Raymond’s 2023 obituary is chock full of the numerous other organizations, church and children’s groups he supported throughout the years.
Customers and visitors can tell that Monica still takes her father’s wishes very seriously, and the business remains within the family, her sons working the front desk.
Meza’s life is remembered in a display by the front desk, which reads: “work hard and treat others fairly. That’s the only way to be somebody.”
Monica remembers staying in the now historic building, and watching through the upstairs window to see when her father’s work truck was heading back. It’s where she learned to speak Spanish.
When the project is completed, visitors will be able to tour the home that was always a dream of Raymond’s.
