Outdoor Capital of Texas (Buda nickname)

How can there be an “Outdoor Capital of Texas”? Isn’t Texas all about the outdoors?
 
It’s all about business. Buda opened the stores Texas Outdoor Zone (in 2003) and the huge Cabela’s (in 2005), one of only two Texas stores for the “World’s Foremost Outfitter.” To celebrate Cabela’s opening, the Texas Legislature, in its wisdom, declared Buda the “Outdoor Capital of Texas” in that same year.
 
I live near Buda and—trust me—no one calls it the “Outdoor Capital of Texas.” It’s more like “the place just outside of Austin where land is cheaper.”
 
 
Official State Designations - Texas State Library
Outdoor Capital of Texas
Buda
House Concurrent Resolution No. 105, 79th Legislature, Regular Session (2005)
 
Texas Legislature
By:  Rose H.C.R. No. 56
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Situated at the junction of the Edwards Plateau and the southern Blackland Prairie, Buda has long offered citizens and visitors alike a strong sense of connection to the natural world; and
 
WHEREAS, Buda was established in 1881 as a stopping place on the International-Great Northern Railroad, but for many years before that time, the vicinity of the present-day town was traversed by people engaged in a variety of pursuits; and
 
WHEREAS, When Texas still formed part of the Spanish Empire, the Camino Real, the main route from San Antonio to East Texas, skirted Buda to the east; later, stage and mail routes passed through the area, which was settled as early as 1846; and
 
WHEREAS, During the days of the open range, cattle herds were gathered on the surrounding grazing lands and driven northward to Kansas over the Chisholm Trail; for a number of years, Buda would also serve as a trade center for ranchers, for local dairymen, whose farms once totaled nearly 50 in number, and for farmers engaged in the cultivation of cotton; and
 
WHEREAS, Today, Buda lies along the route of trail rides for both the Austin and San Antonio rodeos; in addition, more than 50 acres of land on Onion Creek are set to be developed as Buda Stagecoach Park; design proposals include wetlands, a wildflower meadow, xeriscape gardens, picnic and campsites, a nature trail, and a hike and bike trail; and
 
WHEREAS, Native Americans once hunted buffalo, bear, deer, and wild turkeys in the environs of Buda, and the presence of wild game there continues to draw modern professional and weekend hunters; moreover, fishing, camping, canoeing, and hiking can be enjoyed in the area year-round; and
 
WHEREAS, To serve the many sportsmen and sportswomen in the region, two renowned outfitters, the Texas Outdoor Zone and Cabela’s, have opened, or are in the process of building, retail outlets in Buda; and
 
WHEREAS, An appreciation for the outdoors remains strong among the residents of this fine Texas community, which offers myriad ways in which to discover and savor the joy of time spent under the open sky; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate Buda as the official Outdoor Capital of Texas.
 
Country Line Magazine
Buda outdoor super store preserves Texas pride

Buda, Texas (Nov. 19, 2003)—Made by Texans for Texans. So goes the motto of Texas’s newest outdoor super store, The Texas Outdoor Zone, opening in Buda Saturday, Nov. 22. Dedicated to preserving Texas pride, the family-owned and operated business will kick off its grand opening with generous door prizes, free barbecue cooked by “The Texas Outdoor Zone” radio show’s camp cook, Round Rock Donuts and more!

Country Line Hunting Products and The Texas Outdoor Zone stores are the work of brothers John and T.J. Greaney, who are both successful entrepreneurs in many areas. Their businesses include oil and gas field product sales to a Texas media group that includes print, radio and television. Both brothers are passionate hunters, outdoorsmen and conservationists.

“It was a natural fit,” Co-Owner T.J. Greaney said. “Our goal is to make our product line of outdoor gear, made in Texas, available in easy-to-access locations around the state. The Austin/Buda store will be our flagship location.”

