The Cabela Story-- from Trebon to Brainard to Chappell and to Sidney

This is the story about Brainard’s connection to the internationally famous sporting goods company--CABELA’S.

We will start by giving you a brief history of the Chabela family. Vaclav Chabela, or in English, pronounced as James Cabela, came from the Trebon area, a predominantly Catholic region of southern Bohemia. Trebon is an attractive town which stands in the center of South Bohemia’s Lake District. The region’s picturesque ponds are not natural lakes, but a network of artificial fish-ponds, linked by a series of canals and waterways that were created in the 16 th century for the breeding of carp, which is a staple in the Bohemian kitchen, especially at Christmas time. This area is approximately 75 miles south of Prague and about 75 west of Brno in the Czech Republic.

Jiri Eichler, a genealogist, from Prague, Czech Republic, came to Brainard in 2001 to learn more about the Cabela family. The following is the history he gave us, of the Cabela’s as it relates to their homeland in Bohemia.

James Cabela was born in house #61 in Stepanovice, Zvikov, on Sept. 18, 1869. He was a baby when his father, Vaclav, a tailor, died from tuberculosis in 1869. His mother, Katerina (Fuxa) Cabela, married John Blaha six years later, and had another child, Jacob Blaha. She died shortly after that in 1876. James Cabela was seven years old when she died. In 1884, at the age of 14, he and his sister, Katarina, age 18, came to America, aboard the ship ‘RHAETIA”. The ship’s passenger list shows a Kate Cabelka on its record, but no Vaclav. James and Katrina were orphans who came to Brainard because they had an aunt and uncle Matej and Alzbeta (Fuxa) Kabourek living there. In English that’s Mathew and Elizabeth Kabourek. James’ mother Katerina and Elizabeth Kabourek were sisters.

Being a poor boy, it was necessary for James to borrow money for his passage to this country, but he was unafraid of work, and so set forth courageously, to make his fortune in the new world. He eventually repaid his Uncle Kabourek for his passage to America. Little did he know that eighty years later, two of his

grandsons would become the world famous Cabela brothers, Dick and Jim, of CABELA’S-- WORLD‘S FOREMOST OUTFITTER, which, incidentally, celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

James Cabela became a very successful entrepreneur in Brainard. For about 10 years he worked on a farm northeast of town for Wm. Mickelwaite, then he came to town and worked in Joseph Matousek’s lumber yard, and then he clerked at Stewart’s Hardware Store. In 1895 he entered the general merchandise business with Anton Bruner Sr. After a few years they sold out to Frank Semin. Mr. Cabela built a brick building in about 1900 and opened a general merchandise store by himself. This building is still standing. It is located on the corner where the Brainard Bar and Grill now has a large dining room. Later he sold this business and building to John Fiala and became associated with W. F. Kabourek in the hardware business. About 1912 they sold their building to Joseph W. Kudrna and moved their stock of hardware to Dwight where they built a new double building and added a line of general merchandise and furniture. Later Mr. Cabela sold his interest to his partner and again entered the hardware business in Brainard. In 1915 he built a new brick Hardware and Furniture Store with an elevator and a balcony. The elevator ran to the basement where heavy goods were kept. This building is now in use as the C K Katering building. James Cabela, along with his sons, Albin C. and Louis, remained in business in this building until he sold out to James Fuxa in 1929 and retired.

James Cabela was a very civic minded business man. From 1899 to 1906 and again in 1915, he served on the Village Board. Then from 1916 to 1920 he served as Village Board Chairman. He also served on the Holy Trinity Church board and the local school board.

His sister, Katarina or also known as Kate, married James Stava in 1886 in Abie. They had 9 children. The family moved to Sunrise MN in about 1901. Katarina died there in about 1910 or 1920.

On Oct. 30, 1893 James Cabela married Barbara Tuma in Holy Trinity Church. Barbara Tuma was born in Sidakovice, Caslav, Bohemia in 1872. In 1884, at the

age of 11 she, along with her parents and siblings, emigrated to the U.S., settling on a farm 2 miles southeast of Brainard. James and Barbara Cabela had seven children who all grew up in Brainard. Their names were: Louis, Emma, Lillian, Albin C., Marie, Alice and Helen. Twin sons, Francis and Joseph died at 9 months of age. Another daughter Mary died at age 3.

