Casa de Schwartz

Ernest was a true “wild cat” oil man. Although born in Ontario, Canada, he spent much of his early years in the oil frontier of Galacia, Poland where he learned his craft as a teen. He married Olive Perkins, daughter of Jacob Perkins, one of his key mentors in the oil business. He struck out on his own in the Gulf of Mexico region of Tampico. During his career, he moved up the corporate ladder of Conico Oil before starting his own company, Nicklos Oil and Gas. Eventually, the family settled in Houston, Texas. His legend will be difficult to top. Many of the family fondly remember trips to Rancho Amigo in Hunt, Texas, home of the hundreds of Mettlach Beer Steins that he actively collected. Recently the tile and iron work done in the home has become the subject of study of others interested in the architecture of of the time.