The Buda store, located on Interstate Highway 35 South at Exit 220 Buda/Neiderwald, is one of three locations in Texas. The other outdoor stores are located in Coleman and Odessa where strategic placement allows the business to serve the needs of the small town, the average-sized town and the big city areas.

As well as selling hunting products such as deer feeders, blinds and feeds to avid outdoorsmen, The Texas Outdoor Zone will also soon be available for hunting organizations and clubs to hold meetings, gatherings and functions such as Kidfish. The Greaneys plan on joining their conservation communities in each area to assist them in fundraisers and community goals. These organizations will be paramount in plans to expedite fast growth and community awareness.

Cabela’s
Cabela’s Company History
UNENDING PROGRESS AND GROWTH SINCE 1961

Few, if any, businesses today survive the kitchen-table dreams of their founders, especially in the outdoor industry where businesses come and go with the changing seasons. Yet, the leader in the outdoor equipment business has done just that - survived, grown and prospered from simple beginnings to become the largest mail-order, retail and Internet outdoor outfitter in the world.
Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, was born somewhat inadvertently in 1961 when Dick Cabela came up with a plan to sell fishing flies he purchased while at a furniture show in Chicago. Upon returning home to Chappell, Nebraska, Dick ran a classified ad in the Casper, Wyoming, newspaper reading: “12 hand-tied flies for $1.” It generated one response.

Undaunted, Dick formulated a new plan, rewriting the ad to read “FREE Introductory offer! 5 hand tied Flies….25c Postage….Handling” and placing it in national outdoor magazines. It didn’t take long for the orders to begin arriving from sportsmen and women around the country.

In typical direct-mail style, each order was mailed out with a mimeographed catalog of outdoor items Dick and his wife, Mary, added to their product line. In the beginning, Dick and Mary ran the business from the kitchen table of their home in Chappell.

Initially, Dick and Mary were able to handle the growing business with the help of temporary typists 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 urged his younger brother Jim to join the new company, which he did in 1963. 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, continued success and growth demanded a bigger and better location. The operation was moved from their kitchen table to the basement of Dick and Jim’s father’s furniture store and then on to various buildings in Chappell. In 1969, Cabela’s was operating in a 50,000 square-foot vacant John Deere building in neighboring downtown Sidney, Nebraska.

Nearly 30 years later, in January 1998, employees moved out of the original Sidney headquarters building into a new 120,000-square-foot world headquarters. The two-story building, which is large enough to fit a football field on each floor, houses offices for nearly 500 employees. But even that facility was quickly outgrown. To accommodate the increased growth in all areas of the company, construction of a new, state-of-the-art addition more than doubling the size of the world-headquarters building was completed in the summer of 2002.
 
Caela’s in Buda
Buda, Texas:
Opened June 30, 2005
Store Address:
15570 IH 35
Buda, TX 78610
 
Cabela’s Buda, Texas Retail Store is located just off I-35 between Austin and San Antonio. In addition to offering quality outdoor merchandise, the 185,000 sq. ft. showroom is an educational and entertainment attraction, featuring a décor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats.
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark WORLD’S FOREMOST OUTFITTER
Goods and Services IC 016. US 038. G & S: MERCHANDISE CATALOG HAVING FISHING, HUNTING AND OUTDOOR GEAR. FIRST USE: 19830100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19830100
IC 042. US 101. G & S: MAIL ORDER AND RETAIL STORE SERVICES IN THE FIELD OF FISHING, HUNTING AND OUTDOOR GEAR. FIRST USE: 19830100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19830100
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Design Search Code
Serial Number 73832315
Filing Date October 19, 1989
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition July 24, 1990
Registration Number 1617590
Registration Date October 16, 1990
Owner (REGISTRANT) CABELA’S INC. CORPORATION NEBRASKA ONE CABLE DRIVE SIDNEY NEBRASKA 96160
Attorney of Record BARRY L. KELMACHTER
Type of Mark TRADEMARK. SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL-2(F)
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20001213.
Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 20001213
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE