2015 Edition
Life along Route 24
Celebrating the Midland Trail Follow the history of the ‘Main Street of America’ as it becomes Highway 24 Also:
Wehner’s Thiftway reach 100-year Milestone Paxico: A Vintage Oasis Frozen in time Little Apple: Big Developments
FESTIV ALS AND
FAIRS
ALONG
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E
HIGHW AY 24
Highway 24 | 1
CONTENTS
[Illustration courtesy of David Douglass DeArmond]
4
Publisher’s Note
6
A Promise Fulfilled
16
To honor a promise to his father, John Alfred Wehner ushered Wehner’s Thriftway to its 100-year milestone
Paxico: A Vintage Oasis Frozen in Time
Nestled away 15 minutes off of Highway 24 sits the
36
A Place to Play
43
Little Apple: Big Developments
46
New director takes on future of Pottawatomie County
The Terroir of Kansas
31
Celebrating the Heritage of the Midland Trail
A lot is going on in Manhattan
Jack Allston, the newly appointed Executive Director for PCEDC, is busy setting future goals for the growing county
charming little town of Paxico
24
Riverside Park in St. Marys has long history of entertaining people, from horse racing to fair grounds
Through hard work and perseverance, Kansas’s wine industry is flourishing
50
Festivals and Fairs Around Highway 24
Follow the history the Main Street of America as it becomes Highway 24
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Publisher’s Note Welcome to the second edition of Highway 24 Magazine! Last year, we published the first edition of the magazine and the response has been amazing! So many of you took the time to come in, call or email, just to thank us. There is no greater reward than knowing we created something that was so well-received by those we created it for! As of this writing, we are still getting calls and requests for the first edition. There is no shortage of wonderful things to share about the area. This year’s edition highlights even more wonderful people and places. From history, and festivals to shopping and grapes, we know you will learn something new about the area! And we are even celebrating a big birthday with a story about Wehner’s Thriftway! To our readers, we thank you for your feedback and support. To our advertisers, thank you so much! Without you, this would not be possible. Please let our advertisers know you saw them in the magazine and thank them by spending your dollars locally. Also, a big thank you goes to Heather Perry, the St. Marys Star reporter and editor, who has written much of what you will read in this year’s edition. Kathy Lafferty Publisher
ON THE COVER: Downtown Wamego.
Serving Pottawatomie & Wabaunsee County
[Illustration courtesy of David Douglass DeArmond]
Be a Local Hero Become a sustaining member of CHM For more information contact Rosemary Helms, Lorena Carlson or Ben Meek at 456-7872 “One measure of the success of a community is the number of ways it offers hope to citizens who are facing difficult circumstances.” 407 Ash Street Wamego, KS Ad sponsored by Kaw Valley State Bank Wamego, St. Marys, Clifton
4 | Highway 24
PUBLISHER Kathy Lafferty ART DIRECTOR Justin Ogleby CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Morgan Chilson Heather Perry CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Kevin Anderson David Douglass DeArmond ADVERTISING Kathy Lafferty Roger Belanger
DESIGN Courtney Huber IM Design Group
CIRCULATION MANAGER Destin Nightingale
AD SERVICES Margie McHaley Kelsey Barker Dan Ferrell Phillip Miller Devin Parkman Katie Potter Bradley Rice
For more information, please contact: P.O. Box 190 St. Marys, KS 66536 785.437.2935
COPY EDITORS Brandy Nance Regina Murphy Jessie Wagoner
Highway 24 Magazine is a publication of the St. Marys Star.
Highway 24 | 5
The Wehner family (from left) Debbie, Esther, Jolyne and her husband Bob Wehner and other members are getting ready to celebrate a century of being in the grocery business along Highway 24 in Rossville.
a promise fulfilled: WEHNER’S THRIFTWAY REACHES 100-YEAR MILESTONE WRITTEN BY
HEATHER PERRY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KEVIN ANDERSON
O
n a warm, unusually spring-like day in January, the family of John Alfred Wehner reflected on his influential life and heart-
wrenching death. Wounds of loss were still fresh for his three children, wife and daughter-in-law as they characterized their treasured patriarch through bittersweet stories in the family’s True Value hardware store on Rossville’s Main Street.
