The inimitable George Leonard Herter
Back in the 1950s and the 1960s, the annual two-inch thick telephone directory-sized Herter’s catalogue, arriving from far off, exotic Waseca, Minnesota was, for sportsmen, and for small boy aspiring sportsmen, not just a standard source of fishing tackle, camping, handloading, fly tying, trapping, and taxidermy supplies, the Herter’s catalogue was a long term reading treasure providing fodder for countless hours of theoretical expedition planning and equipment acquisition and maintenance.
Paul Collins, in a recent New York Times Book Review, pays tribute to the long-extinct Herter’s catalogue and its colorful and eccentric author. George Leonard Herter’s infamous “Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices” providing the recipes for the Virgin Mary’s favorite creamed spinach, Joan of Arc’s pate de fois gras, and Stonewall Jackson’s barbecued ribs (among many others) is his personal favorite example of Herteriana.
Starting in 1937 from atop his father’s dry-goods shop in Waseca, Minn., Herter over the next four decades built a mail-order sporting goods juggernaut. The arrival of the Herter’s catalog was like Christmas with bullets. Need a bird’s-eye maple gunstock? Check. How about a Herter’s Famous Raccoon Death Cry Call? Just two dollars. Fiberglass canoes? Got you covered. The catalog, which the former Waseca printer Wayne Brown recalls started as three-ring binder supplements, grew so popular — about 400,000 or 500,000 copies per run, he estimates — that Brown Printing became one of the country’s largest commercial printers.“Herter wrote all the copy for the catalogs,” Brown said in an e-mail message, and each item was described in loving, haranguing, Barnum-esque detail. No Herter item was merely good: it was World Famous, Patented, Special, “made with infinite care by our most expert old craftsmen,” or — my favorite — “actually made far better than is necessary.” The corollary was that his competitor’s products were worthless — or, as he put it, “like they were made by indifferent schoolgirls.”
But as good as much of his gear was, talk about Herter always comes around to one thing: his books. His enchantingly bombastic catalogs included listings for more than a dozen of his self-published works, bound in metallic silver and gold covers, and bearing titles like “How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live on $10 a Month.”
My understanding is that Herter was put out of business in the 1970s over Jungle Cock. The eyed neck feathers of the Grey Jungle Fowl, Gallus Sonneratti, have long been an essential ingredient in the construction of artificial flies for fishing. The eyed feathers serve as eyes on streamer fly imitations of minnows, and as crucial decorative elements in the visually elaborate salmon fly attractor patterns originated in the Victorian era.
Federal enforcement of a ban on the trade in feathers of endangered species took no cognizance of material stockpiles dating to periods long before the ban, and George Leonard Herter was a classic American individualist and a hard core sportsman who simply could not bow to irrational regulation. The reports I heard were that federal lawsuits and seizures, based on one small particular type of feather entirely legally owned and acquired in the first place, ruined the famous company and broke its proprietor’s heart. He never even tried to revive his business.
Had it survived, just imagine how enormous a business Herter’s would be today! Herter’s would be today’s Cabela’s and more.
————————————
Hat tip to Karen L. Myers.
Mark B
I was one of those 60’s kids that pored over the Herter’s catalogue, dreaming of a U-9 mauser rifle with a fiddleback stock, shooting the famous wasp-waist
Sonic bullets, all the while wondering what in the world was in the book “How to Live With a Bitch”. I was about the only kid in East Texas that received the Herters catalog; thanks to next-door neighbors from Minnesota.
Back then, little did I know that down in South Texas a freckle-faced girl and her Dad were making grape wine using a kit from Herters, which was posthumously pored down the bathtub drain. That girl has been my wife of over 30 years.