Emma Cabela, the oldest child, born in 1998, married Louis Bruner in 1916 in Holy Trinity Church. Albin C. Cabela, born in 1906, married Marian Brady, from Lincoln, in 1935 in Chappell Nebraska. Alice Cabela, born in 1910 married Leo Lukassen of David City, Marie Cabela, born in 1908, married Virgil Fox of Ulysses, Lillian Cabela, born in 1900, married Clifton Levins of Denver, Louis Cabela, born in 1902, married Eleanor Sobotka in 1932 in Lincoln and Helen Cabela, born in 1915, was single and and moved to Denver CO. This information was taken from the obituary of James Cabela that appeared in the 1937 Brainard Clipper. At one time Lillian and Marie Cabela were telephone operators in Brainard.

In 1932 James Cabela’s two sons, Albin C. and Louis, purchased a hardware and furniture store at Chappell Nebraska and Mr. Cabela, then a widower, went there with them and remained for about two years. After that he returned to Brainard and resided with his daughters. The Cabela store in Chappell burned down in 1935 and they rebuilt it. It became the largest furniture store in the Panhandle. In 1942 Louis sold his share of the store to Albin and moved to Denver. Albin retired and sold the store to his son, Jerry, in 1969.

NOW I’LL TURN THIS MIKE OVER TO SHARON. SHE WILL TELL YOU HOW CABELA’S –WORLDS FOREMOST OUTFITTERS GOT STARTED

Albin C. and Marian Cabela had a son, Richard, who is called Dick. Dick Cabela and his wife, Mary (nee Kerns), started a home-based mail-order business at their kitchen table in Chappell in 1961. They began by selling hand-tied fishing flies which Dick bought at a trade show in Chicago for $2.25 a gross. He thought that was cheap, so he bought 20 gross, which is 2880 flies! They put an ad in the Casper WY Tribune newspaper and later ran ads in Sports Afield. A few orders started coming in, so they began to include a 3-page mimeographed product

sheet with each order they filled. As sales started to grow, they decided to expand the business to include other fishing supplies. As their inventory grew, Cabela’s first warehouse was established in 1962—this being a small 10’ by 10’ tin shed they put together themselves in their backyard. This served their immediate needs, but-- continued success and growth demanded a bigger and better location. In 1963 their first catalog was mailed to customers; eventually offering many more lines of fishing equipment.

Initially, Dick and Mary were able to handle the business with the help of temporary typists who were hired for mail, label and catalog preparation. However, by the fall of 1962, they realized the demands of their new venture needed full-time attention. Dick asked his younger brother, Jim, to join the new company which he did in 1963. Jim had been working in Denver, in an entry-level banking job, and came back to Chappell to operate the Cabela’s business as a full time manager while his brother, Dick, still had a full time job as manager of the Cabela Furniture store. In three short years, their revenue grew from $627 that first year, to over $24,000.

Neither Dick, Mary nor Jim took any salary from the company in those early years. Instead, they invested in more mailings, new equipment and bigger facilities. By 1964, new business quarters were established in the basement of their father’s furniture store in Chappell, Nebraska.

Shortly after incorporation in 1965, it became apparent a larger facility was needed. So, the business, now called Cabela’s Incorporated, moved across the street to the former U.S. Dept. of Agriculture building. In 1967, this building was traded for the American Legion Hall in Chappell. It served as company headquarters and housed offices, warehousing, and even had a small products display and retail area in a corner.

In 1968 they moved their growing business to downtown Sidney Nebraska where they purchased the vacant four-story John Deere building. As their retail outlet expanded and the work force grew, more and more of the building was put to use, until even more space was needed. By this time their catalogs were offering other sports equipment besides fishing rods and reels, such as camping,

hunting, boating and archery products. In 1968 Dick decided to quit his job as manager of his folk’s furniture store in Chappell, and devoted fulltime attention to the company he founded. Dick and Jim finally began to draw a salary, but still were putting most of their profits back into their business. In 1969 they saw sales reach $1million!

All their customer records were kept on recipe cards filed in shoeboxes from 1961 until around 1975, when they decided to put in a computer system. Today automation plays a vital role in the processing of orders.