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Esther Wehner and her late husband John had been together since they were teenagers. He died this past November and now she stands alone as the matriarch of the family-run retail businesses in Rossville.
“Those are things dad could answer but nobody else could,” daughter Debbie Taylor sighed, resigned to the reality that there are some answers she’ll now never know. She offered, “He had such a will to live. That’s why I think he lasted for as long as he did.” On Highway 24 in Rossville and Silver Lake, two grocery stores stand as monuments of John’s legacy. John wanted nothing more than to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Wehner’s Thriftway in April 2015. To honor a promise made to his father, he willfully survived through deteriorating health and a broken neck to see the milestone through. Tragically, fate played its cold hand and he died from cancer 8 | Highway 24
a mere five months before the big day. “It’s really hard now. He’s always been there,” his widow Esther admitted quietly. The two had been together since they were teenagers. His absence is particularly difficult when she wakes up in the mornings and realizes that he is not by her side. Some solace can be found thanks to the Rossville Community Library. John was featured in a 10-minute recording documented in the spring of 2014 as part of a podcast series titled, “Rossville Remembers.” His voice, uncannily similar to his middle son Bob’s, but with a slightly more nasal accent, sounds as if he were sitting inches away as
he speaks about his life in the grocery business. John’s children believe their great-grandfather traded a farm in Missouri for a farm in western Kansas, and then on an overnight train ride, traded that farm for a grocery store in downtown St. Marys. This purchase was confirmed by old issues of the St. Marys Star, which printed in particular an advertisement in the June 17, 1915, issue stating that “Wehner and Son” had taken over the grocery business of Frank Demarais. After a few years, the Wehners decided that purchasing a store in Delia, where there was less competition, was a smart business move. John’s father was an entrepreneur through
and through. He always wore a suit and tie, and though not that uncommon in the roaring twenties and dirty thirties, it personified his austere personality more than it did others. “When I was young, I thought my dad and folks were pretty strict,” John said in the recording. “But look at me today. I think that they wasn’t strict as far as beating us or anything, but my dad had seven kids and five of us had grocery stores at one time.” When John was old enough, he worked alongside his siblings at the family grocery store in Delia. They all learned the tricks of the trade to prepare for when their father invested in opportunities that would allow them to succeed independently.
John didn’t take his opportunity right away. At 17 years old, he fell in love with 16-year-old Esther and got married. Esther said they hit if off for 69 years. John would refute that number to 73 — but only as a joke. To Esther’s begrudged amusement, he told people that she was 12 when they married. After graduating from Delia High School in 1947, John worked for the Pacific Railroad for about 10 months before he realized his true calling was in his namesake. He began to
work at his father’s grocery store and eventually purchased it from him in 1949. Until 1957, he and Esther ran the store with two children by their sides, John L. and Bob. Esther ran the cream station by testing farmer-made product daily, something that she once hated, but now has a fond memory of. John did most everything else. That was how he liked it. He purchased the groceries, balanced the books, cut meat, sold chicken and cattle feed and regularly loaded his truck with coal
from Auburn to Delia. As long as his customers were happy and his family taken care of, life was good. One day Esther caught little John L. sitting on the floor of the store breaking eggs with a small hammer. John L. doesn’t remember his punishment, but is sure that it fit his behavior. He said his father’s favorite motto was, “You’ve got to work hard to play hard.” Breaking eggs was definitely not an option for playtime. Esther vividly remembers being held at gunpoint while
working the cash register. Because traveling railroad crew came through town on a regular basis, it was common that some customers did not look familiar. When a stranger walked into the store one night, it was business as usual— until he pointed a gun in her face. When he demanded that the cash register be emptied, Esther panicked. That was their livelihood. They had no insurance. While shuffling money into the bag, she attempted to hide bills under the drawer. He quickly noticed.