My father-in-law was a life-long Herter’s fan, (he had all the books) and he asserted that the 1968 federal Gun Control Act doomed Herter’s – they did an immense business in firearms and especially ammunition, evidently with a majority of that business being in the North Woods. That law prohibited mailing both guns and ammunition, and in those pre-UPS/Fed Ex days, it was the clap of doom descending over our hopes of seeing the latest full-color spreads of gunstock blanks. My father-in-law, an avid reloader, bought most of his supplies through Herter’s until that time. They were just about the only mail-order supplier of powder, bullets and assorted accessories in that period.
Reading your article and the NYT piece brought back many memories of Herters, and all the wondrous things that he offered. Thanks!
Rick B.
In the 60’s and 70’s I looked forward to my copy of Herter’s catalog. I was particularly interested in the archery section and the book section but I used to sit and read that catalog cover to cover. Not only did it sell me things that I “needed” but it set forth dreams of doing things that “normal” people no longer did. Things like living a meaningful life outside the office environments that most of us exist in today.
Recently I thought I might like to revive an interest in making flies. I wondered what had happened to Herter’s and tried to find them on the Internet. Nothing found until now. I was surprised and saddened to hear that the company was no more and hadn’t been for many years. It’s a sad time when company’s such as this can no longer exist.
I didn’t make my old goal of being self sufficient and living in the outback of Alaska. However, over the years, I have managed to live a life that is not exactly part of the “normal” world. I, and my wife, live on a small sailboat currently in Mexico and move to another country/port when the desire stirs in us. Without Herter’s, I’m not so sure I would have had the desire to live life on our own without the trappings of “normal” modern life. We have no mortgage and we live close to nature. Thank you Herter’s. We enjoy your inspiration.
JDZ
Sounds like a great lifestyle, but not enough room for one’s books!
Cheers,
David
Chris
Anybody remember the two page spread on the Teddy Bear? A true friend and confidant who will never let you down…. Priceless.
Robby
I am currently in receipt of my grandfathers Herter’s fiberglass canoe. Serial #1355. My wife and friends have used it the past several years on our pond. Now we have kids and I am painting it and repainting the trailer so we can spend time on it as a family in style. Does anyone know if a plug can be installed in a fiberglass canoe?
john christian
My first spinning reel was from Herters back in 1958 when I was 10. I’ll never forget it! I’d love to get my hands on an old catclogue of that vintage if it was’t too expensive.
Thanks for the memories,
John
dennis vander sys
I ran across your article about the rise and fall of the Herters catalog, I never knew why they quit publishing, very interesting. I came across your website when I was trying come up with a value for a Herters single action .22 revolver that I bought in the late 60s. I want to sell it, but have no idea what its worth. thanks again for the history lesson. Denny V.
Bob Caymen
Herter’s was a victim of the 1969 Federal Firearms law or Gun Act. It made being able to order a firearm through the mail illegal after the JFK assasination. Herters had no retail stores but the one at Waseca and they are another example of a victim of over Government regulation.
mackNnc
Oh God..how i miss Herters!! Such great copy great books, the best “wish book” ever created!
What really killed Herter’s< I think, was the sudden devaulation of the dollar. A lot of the Herter stuff was imported from Europe, and in the 70s and 80s the dollar vs. (whatever) took a real beating..suddenly Herter items (typically made in Germany, though some were made in England) weren’t such great values any longer…
but boy do I miss ‘em.
Chris Henderson
Herter’s was my all time favorite. I still cruise the internet looking for Herter’s items. I still use a couple of Herter’s rods and reels today.
Nick Gee
Through his written wisdom, in on form or another, growing up, GLH was like a Dutch uncle to me.
I spent more time studying the “Professional Guides Manual” or “How To Get Out Of The Ratrace…” or that giant, wonderful old catalog than I ever did studying math or history in High School.
I wish I could say that I am wildly successful by society’s definition; money, fame, security. I cannot make such a claim. I do claim to understand what it means to be an American. To cherish personal liberty. To hold it dear and to abhor our constrictive, power hungry government.
I understand hard work and creative thinking and the concept of “rewards=service”. I have built a life on this simple idea and it has fed me and my family for many years. The government has interfered with private enterprise to the degree that this simple idea hardly works any more.
