but much more famous for starting Herter's sporting goods store in Waseca , MN. He had a retail outlet store as well as a catalog mail order business. He pioneered the business's that are now like Cabela's , and similar type sporting goods outlets. I visited the Herter's stores a few times as it was abought 65 miles or so from where I live.
Used to have a barbershop-gun shop in our town growing up well north of *The Cities* that would order-in from many places acting somewhat like a Sears Catalog Store for sporting goods.
The shop would be littered with everything from Shotgun News to actual Holland & Holland catalogs and order blanks.
Mel - the owner & head barber - liked to have fellas pick items up in such a way as to be shown off to other town sportsmen in his shop.
Herter's, Kittery and others were common sources. I think Abercrombie & Fitch out of N.Y. and some outfitter operation in Washington State were big as well.
It was an interesting small town situation in that an item would come in and Mel would try to call (remember - no cell nor even answering machines) and then commence to engage the net comprised of barber shop loafers, passing-by drop-ins and such.
Eventually, *everyone* knew a package was in for Shmedley and where it was from and would find themselves conveniently present when Shmedley rolled 'round to pick it up.
It should be noted that Mel could be as sly and discreet as a proctologist when you made it clear up front that that was what you wanted.
One example of that was my uncle who ordered-in or pilgrimaged down to the store for duck decoys. There were some incredible examples available from Herter's in the day. My uncle was throughout his life ADAMANT that his decoys were vintage family heirlooms and wouldn't be
caught dead buying new. They'd come in on the Q.T. to Mel's and then get ghosted out to his farm for a bit of patinafying before ever being used.
Another memory of Herter's was that was where the *serious* guys got their moose&bear guns. Regular folk went to "Jack's Sporting Goods" on the river or the Coast to Coast Hardware.
Every couple-three years someone would make the drive down to corn-country to the store to see what was up down there. I don't think I ever went. That'd have been a bit too close to the Iowegains and that country down there bored me to death.
Todd.