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Highway 24 | 9
“All of it!” he growled, the gun aimed threateningly close. As he ran out the store, John went after him with a male friend, one of their last customers of the night. Before they jetted out the building, one of them yelled, “Lock the door!” Esther almost did until a female customer found dark humor in the situation, saying, “Why do you need to lock the door now? The horse is out!” Esther determined her to be right. A chase ensued and the pair cornered the robber by a Delia creek. The cops pinned him for the crime, but the money was never found. Esther was comforted just knowing that he was caught. “That’s that story” was how she ended her recollection. It was clear that there would be no more questions regarding her thrilling tale of robbery and triumph. Esther sees the instance as only a small sampling of the life she shared with John, the depth of which is more meaningful than its exciting moments. In Delia, the Wehners knew most everyone by name. The family even lived above the store for a period of time until they decided to purchase a new store on Rossville’s Main Street, previously owned by John’s brother, Clarence. Neither Esther nor John were hesitant to move out of their hometown. The possibility of change inspired them. The Rossville grocery store originally housed a small movie theater. It was a magical distraction in the town for years until the age of television killed the appeal in the 1950s. Soon after John purchased the store, the movie theater shut down
10 | Highway 24
and daughter Debbie was born. History repeated itself as the Rossville grocery store became a family affair. Debbie used to take naps on the bread rack until John L. and Bob made a wall of canned goods around their baby sister in the backroom — to know where she was at all times, they claimed. When she got a little older, Debbie skinned onions and checked out groceries by standing on a milk carton while her brothers did their fair share of labor. Doting father John was always watching to ensure that they treated the customers right and worked hard. “The grocery store was his life, pretty much. That was it,” Bob explained to nods of agreement before John L. chuckled at a memory of audacious defiance. He stayed out too late one night and was woken at dawn by freezing water being poured over his face. “The later they stayed out, the sooner they had to get up in the morning,” Esther explained. After a few years in business, John bought the building adjacent to his store to expand. He later built onto the back. Three remodels happened over the course of the store’s heyday. Promotions like a chicken rotisserie cooker helped bring customers in, but with a grocery store right across the street as competition, times were sometimes tough. The other store eventually closed, which helped sales, but didn’t make the family rich. “Rossville’s a good town, we like it. The grocery business itself isn’t very good. It’s too much expense, too much competition and stuff,” John said in the recording. “People can’t really believe what we go through.”
John and Esther Wehner in 1946 with their first-born son. John was 17 at the time and Ester was 16.
Wehner’s Thriftway on Highway 24 in Rossville.
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As a way to make ends meet, the Wehners bought Western Auto on Main Street in 1959, now True Value. The store was a renaissance affair. At different times it sold furniture, televisions, and flowers and held classes for crochet and other skills alongside its hardware merchandise. In 1969, John built a new grocery store in Silver Lake. Management stayed in the family throughout. John and Esther retired in 1991. Even with the allure of travel and relaxation at his fingertips, John would not stop working. “They would be gone for five months out of the year and he would work solid the whole time they were here,” his daughter-in-law Jolyne said. “He was either at the store, mowing or he was doing maintenance on the buildings. He was always working.” Bob, Jolyne’s husband, agreed, “I always said he put a year’s work in six months.” The Wehner family opened a bigger, more improved Wehner’s Thriftway on Highway 24 in Rossville in 2001. The old store became Mid-Town Mall. Even though John was retired, it was his vision to expand. The new store had a gas station, a deli and a greater selection of items. They opened August 29, 2001. Not even two weeks in, a small television in the back of the deli displayed the heartbreaking events of Sept. 11. Vehicles immediately congested the gas pumps and stretched into a long line down the highway. Many panicked motorists hauled their motor homes, boats and gas cans to fill at the pumps. Inside Wehner’s Thriftway on Highway 24 in Rossville.
12 | Highway 24
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John L. Wehner runs the familyowned True Value Hardware store in the heart of Rossville.