I do claim to understand that for personal liberty to flourish we must all excercise personal responsibility. As a society, this begins with me. Then you.
GLH taught me to think independantly, to question things, to look beyond the surface. I credit GLH, more than anyone else in my life, for putting me on this path. I thank God for everything and for keeping me there.
Thanks, GLH
Stephen Harris
I would like to know the value of my 18 foot double end Herter’s fiberglass canoe. I purchased it from the Waseca store in 1971.
Steve Harris
rsharris@mchsi.com
stephen young
Ordered a .357 Magnum Herter single action and shot about 20,000 rounds through it before the barrel went. I have fired every brand and size of revolver, and it is the best one I’ve ever shot. Later, I met and dated a girl from Waseca, Minn. She never even heard of the place, and its not that big of a town.
But I really missed the catalogs. My family bought a whole bunch of stuff from it, and it was all high quality.
gls
the man is a legend and wil never be duplicated – he marked the end of an era
that was more fun than where we are now – w all miss the catalog – some of the items were really good and some could be made good – i wish i had stocked up on the herter sonic, pikie minnow & their version of the river runt – long live the memory of small time capitalism at its best
Brad
There was a Herters store just five miles from my house and is within spitting distance of the new Cabeleas in Lacey Washington. My mom worked there until they closed. Great memories!
Christopher King
I remember the Herter’s catalog very well! I was just reading The Wall Street Journal and how some of the “smaller” retailers were being told there is nowhere to store their gold
There was always a page devoted to what one should have when shit starts to unravel in our current world situation (shit it is unraveling). Gold was one of many on the list!! I would love to read the page again!
Garrett Michael Hayes
My father was a great devotee of George Leonard Herter’s books and catalog. I still have a Herter steak knife in my cutlery drawer, and the three volume set of Bull Cook recipe books on my shelf – both inherited from Dad.
(For some peculiar reason my copy of “How To Live With A Bitch” – Herter’s “marriage manual” – disappeared around the time of my divorce. Strange, that…)
One of my strongest childhood memories of Herter products was a Cnaadian Pancake Syrup they marketed. If memory serves (as it increasingly fails to do these days) it came in a round-shouldered glass bottle (similar to what Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar comes in these days) with a yellow label that had a picture of a Mountie on it. It had a wonderful sort of herbal-citrusy taste to it.
I’ve scoured the internet for some time and can’t find ANY indication that he product ever existed. Does anyone but me remember this Nectar of the Gods?
Matt
I first discovered Herters in an old garage where my uncle Floyd stored his hunting supplies. It was there I first saw the amazing catalog, and read that thing from front to back many times before the idea of sending off for a catalog of my own hit me. After all, I was just a kid…
Over the years I purchased Goose calls, decoys, had a choke installed on an old Stevens shotgun Dad gave me but mostly just loved the catalog.
I am really saddened to know that our government killed Herters. Most likely, it was some little shrimp of a man with too much authority that decided to make a mark for himself…
Buck up men, it’s gonna get worse, George would most likely say…
Thanks for the memories…
michael
What really killed Herters was the 1968 Gun Control Act. Herters was perhaps the biggest gun retailer in the country until the GCA made it illegal to ship firearms to anyone except Federal licensees. They stayed in business for several years after, but the business shrank drastically, until the name was sold in, I think, the 1970s.
BILL
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND ONE OF THE hERTERS TEDDY BEARS, AND THE TEXT OF THE ENTIRE AD?
I NEED IT AS A GIFT FOR MY GIRLFRIEND, WHO IS A PSYCHIATRIST.
