San Francisco, CA 1937 - 1950s The Olsen Nolte Saddlery was started later in life for Al Nolte, whom at the time of the shop opening in 1937, was in his early 60s having been born in the mid 1870s. On the other hand, John E. Collins was a bit younger of an individual with extensive business background but he had no saddle making experience. Through the experience Al Nolte gained in making fine saddlery over the years working for notable Saddleries like Main & Winchester, Visalia Stock Saddle Company, D. E. Walker, Hermann H. Heiser Saddlery, and the Great West Saddlery to name a few. Together they built a thriving Saddlery Business known as The Olsen Nolte Saddlery of San Francisco and within just a few short years by 1942 Al Nolte passed away, the Saddlery thrived as a premiere saddlery on the west coast until the mid 1950s.
credit the following: High Noon Western Americana (www.highnoon.com) Saddlery-Saddle Maker Opened 1930sAl Nolte was born in Los Angeles but grew-up in San Francisco where he learned saddlemaking while apprenticing at Main & Winchester. Al went to work for Visalia's Dave Walker but grew restless drifting to the Denver based saddlery's of J H Wilson & Hermann Heiser before returning to the Bay Area where he joined with businessman John E. Olsen to form the Olsen-Nolte firm in the 1930s. An instant hit, the partnership became one of the top-ranking saddlery's overnight necessitating an expansion, which ultimately overtaxed Nolte's capabilities & resulted in his sale to Olsen.