14 | Highway 24
“Their kids lined up behind them and they would start pumping and not hang it up until everyone in their family had gas,” Jolyne said. It was never how they imagined the new store would be introduced to the public. Bob and Jolyne continue to run the store today. They model their business practices after those of John’s. “If you notice on 24, there’s a big sign that says ‘Clean Restrooms,’” Jolyne said. “That’s Dad. If you looked at the cards we got after he died, they said, ‘We’re really going to miss him in the store, because he always had a smile and was ready to talk to you.’” The future of Wehners relies on a younger generation. John left behind nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, two stepgreat-grandchildren, and one
great-great-grandchild. After his children retire, the responsibility of the Wehners’ legacy will be theirs if they choose to take it on. Because of the promise he made to his father, John persevered through challenging moments of doubt to come out triumphant in the grocery business. Before he passed away, John made it known how happy he was that he had kept his word. “We are going to celebrate 100 years of the Wehners in the business in this area,” he said proudly in the recording. Only time will tell what the future holds for Wehner’s Thriftway. Until then, John’s family will honor his memory through hard-work and persistence. Even though he is not here today to witness his highest achievement, he made sure long ago that his legacy
will live on. When a future generation of Rossville residents open up the town’s centennial time capsule, buried in 1971, they will see on the very top, a photograph of a young man beaming with pride in a smalltown grocery store. “When you open it, that’s me!” John said with gusto at the end of his recording. These words were not his last, but they captivate the spirit of John Alfred Wehner in a way that nothing else can. When his family, friends and loyal customers celebrate Wehner’s Thriftway’s century anniversary on June 13 and 14, they will be reminded of the man behind the accomplishment — a man who exuded a mix of unrelenting determination and sincere kindness, all to fulfill a promise for his dad. ¶
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Paxico:
A VINTAGE OASIS FROZEN IN TIME WRITTEN BY
16 | Highway 24
HEATHER PERRY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KEVIN ANDERSON
Just 15 minutes off of Highway 24, Paxico has reinvented itself from a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town in the 1980s, to an antiquing destination today.
N
estled away from modern society, 15 minutes off of Highway 24, sits the quaint little town of Paxico. Strolling downtown on a sunny afternoon, you hear the peaceful sounds of nature — birds chirping, trees rustling in a slight breeze. No cars congest the streets. Traffic lights won’t slow you down. A vintage oasis — this destination is frozen in time. Charming storefront displays show signs of life. A cluster of antique shops and art galleries draw visitors in for a leisurely weekend getaway. Wanderers may choose to relax in cozy Mill Creek Campground after a trip to one
of the local wineries. They might also catch one of the town’s annual festivals. “Small town America — that’s where it’s at,” said Guy Michael, owner of Tarred and Feathered antique shop on Newbury Avenue. “Off the grid, you don’t have sirens, traffic, crime and you meet genuine people. People who want to tell a yarn now and then.” Many would not hesitate to credit Steve Hund Jr. as the savior of the town’s once-dismal Main Street. Playfully referred to as “Mr. Paxico” by the locals, Hund grew up on a farm just outside of town. His great-grandfather, the son of a German immigrant, settled on the location in 1871 and is one of the town’s founding fathers. Hund remembers when Paxico was a shining beacon of small town hospitality. As a kid in the 1960s, he walked to town to buy groceries. During community gatherings, popcorn and ice cream were at the ready for kids watching movies projected onto the sides of buildings. A different picture was painted in the ‘80s. Paxico’s Main Street was destined for ghost town status, as most of the buildings were abandoned and in shambles. All except for one — Mill Creek Antiques. It all started with Hund having too much fun at Washburn University. He didn’t have a passion for his studies, as he preferred realworld experience over textbook learning. After his sophomore year, he dropped out, to the dismay of his schoolteacher mother, to work for Rock Island Railroad. At age 22, he purchased an old farmhouse in Paxico. With low means, he had little choice as to how to furnish his new place, so he began to attend auctions. This kindled his love affair with antiques. He was astonished that the sellers were letting go of rare items at such low prices. During a time when new was getting old, Hund saw an opportunity to fill a niche. Young adults were tired of the conventional furniture their parents’ generation possessed. They wanted to furnish their own places with unique items that would not bust their bank accounts.
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As he continued to toil away on the railroad, Hund sold antiques out of his house until the demand grew substantial enough for him to purchase the old Glotzbach General Store on Paxico’s Newbury Avenue, now Mill Creek Antiques. With original fixtures and counters and creaking wooden floors, the 1886 building continues to have a rustic charm fit for the rarest of finds. In 1980, after 13 years as a switchman, fate played a crucial hand in Hund’s future, as the railroad went bankrupt and he lost his steady career. “It really pushed me into what I was attempting to do to make a living — buying and selling antiques — otherwise I might have just stayed for lack of a better job,” Hund explained. During his time at the railroad, he met the love of his life, Kathy. She attended Kansas State University with his sister. He said it was love at first sight when he picked her up for a blind-date boating trip. The two dated while she finished college, but after she graduated, she decided that a change was in order — at least temporarily. She moved to Australia to teach. Hund jokes that she blew out of town. The night her plane took off, a huge storm came into Paxico, taking the roof off of his farmhouse, breaking 18 of its windows and demolishing most of the trees in the yard. Kathy’s adventurous spirit and passion for travel were reasons why Hund adored her, but at that moment, he was unsure of their future. Not knowing if she was ever coming back, the reality of losing her set in as he poured himself into his business. Even through heartbreak, the two exchanged love letters. Hund must have said something right, because after a year and a half of teaching and travel, Kathy came back and they got married. After Hund lost his job as a switchman, everything changed for Mill Creek Antiques. It wasn’t just a hobby to pass the time, but
18 | Highway 24
his family’s livelihood. With Kathy pregnant with their first child, he needed his dream to succeed more than ever before. “If you were here in 1980 and you expressed any interest in something that I had in my store … I probably wouldn’t let you leave unless you bought something,” he said. “I might even stand in front of the door and keep talking to you until you did.” In his early years as a merchant, he followed trucks going to the dump in order to haul their thrown out items back to his store to sell. He began to implement what he learned as a teenager while working as a pump jockey at Stuckey’s on Interstate 70. Hard work and customer service were all that mattered at that time. The jockeys never sat down during their shifts and cleanliness was a priority. “I think it was really motivational. These young people who work for me now, I think about how it doesn’t take much to motivate someone — some aspect of it where they’re learning,” he said. Because of skyrocketing propane costs during an energy crisis in the ‘80s, Hund began to sell antique stoves, which were popular due to their efficiency. At first, he sold wholesale and shipped to retailers out west. In 1984, he made the decision to restore the stoves himself to make a better profit. This changed everything. With the help of a local blacksmith and years of meticulous practice, the novice eventually turned into the master. Today Hund regularly restores pieces that seem beyond repair. During the process, he disassembles, reseals, cleans and polishes stoves. He also locates original replacement parts as needed. A nickel-plate trim serves as the final touch. There is no question on quality. After finding success of his own, Hund looked around at the boarded-up buildings in his beloved hometown and decided that something had to be done.
“IT REALLY PUSHED ME INTO WHAT I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DO TO MAKE A LIVING — BUYING AND SELLING ANTIQUES — OTHERWISE I MIGHT HAVE JUST STAYED FOR LACK OF A BETTER JOB.” STEVE HUND JR.
In 1988, he convinced a friend to purchase an old gas station to fix up into an antique shop. For at least a year, Hund served as Main Street’s honorary unpaid realtor, showing anyone who expressed the slightest interest the abandoned buildings. With leaking roofs and rotted floors, the buildings were a hard sell. Eventually, though, low prices and retail potential got the attention of savvy businesspeople. As Kathy was opening a café adjacent to Mill Creek Antiques in 1989, buildings were being sold like hotcakes. “You could hear the saws and the hammers in the background — they were buying buildings that didn’t even have floors in them,” Hund recalled. Pretty soon, Paxico gained a reputation as being an antiquelover’s paradise. Patrons began to
drive out of their way to witness a constellation of vintage buildings with vintage finds. Ever the practical businessman, Hund never once believed that the other antique shops would be negative competition. Because merchandise is inevitably varied in the thrift world, each shop has its own distinction. Hund’s is his antique stoves and lamps, while the shops lining today’s Main Street claim other niches. Aunt Peg’s Antiques sells furniture, glassware and toys; Old Woodman Antiques specializes in fine, early American furniture and tools; European Antiques and Upholstery has an exclusive selection of European furniture while offering customized upholstery services; Prairie Ghost Gallery displays fine art pieces
Steve Hund Jr. started Mill Creek Antiques as a hobby to pass the time, but it is a central hub in a town with a reputation as a antique-lover's paradise.
