George Leonard Herter (24 May 1911 – 5 July 1994) of

Waseca, Minnesota Waseca () is a city in Waseca County, Minnesota, Waseca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,410 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat. Transportation U.S. Route 14 in Minnesota, U.S. Highway 14 a ...

was the founder of the Herter's outdoor goods business and an author. His best known books are the ''Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices'' series (published in three volumes), which have a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

today.Collins, Paul. "The Oddball Know-It-All". ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', December 5, 2008. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/books/review/Collins-t.html?_r=1 In 1937 Herter took his father's

dry goods Dry goods is a historic term describing the type of product line a store carries, which differs by region. The term comes from the textile trade, and the shops appear to have spread with the mercantile trade across the British Empire (and forme ...

store and turned it into a

mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing a telephone call * Placing a ...

outdoor goods business, selling

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

items through a catalog. He later opened retail outlet stores, which pioneered the style of outdoor goods stores now operated by

Cabela's Cabela's Inc. is an American retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, shooting and other outdoor recreation merchandise. The chain is based in Sidney, Nebraska. Cabela's was founded by Richard N. Cabela in 1961. Cabela' ...

and

Bass Pro Shops BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pr ...

. The company went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debt ...

in 1981. He is best known for his books, which were self-published and sold through his stores. The ''New York Times'' describes the ''Bull Cook'' series as his "

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

", "a wild mix of recipes, unsourced claims and unhinged philosophy that went through at least 15 editions between 1960 and 1970." ''How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live On $10 a Month'', despite its title, is an encyclopedic 656-page collection of outdoor and

survival skills Survival skills are techniques that a person may use in order to sustain life in any type of natural environment or built environment. These techniques are meant to provide basic necessities for human life which include water, food, and shelte ...

. The ''Bull Cook'' series and ''How to Get Out of the Rat Race'' are credited as co-written by George Leonard Herter and his wife, Berthe E. Herter.

Books by George Leonard Herter

* ''Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices'' * ''Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices (volume 2)'' * ''Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices (volume 3)'' * ''Professional Guide's Manual'' * ''How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live On $10 a Month'' * ''How to Live With a Bitch'' * ''George the Housewife'' * ''Touch the Earth'' * ''Professional Fly Tying, Spinning And Tackle Making Manual and Manufacturer's Guide'' (22 Editions) * ''Professional and Amateur Archery Tournament and Hunting Instructions and Encyclopedia'' (with Russell Hofmeister) * ''How to Make the Finest Wines at Home'' * ''The Truth About Today's Hunting in Africa and How to Go On Safari for $690'' * ''European and American Professional Sourdough Cooking and Recipes'' * ''History and Secrets of Professional Candy Making'' * ''Herter's Professional Course in the Science of Modern Taxidermy'' * ''The Professional Way To Use An Axe''

References and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herter, George Leonard Writers from Minnesota 1911 births 1994 deaths People from Waseca, Minnesota 20th-century American writers 20th-century American male writers