Did You Know? Center Point, Texas Once Had an Armadillo Basket Factory!

German immigrant Charles Apelt (1862–1944) founded the Apelt Armadillo Basket Factory in Center Point, Texas in the late 1890s. Using nine-banded armadillo shells, Apelt's operation produced decorative baskets that became popular novelty items, shipping more than 40,000 armadillo baskets across the U.S. and internationally within six years. Products were exhibited at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. At peak production in the early 1900s, the factory made approximately 100 baskets weekly, priced at $2.50 each or up to $15 for fancier silk and bead-trimmed versions. Apelt expanded beyond baskets to create lamps, desk sets, and smoking stands, and maintained live armadillo collections for sale to zoos and research facilities. The factory operated until Apelt's death in 1944, with his wife Martha continuing until 1947. A brief reopening occurred in 1951 before final closure in 1971. Texas Historical Marker 15777 commemorates the site and represents the entrepreneurial spirit that shaped Texas history.