Highway 24 | 19
Mason Schwemmer was preparing a pan of Paxico sausage, a mainstay of the small town by the same name. Schwemmer works at Mill Creek Antiques.
20 | Highway 24
and Tarred and Feathered sells historical antiques and unique gifts. The Brown Rabbit Studio teaches art classes while Pottery Garden sells custom-made ceramics. The wineries located around town will get you in the mood to shop. Patience is a virtue in the world of antiques. To Hund’s credit as a salesman, over the years he convinced some of the finest antique sellers in the state to try out his little town. Some of them were able to make it work, while other did not. It’s true that you won’t get rich quick in Paxico. When a Highway Improvement Program shut off exits to Paxico for two years, sales vastly decreased in all of the shops. Hund warned the other merchants to think about how they would supplement their income. It was difficult for everyone. The downturn of the economy in 2008 also affected
commerce. Some merchants couldn’t handle these downfalls. In recent years, luck has turned around, but it doesn’t mean that problems are forever obsolete. The antique business has changed over the years due to internet and television. Reality shows like American Pickers display the business in-depth. Even though these shows have empowered some customers to believe that they know more than him, Hund considers technology to benefit his business. Anything that piques interest in antiques is alright by him. The Paxico Merchants Association was formed in the ‘80s to battle problems that the town merchants face. They are each others’ support group, there to listen to frustrations and brainstorm solutions. In 2003, the merchants decided to do something to draw visitors to
Paxico. The Blues Festival started with just six people sitting in lawn chairs listening to a live blues band. As the festival went on each year, it continued to grow. In 2013, 4,500 people showed up to the free event. Paxico’s own Longbranch Bar and Grill sees an increase in sales the weekend of the festival, while Cox Brothers Barbeque out of Manhattan and other area vendors utilize events for profit. Linda Goss, owner of European Antiques and Upholstery, fell in love with Paxico while attending the Blues Festival a few years ago. “It amazed me at the Blues Fest that you could mix the biker and the banker and everyone could have a good time and get along,” she said. The Meatloaf Festival began in 2008. Meatloaf, pie and tutuwearing gypsies sustained the crowd at last summer’s event. It
all began when three restaurants in town claimed to have the best meatloaf around. The merchants thought that it was a unique enough venture to hold a public competition. Owners of Aunt Peg’s Antiques, Larry and Peggy Winkler, organized the festival for the past three years. They book entertainers and food vendors and form the annual parade. The meatloaf competition is offered to the public now and is judged on texture and taste. The winner receives a cash prize and trophy. Most importantly, they get the honorary distinction of being Meatloaf Master. The Sisters on the Fly, a national sisterhood organization with chapters in each state, frequently visits the festivals because they can park their decorated mobile homes in the campground. The costume-wearing pink posse
paraded up and down the street, dancing to music with the crowd at last year’s Meatloaf Festival. They also participated in the contest, winning the popular vote with their bosom-inspired meatloaf that promoted breast cancer awareness. Paxico’s atmosphere remains relaxed during these audiencefriendly events. There is no gate fee and a cordial reception is offered by all the merchants, including Hund’s curious wiener dog, Gus, who pitter-patters throughout his store. The festivals are meant to promote the town enough so that customers want more throughout the year. “Maybe they won’t buy anything that day, but they may see something they like and it motivates them to come back,” Hund said. “If you do it long enough, you get a reputation and people watch for the festivals and mark it on their calendars.”
Highway 24 | 21
Monthly First Friday Art Walks, like those in Topeka’s NOTO Arts district, were introduced last year. Antique appraisals, an authentic chuck wagon offering ranch trail food and local art were some of last year’s attractions. The winter months stalled the event, but they will kick back up again this spring. Larry Winkler is not quite sure where Paxico’s appeal comes from, but he does know that it’s there. “The thing I’ve always told people, and some people think this is silly, on a good day when we’ve got a lot of people in town, I look out the window here and I see couples walking down the sidewalk. They’re holding hands,” he said. Though the antiques are exquisite and the old buildings fascinating, the sublime charm of Paxico is not in its novelties or promotions. A smile and a story offered up by a friendly local truly casts the spell that convinces you to wander through again and again. ¶
“...ON A GOOD DAY WHEN WE’VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN TOWN, I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW HERE AND I SEE COUPLES WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK. THEY’RE HOLDING HANDS.” LARRY WINKLER
Paxico offers many antiques stores to browse through. Some people like to walk the streets from store to store.
