Rios of Mercedes · History
Why collectors care
Rios is the Valley handmade flagship collectors meet beside Anderson Bean and Olathe. Need: Is this Rios or AB? Mercedes or León sibling? What does “est. 1853” actually mean? Who owned the shop after Zeferino?
The dates describe different milestones: family craft roots in Mexico in 1853, the Mercedes shop in 1929, and the Evans purchase in 1975.
Chronology
| Date | What stronger sources support |
|---|---|
| 1853 | Rios grandparents / family making cavalry boots & saddles in General Terán, Nuevo León, Mexico (family history / booklet) — craft origin, not necessarily a continuous Mercedes factory. |
| ~1901 / turn of century | Family moves to the Rio Grande Valley amid Mexican Revolution pressures (booklet / Border Business). |
| 1928 | Rios shop in Raymondville. |
| 1929 | Zeferino Rios opens the shop in Mercedes. |
| 1969 | Zeferino retires; sells to a Big Spring investor group. |
| 1975 | Joe & Trainor Evans purchase; Trainor long helm. |
| 1983 | Pat Moody joins. |
| 1985/87/89 | Anderson Bean sister brand — soft launch year (see that page). |
| 1999– | Ryan Vaughan rises to CEO; factory expansion for AB; later Olathe / Horse Power / Macie Bean. |
Founder attribution
CowboyBootsDB’s “Founded by John Rios” is an error relative to Zeferino / family chronologies. The family chronology identifies Zeferino as the Mercedes shop founder.
People credits
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Zeferino Rios | Mercedes founder (1929); retires 1969 |
| Joe & Trainor Evans | Purchase 1975; Trainor multi-decade steward |
| Pat Moody | Partner / sales from 1983; AB launch collaborator |
| Ryan & Jode Vaughan | CEO / Chief of Design |
| Carlos Rodriguez | Production partner 2011+ |
| Clayton Evans | Finance 2018 |
Known for
170 years of Valley handmades