Omaha Exploration

Long before the bar and grill along the Platte River became known as Heron Bay, it was called Hrabik Meadow Tavern. When it first opened it was located in Meadow, a small village in Sarpy County near Springfield. The village was established along the railroad next to the Platte River. At one point, it had its own post office, railroad depot, grain elevators and grocery store.

As the depot closed and then the post office, the population shrank and the area eventually became known as Hrabikville as all 10 residents in 1971 were related to one another. Its patriarch was Josephine Korjetko who had moved to the area by 1940. Josephine immigrated to the U.S. from the Czech Republic when she was 10 years old in 1892.

She married Joseph Hrabik, another Czech immigrant, and started a family while they were farming near Bellevue. They relocated to Omaha by 1930 where he found work for the railroad. They eventually made their way to Meadow after purchasing the land. They proceeded to clear the brush, plant a few trees and built the Hrabik Meadow Tavern in 1930.

After getting divorced, she married James McKinstry who also worked on the railroad. The family remained in the area through seven major flood events while ceding land to the state for the construction of Highway 50.

Josephine lived in the tavern’s living quarters which actually served as a combination tavern, hunting and fishing supply store. By 1971 there were just 10 residents: Josephine and the families of her sons Amos and Earl and daughters Stacia and Josephine. They were forced to move a block east as the state replaced the bridge over the Platte River in 1971. At that point, they constructed a new building at 21215 S Highway 50.

The tavern and store became a favorite for hunters and fisherman in the area and community hub for cabin owners in the surrounding area. A sign out front referred to it as the home of “fishermen, hunters and all other fancy liars”. Customers in the area referred to Earl who operated the bait store as the mayor and Amos who operated the tavern as the town fisherman. Josephine passed away in 1972 – one year after the move. By that point the tavern was referred to as Meadow Inn.

Earl operated the Earl’s Bait Shop with his wife Loretta before retiring in 1973 while Amos operated the tavern alongside his wife Pauline until his death in 1982. Early didn’t pass until 1996. After that it was operated as the Meadow Tavern until at least 1997 possibly by Pauline who passed away in 2001.

After purchasing the property in an estate sale in 2002, the building was broken into and vandalized. The new owners, Stephen and Shirley Smith, even received threatening phone calls concerning the purchase of the property which several people bid on. In the building they opened Heron Bay which has become a popular spot for locals, bikers, bicyclists and outdoor enthusiasts and others wanting to take in the views of the Platte River. Unfortunately, the river struck again in 2019 when extensive flooding left behind a ton of sand and ruined kitchen equipment. That didn’t stop the Smith’s who performed an extensive cleanup and gutted the kitchen in order to reopen.

While Meadow has largely been forgotten, the legacy of the Hrabik family lives on nearly 100 years later. The Hrabik Meadow Tavern managed to overcome numerous floods, the construction of the highway and bridges, relocation and numerous other challenges. Today, its predecessor, Heron Bay, remains open and continues to offer a unique perspective of the Platte River while also serving as an enjoyable place to watch the sun set while listening to music on its outdoor stage.

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