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Highway 24 | 23
THE TERROIR OF KANSAS Through hard work and perseverance, Kansas’ wine industry is flourishing WRITTEN BY
T
HEATHER PERRY
here once was a wide-eyed state that dreamed of making it big in the glamorous world of wine. Dazzling and confident California derisively taunted the reveries of Kansas, snarling, “Stick to your farming and your wheat! We’ve got this covered, flatty.” But strong-minded Kansas didn’t give up. Vineyards in the state grew vast and profitable in the 1800s. To California’s dismay, states from the east to the west respectfully nodded with approval—up until outspoken advocates for the temperance movement grew large enough to enforce a statewide liquor ban in 1880. Poor tenderhearted Kansas could not fight the garish accusations offered up by hatchet-wielding radical Carrie Nation and her anti-liquor cronies. With the sanction of prohibition in 1920, the state’s not-so-humble vision of becoming the wine-world’s Michelangelo was destroyed. All Kansas wanted was to create a sophisticated social drink... and possibly make a cheaper bottle or two for couch dates with Nightline. Was that so much to ask, Carrie? Prohibition was repealed in 1933, but it wasn’t until 100 years after the first ban that Kansas was finally allowed back in the game. With the Kansas Farm Winery Act of 1985, grape growers could establish wineries and sell directly to the public once again. Today, Kansas is more determined than ever to succeed. Just in the past ten years, the state’s viticulture (study of grapes) and enology (study of wine) presence has tripled thanks to dedicated winemakers and a program offered by Highland Community College (HCC). In 2005, there were 13 licensed wineries in the state. When HCC started the state’s only wine-related education program in 2010, there were 23. There are now 31. This might not seem like many compared to states with longstanding wine traditions, but the Kansas wine industry is growing at a pace that will impress even the most skeptical of naysayers (ahem, 1867 Napa Valley, ahem).
24 | Highway 24
Community College to the Rescue
In 2007, Kansas State University eliminated its viticulture and enology classes for the demand of a turf management program. HCC administrators at the Wamego campus were then approached by local winemakers concerned that state winemaking would remain uncultivated if a program did not teach the trade. To try it out, the college created a night class that met once a week. HCC determined the interest to be worth filling a niche when students traveled from Hays, Wichita and Kansas City to attend. The college joined VESTA (Viticulture Enology Science and Technology Alliance) in 2009 to collaborate on curriculum. VESTA establishes online programs through cooperation with educational institutions, governing bodies and the industry itself. HCC students seeking an Associate of Science degree or a Technical Certificate in either viticulture or enology are able to take classes online or in Wamego. Most of the students have not been degree-seeking. Typical students are over the age of 45 with intentions of investing small nest eggs into their own vineyards. Many already have degrees and see no reason for another one. “The majority of my students have a very specific vision of what they want to do with the education that they are receiving,” HCC viticulture instructor Dylan Rolfes said. “One major advantage of teaching adults, and of having my classes be full of students that are actively engaged and self-motivated, is that our class sessions are eight hours long on Saturdays to accommodate the work schedules of most of our students, and without some intrinsic motivation from the students, it would be an awfully long day.” Since 2010, 91 students have voyaged through the program. Less than 10 were under the age of 25. Though class sizes are small, with an average of nine students, those who learn the trade are immediately active in the field. At least as much as they can be. After planting,
[Photo courtesy of Highland Community College]
[Photo courtesy of Highland Community College]
there is a wait of three to five years until grapes can be harvested. Since the program has only been around for that long, success can only be measured once the first students have harvests and begin to sell.