By the mid-1980’s, the company’s facilities were again stretched to capacity. Cabela’s acquired the former Rockwell International plant in Kearney, NE, which would house much of their telemarketing operations as well as a second retail store.

In 1991 a 75,000 square foot showroom was built just off Interstate 80 on the southern edge of Sidney within a 45 acre complex. Everything about it is big; parking for 450 vehicles and recreational vehicles, a 3 ½ acre pond for relaxing walks, picnics and camping. Two bronze bull elk, in a fighting pose, dominate the front entry. They stand 16 feet tall and measure 34 feet across. Inside the store there are more than 500 trophy mounts

In 1998 the 120,000 square foot Cabela’s Corporate Headquarters Building opened adjacent to the Sidney showroom store. Currently there are 2000 executives, managers and other employees working at the Cabela complex in Sidney. Phone orders are taken at phone centers located in Grand Island, North Platte and Kearney.

From humble beginnings, the company has grown, through retail, catalog and internet sales, into one of the nation’s largest outdoor equipment suppliers known as Cabela’s World’s Foremost Outfitter. Last year the company printed 136 million catalogs which were mailed to all 50 states and 125 foreign countries. Cabela’s post office box in Sidney, has its very own zip code. Cabela’s has become a publicly traded, $2.7 billion dollar, retailing giant. It has more

than 13,350 employees in 36 stores in the U.S and Canada. Five more retail stores are planned to open this year (2012) and 3 more are planned in 2013.

Their retail centers are popular tourist attractions and serve as lightning rods for other commercial ventures that develop wherever a Cabela’s store is located. Besides a well-stocked showroom, the 36 retail stores feature cafes that serve wild game fare such as caribou sandwiches and venison bratwurst; elk, ostrich and bison cuisine is also available. They feature numerous world-class animal mounts, replica mountains with running waterfalls and streams stocked with fish, gun libraries, interactive shooting ranges, fully stocked aquariums, and many entertaining and educational wildlife displays. Their stores are like natural history museums instead of traditional stores. The African dioramas in some of the showrooms feature wildlife that was harvested by Dick and Mary on their many trips to Africa.

Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures and Travel Service was launched in 1985. Based in Sidney, you can book big game hunting and fishing trips all around the world. They also produce an award-winning Cabela’s Television Show and a Cabela’s Outfitter Journal Magazine.

Another Cabela’s venture is Sportsman’s Quest, which travels the country to conduct a variety of events such as fishing, sporting-clays and archery tournaments, black powder competition and sport dog trials. Sportsman’s Quest produces a TV show and a radio show.

In 2003 Dick and Jim Cabela stepped away from their duties as chief executives of their company. Dennis Highby was named as the new CEO of the company. Highby retired in 2009 and Tommy Millner became the CEO.

Jim currently lives near Sidney NE in a stone and timber house on a hill southwest of town. He never married. He still comes to the office almost every day, and keeps a very close eye on customer comments as his “pulse” of how the company is really doing. Due to health issues, Dick and Mary moved from Sidney to Denver Co. But they can still be seen fairly often, attending Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Sidney.

Dick and Mary have 9 children. They are: Nancy, Geri, Teri, Rich, Chuck, Daniel, Carolyn, Joseph and David.

Dick was born in 1936; his brother, Jim, was born in 1939 in Chappell. Their other siblings are Jerry, Diann, Jane, and Tom, (born 1953) who lives in Lincoln.

Their father, Albin C. Cabela was born in 1906 in Brainard and died in 1998; their mother, Marion (Brady) Cabela died in 1996. FYI: Albin C. graduated from Brainard High School in 1925. He was a member of the basketball team that won the Class G State Championship in 1924.

James Cabela, the grandfather of Dick and Jim, made a name for himself as an honest and upstanding business man in Brainard. He passed on his values and business sense to his children, who in turn passed it on to their children. He showed his sons, through his actions, that HOW success is achieved is more important than success itself. His grandsons applied that same philosophy to their international business dealings.

James and Barbara (Tuma) Cabela are buried in the Old Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in Brainard. James died June 25, 1937 at the age of 67. Barbara died at the age of 56, on May 20, 1928.

