Edward Anderson “Ted” Flowers 1914-1976
Whenever you see a western movie or a TV cowboy good guy knocking off a sagebrush bad guy, you could almost bet your next bag of popcorn that the saddle, in which the hero sits tall and stern, came from Alexandria, Indiana.
The same holds true for the proud equestrians you see in the annual Rose Parade at Pasadena, CA or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
The man responsible for creating most of these eye-popping leather goods was Ted Flowers. His western gear shop was called “The Spot Shop”. It was located in the building that Ram Graphics currently occupies on St Rd 9.
In 1945, Ted began concentrating on the manufacturer of ornate bridles and decorating saddles. Flowers would use stainless steel, German and sterling silver and for a real snazzy items, he would use 14K gold inlay.
His creations, which now have become something of a status symbol among the horsey set, ranged in price from $32 for an unadorned standard model to $15,000 for a really super duper type. The most popular range was from $1000 to $2000. (These were the prices in the 1960’s)
When the flying weather was good, it was not uncommon to find several Hollywood celebrities (like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers) sashaying around the Spot Shop talking and ordering new equipment for their upcoming movies. Most came in their own planes and would land at Knott’s Airport, just over a mile away. They would come in, gab for awhile, they would order some items and take off for Hollywood without fanfare.
His saddles have been seen on the popular TV show “Pawn Stars” on A&E
