!n the early 1890's two brothers-

In the early 1890s, two brothers — Oscar Rauscher, 19 and Otto Rauscher, 17 were struggling for work as masons in Germany. In 1892 with only a few dollars in their pockets and the dream of a better life in America, the brothers boarded a cargo ship in Hamburg bound for New York. Upon their arrival at Ellis Island, they promptly changed their surname to the more American-sounding, Rausch.

They soon made their way to Hermann, Missouri, an area rich in German culture, where they joined friends and made a modest living as masons in the prosperous town.       

Oscar married Heidi Hoffman, the daughter of an experienced Missouri farmer.  The Hoffman family owned land in Hermann as well as Branson, a small town in southern Missouri. Oscar and Heidi moved to Branson to manage a 20-acre vineyard from which they would ship grapes to Hermann for winemaking. After a short time, Oscar felt that the grapes produced in Branson should be used for local winemaking and contacted Otto, still in Hermann, to encourage a partnership for his winemaking endeavor. Otto joined Oscar in Branson along with an Italian cousin, Euseppi Angelini.

With their trade skills and hard-earned money, they constructed a European-style stone winery in 1898. Business flourished. Over the next 22 years, total production for the winery exceeded 225,000 gallons and was distributed throughout the United States and Europe. The wine also won many awards including a Best of Class in the 1904 World's Fair and a Gold Medal in the Hearts of Wine competition in Spain.

In 1920, the Rausches world changed dramatically when Prohibition struck. The family was forced to resort to farming once again and an American-style barn was built in 1921 for the farming needs. The stone winery was converted for dry grain storage and mushroom production and a few years later, a General Store was built in 1930 to take advantage of the increased traffic along their property. The family continued to operate a successful business, even after the deaths of Oscar and Otto in the 1940s. Sadly however, the operation hit hard times in the early 1960s and was forced to close entirely in 1963.

After laying dormant for nearly 40 years, two area businessmen became interested in the dilapidated property. Fascinated with the Rausch family story, and with great appreciation for the beauty of the surrounding land, the team acquired the property in 2005 with the dream of reconstruction the winery, barn and general store.  The new winery and marketplace buildings, designed as they once stood, honor the Rausch family spirit of resilience and determination and serves as a reminder that dedication to quality is just one of many elements of a truly successful endeavor.