James B Rall
I can almost swear about Herters Bass Bugs.The bass flies at Herters are the only bass flies I use today.I have made my own bass bugs copied from catalogue.To me modern bass flies cannot come close to a black,yellow,or orange popper Herters had.These Whitlock flies,Darlberg divers,Orvis bass flies do not outfish a herters popper.There is not a single popper on market today that has a 1/0 hook.Theres saltwater poppers but no bass bugs the right size.Gaines poppers are a joke.Orvis poppers catch fish not as good as a a herters.In his fly tieing book he describes flies such as mickey finn and a brown nose dace as dogs.I agree.Then he gives pattern after pattern that catches fish that I tied,tried and he never steered me wrong.With the information from a pro like Mr Herter You can not be outfished with feathers.If he says a fly will catch Bass,bass pros need tie those patterns on their trail hook on a surface lure.I believe no marketer today has used his advice to catch fish.I truly believe if a pro today would experiment with his color patterns(feathers especially)he would do very well in fishing bait wars.
Kurt W Wagner
My Dad gave a copy of “How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live On $10 a Month” to his father, with the inscription: “Having actually done this, I thought you’d enjoy reading about how you should have done it!” It’s been one of my favorite books over the years.
Eli rodriquez
My memories of his cook book….”to deep fry fish, us only beef tallow. It will not go rancid if refrigerated after cooling down. Never use pork fat, because if the lard comes from a female hog during menstuation, the lard will be bitter. Peanut oil is used in the manufacturing plastic products. It’s a pity that all peanut oil is not used for that purpose”
Or words along those lines. He sold quality products, I recently gave my son a Herters 357 mag single action revolver and it’s STILL abeauty. I built several fising rods from his kits and the instructions were clear and accurate. Many of my friends admired the finished products. I do miss my Herters Catalog.
Bob Zimprich
I worked at Herters, in the archery department, when I got out of high school, in 1973.It was a very interesting place to work. The showroom had many wild animal mounts that George Herter had hunted himself. I bought a Herters snowmobile that was good quality, and built , down the road from Waseca, in new Richland.
Bob Norris
I have a 1967 copy of Herter’s catalog (wholesale catalog # 77). It is still great to go through it and wish. The first page features a .401 Powermag single action revolver for $43.00. Even for 1967 that was a good wholesale price. If any collector is interested in having this catalog, I’d consider selling it. Its in pretty good shape but not perfect so, if you pay for shipping, I’m sure the price would be reasonable.
Ronald Singer Jr.
After reading the posts on this site I am both saddened and angered to finally learn the reason for the demise of Herters great catalog. I received my frist copy from a friend in 1975 it was well used. I have placed many orders over the years. I have at present about 1000 16 gauge wads that I need load data for, I lost the info sheets years ago. If any knows where I can get a copy I would be very greatful for the help. It would be nice to take another trip down memory lane if only for a couple hunting trips. God bless George L. I miss Herters greatly.
MED
I spent days looking through Herters catalog during off seasons. I was a 60’s boy also and the traps I bought were the originals that where superior in many ways to some other unnamed brands. It was because of that I had a Huge otter stay in a #1 longspring and if it had been many other brands it would have pulled the jaws out, which did happen after this. He was released and ran off on all 4 feet unhurt. It was 40 years ago but seemed like yeasterday. He was a pioneer of what all was to come for sure
PeteH
“Robby” asked: “Does anyone know if a plug can be installed in a fiberglass canoe?”
YES. If you mean a drainplug like in a rowboat, just use screws and a gasket compound to seal it.
If you mean a repair, go to the West System website – they have detailed instructions how to repair a hole in a fibreglass boat. It’s easy – I’ve done it many times. Link:
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/use-guides/
Fred
As a young teenager I spent many happy hours looking thru the catalog and dreaming of all the stuff I needed for future outdoor adventures. They manages to get a good part of my paper route money every month. Recently found an old catalog for sale on Amazon. Looking forward to recieving it in the mail. They say you can’t go back but I’m gonna try. Mabe I’ll order one of those U9 rifles in 375 H&H. You never know when you might be going to Alaska to hunt grizzlies.
Please Leave a Comment!