To Dick and Jim Cabela, the success of Cabela’s Inc. did not come easily. It took lots of hard work, perseverance, cooperation and dedication to achieve the enormous success they achieved. They truly believed that their talented employees and loyal patrons had a big impact on their success. From a small ad in 1961 in a Wyoming newspaper, which generated only a single order, the brothers created a company with over 60 million customers around the world. To say that Cabela’s has come a long way is a huge understatement. They maintained their core philosophy that “The customer is Number 1”, a philosophy instilled in them by their grandfather, James Cabela, and their parents, Albin and Marion Cabela. That’s just one of many reasons Cabela’s is today what two brothers always knew it could be---a kitchen-table American Dream come true.

**SPECIAL THANKS to Deb (Davis) Hinze of Columbus, for the photos and documents she provided for this presentation. She is the great-granddaughter and the only local, known descendent, of James and Barbara (Tuma) Cabela. Her grandparents were Emma (Cabela) and Louis Bruner. Her parents were Evelyn (Bruner) and Norman Davis of David City. Also special thanks to Jeanne Hein and Bonnie Luckey for providing photos and creating this power point presentation.

Sources: 1902, 1928 and 1937 Brainard Clipper, 1997 & 2011 Omaha World-Herald, 1978 Brainard Centennial Book, 1940 Who’s Who in Nebraska, Jiri Eichler of Prague, Czech Rep., Butler Co. Genealogy Soc., Cabela’s Catalogs and website and David Cabela’s book.

Note: The James Cabela family home in Brainard was built in 1903. In 1930 the Otto Holesovsky family bought it. Otto remodeled it into a mortuary in 1936. In 1963 it was purchased by Gary Palmer; once again it became a family residence and still is. Sandy Schommer is currently residing there.

The sister of James Cabela, Katarina Cabela, (Kate Cabelka) was born in 1866. She married James Stava on 2/23/1886 at St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Abie, NE. They had 9 children: Frank 1887, Mary 1889, Anna 1892, Albina 1893, Antonia 1898, Emma 1899, Adolf 1901, Karolina 1903, and Albert 1905. The last 3 children were born in Sunrise, MN. Katarina died in Sunrise MN between 1910-1920. Her husband, James, died in Los Angeles, CA on 1/22/1941.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS: “Cabela’s, World’s Foremost Outfitter, A History” by David Cabela, son of Dick and Mary Cabela, “Cabela’s-The First Half Century”, by Joe Arterburn and the most recent book by David Cabela is titled “Two Hearts in Tanzania”.

In February 2012, Cabela’s announced a new initiative to build Cabela’s Outpost Stores in less populated areas. These stores will be only about 40,000 sq. ft. compared to the 130,000 sq. ft. store in LaVista.

In addition to the retail stores in Sidney, Kearney, and La Vista Nebraska, Cabela’s have huge retail centers in Owatonna, East Grand Forks, and Rogers Minnesota, Dundee Michigan, Prairie du Chien and Richfield Wisconsin, Mitchell and Rapid City South Dakota, Kansas City and Wichita Kansas, Lehi Utah, Wheeling West Virginia, Hamburg Pennsylvania, Glendale Arizona, Grand Junction Colorado, East Hartford Connecticut, Boise and Post Falls Idaho, Springfield Oregon, Hoffman Estates Illinois, Hammond Indiana, Gonzales Louisiana, Scarborough Maine, Hazelwood Missouri, Billings Montana, Reno Nevada, Lacey and Tulalip Washington, Allen, Ft. Worth and Buda Texas and Winnipeg and Edmonton Canada. In 1998 they built a 700,000 sq. ft. distribution center alongside their retail store in Prairie du Chien WI.

Currently there are 36 retail stores. In 2012 they plan to open 4 new stores located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, Charleston West Virginia, Rogers Arkansas and Union Gap Washington. In 2013 5 more stores will open in Louisville Kentucky, Columbus Ohio, Grandville Michigan, Thornton and Lone Tree Colorado.

The huge elephant mount in Sidney was shot by Dick at a range of 5 yards. It came after him and he instinctively shot it. Their 16 hunting guides ran away as they saw the elephant charging. They had Mary’s gun, so she ran too. They were all pretty shook up by this close call.

Compiled by Carolyn Dvorak in July 2011-April 2012; with assistance from Sharon Bruner, as a History Preservation Project to preserve Brainard’s early history.