One of the first things you need to know about Cabri is how to say the name. It's pronounced Kay' bree (with the accent on the first syllable). According to folklore, the name originated from the early explorers' pronunciation of an aboriginal word for antelope. Recent research indicates it may have been derived from the Latin name for the pronghorn (Antilocapridae). Whichever is correct, everyone will agree, 'Cabri' stands for the pronghorn antelope so common to the area.
By the time the first train arrived in 1912, the town boasted several businesses including a hotel, a theatre, two drug stores, two harness shops, three doctors offices, three blacksmiths, four general stores, five restaurants, six lumber yards and, by 1918, nine grain elevators.