Hans Peter Nielsen Gammel became one of the most well-known Danish Texans.

Hans married Anna Marie Andersen in Denmark when he was 16. Facing a lack of opportunity after 1874, he followed his sister to the United States "to dig some gold and send for the family."

H.P.N. Gammel

Gammel found no literal gold mine, but he and his brother Niels saw much of the central and western United States. Gammel mentioned later, "What we did and how is a dead letter. I never killed anybody and never robbed anybody and I hardly ever carried a gun." And he did send for the family; they eventually caught up with him in Austin.

Over the next few years, Gammel set up a retail shop selling stationery, jewelry, lemonade, and books. The books took over. In the words of the locals, Gammel's store changed from a "lemonade stand with books and trinkets for sale" to a "bookstand where lemonade was sold."

When the state capitol building burned in 1881, Gammel contracted the salvage job and rescued thousands of pages of charred, water-soaked state records. He entered the publishing business, became state printer, and produced, among many titles, the Laws of Texas, 1822-1897. This 10-volume set, preserving the records saved from the destroyed capitol, was an instant classic and remains the fundamental collection of Texas law.

Gammel's letterheads became legendary, graced with such headings as: "The Oldest Book Store in the State, Established in 1877. The Proprietor, Gammel, was born in Denmark, rich and good looking—not so now" and "Capital Stocks $000,000.00." In fact, Gammel did a good business and became internationally famous.

His desk, topped by an antique pistol, was home to a trained mouse. Nearby lounged his dog, Bill, who had a charge account at the nearby market and drugstore. And Gammel's infamous Copenhagen Punch, served at home, remained a secret composition which could stop anyone in his tracks.

But Gammel's "jollities" did not obscure his reputation as The Texas Bookman. His store invoices bore the line "If it's a book... Get it at Gammel's." One could. Many of his rare books are now in the library of the University of Texas at Austin.