First, let’s get something straight. As any Texan worth their weight in cattle knows, pecan is pronounced “peh-cahn,” not “pee-can.” We can claim this pronunciation with some authority, since archeologists have discovered evidence of pecan trees in the Rio Grande Valley as long ago as 6100 B.C.E. In more recent times, the state has honored the humble pecan by naming it our official state tree, and, with good weather on our side, Texas can produce up to 70 million pounds of pecans annually. In short, Texans go nuts for pecans.
But one town goes nuttier than most: Seguin, “the Pecan Capital of Texas.” Nestled in the Hill Country along the Guadalupe River, Seguin has given new meaning to the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” by constructing the World’s Largest Pecan—not once, but twice.
The story of the World’s Biggest Pecan begins in 1958, when local dentist Edmund “Doc” Darilek established a pecan orchard on his farm. Eager to promote Seguin’s place as a pecan industry leader, Doc constructed the world’s largest pecan in 1962, displaying it proudly on the north side of the Guadalupe County Courthouse. The pecan weighed 1,000 pounds (about the size of a smallish horse or a robust hippo) and measured 5 feet long. Doc named it in honor of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer in the 16th century who deemed the Guadalupe River “the river of nuts” because of the copious pecan trees lining its banks.
SEGUIN’S LARGEST PECANS
The original Doc Darilek pecan is located at Guadalupe County Courthouse (101 E. Court St.), while the second largest pecan can be found at the Texas Agricultural and Heritage Center (aka the Big Red Barn), located at 390 Cordova Road and open Mon, Wed, and Fri., from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Seguin held on to the title of World’s Largest Pecan until 1982, when George and Elizabeth James, pecan farmers in Brunswick, Missouri (“the Pecan Capital of Missouri”), built a concrete pecan measuring 7 by 12 feet and 12,000 pounds. The new “largest” pecan rested in a roadside stand named the Nut Hut on U.S. Route 24. Flush with pecan victory and bragging rights, Brunswick residents sent postcards with pictures of their nut to Seguin’s Chamber of Commerce, reminding the Texans of their lost pecan glory.
Texans aren’t ones to suffer indignities lightly, so when the opportunity came to regain the title of World’s Biggest Pecan, folks in Seguin grabbed it. The Seguin Chamber of Commerce hosts a leadership class every year, and each cohort sets their sights on a project to better the local community. The Leadership Seguin class of 2010–11 chose to build a pecan larger than the original Doc Darilek pecan and its Brunswick successor.
The cohort turned to the community to raise funds and then organized the construction of a 16-by-8-foot fiberglass pecan that sits outside the Texas Agricultural and Heritage Center, locally known as the Big Red Barn. Beyond inviting pictures, the new World’s Biggest Pecan has the added benefit of welcoming visitors to the Texas Pecan Museum housed outside the Big Red Barn’s entrance, which is also the center of activity during the town’s Pecan Fest held every October.
“People visit both pecans, but my heart is with our original one because it sits in our downtown historic district and it’s got that nostalgia factor to it,” says Kyle Kramm, director of the Main Street and Convention and Visitors Bureau for the city of Seguin. “But I do also like that we took our title back with the new one.”
Pecan seekers can visit both record-breaking Seguin nuts to snap a photo or just to enjoy the competitive spirit of Texans. For those visiting the original largest nut in the Court House Square, they’ll enjoy its recent glow-up. It was repainted on Nov. 10, which is no small matter.
“Trying to find someone [to touch up the original nut] can be challenging,” Kramm says. “Everyone’s a little nervous about taking on that job because it’s such a visible landmark for the community.”
For those in search of real pecans in Seguin, Doc Darilek’s grandsons still run the family pecan grove, now known as 38 Pecans. Folks can shop online or in Seguin’s Guadalupe Trading Company for pecan-coating mixes and spiced pecans—Kramm recommends the honey-covered pecans. He also points out that the Seguin parks system has multiple pecan trees.
“This time of the year, you’ll see our citizens walking the parks and picking pecans and taking them home to eat or make pies,” he says. This author suggests using this Texas State Fair award-winning pecan pie recipe. Go nuts!