The Wine’s the Thing
According to program director Scott Kohl, the quality of Kansas wine will only get better with time as more winemakers master the craft. “California has been making wine since prohibition ended or longer, so they’re 50 years ahead of us. Their wines are very good,” Kohl said. “Kansas wineries have made dramatic improvements in the last five or six years. If somebody tried a Kansas wine five years ago and didn’t like it, I would definitely encourage them to give it another try, because it’s much better than it used to be.” Kohl said that Kansas will never be a frontrunner with merlot, cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay because the weather would cause those plants to freeze in the winter and die. French-American hybrids flourish in the state because they are able to survive harsh winters and blazing summers. Because the revitalized industry is relatively new in Kansas, a signature wine has not yet been christened. Grapes that grow successfully in Kansas include chambourcin, which creates a medium-bodied red wine similar to pinot noir, and three white wines: vidal blanc, vignoles and traminette. After hiring Dominic Martin as a fulltime enology instructor in 2010, HCC began planting vines to create its own wine. Rolfes,
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hired in 2014, now manages the program’s four vineyards. The first harvest resulted in 80 cases of wine, with 12 bottles in each case. The second year’s harvest jumped to 120, which is not enough to sustain a business, but it aligns with the program’s goal of teaching students every step of the trade from planting to tasting. By 2017, Kohl hopes to have reached 300 cases, but not a case more. By this time, all the planted vines will have fruit and the program will be partially self-sustaining. “We don’t want to get so big that we’re competing with the wineries. We want to get to the point where we’re selling enough wine to replace all the grants that we’re getting, because grants eventually run out,” Kohl explained. After reaching 300 cases, leftover fruit will be sold to wineries that seek Kansas grapes. Kansas wineries are required to use a fixed percentage of Kansas ingredients in their products. The problem is that there isn’t enough grapes to feed the demand. In 2012, a new law allowed wineries to use 30 percent of Kansas grapes, honey or berries instead of the previous 60 percent. The only way to get more grapes is to plant more. In the spring of 2014, HCC purchased a mechanized vine planter that hooks to the back of a tractor and drills a hole in the ground every five seconds. The planter was purchased from a National Science Foundation project grant acquired through Kohl’s unyielding stance that using equipment in vineyards should be part of his program’s curriculum. HCC is the only program in the nation that offers a full course on the subject of mechanization.
“When we first started, we had to drill a post hole for every single vine,” Kohl said. “Three feet deep, twelve inches around. We’re hoping that the solution to plant them faster and easier will make it so that we can plant more vines in the same amount of time.”
Back to the Future
Kohl believes that the future of the wine industry is mixing the old with the new. Traditionally, planting has been handled by a labor force, but a migrant worker population is difficult to sustain. Machinery oftentimes makes planting easier, cheaper and faster. What deters Kansas farmers most from grape-growing is the culture shock of hand planting, but if machinery like HCC’s planter is introduced statewide, vineyards could be popping up all over. “To be able to have that intermediate step where, yes, we’re not using giant tractors with thousand-acre fields, but we’re still able to do work sitting in the tractor — that is similar to what these bigger farmers are doing,” Kohl said. “And I think that’s going to bridge something of a cultural gap between what Kansas is used to doing versus what vineyards have traditionally done in the past.” With the purchase of its planter, HCC is attempting to show agriculture crews that it is possible to create quality grapes with the use of machinery. Though some tasks will always have to be done by hand, Kohl said that nearly 90 percent can be done mechanically now. Because of the planter, the school went from 1,500 vines to over 5,000. The planter will be leased out to wineries across Kansas in hopes of increasing grape production.
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Highway 24 | 27
All in the Family
Most vineyards and wineries are the result of family influence. Glacier’s Edge Winery and Vineyard in Wakarusa began with a challenge from owner Mike Steinert’s father. After planting a few vines in his backyard, the proud novice asked his son for an honest opinion of his homemade wine. Steinert told him the truth — it was terrible. Amused at his audacity, his father challenged him to create his own. Steinert and his wife Lisa thought it through and decided to commit. In 2005, they planted 125 vines on their acreage. They now have 1,200. For the first harvest in 2009, Steinert’s father was there to hand prune. It was the hottest day of the year, but also the most satisfying for all of them. A week after tasting the sweet fruits of their labor, Steinert’s father died. “I wish he was here to see all the stuff that we’ve done,” Steinert said. “Every milliliter of wine that I pour, I’ve witnessed with my eyes, from the beginning to the end.” Since Glacier’s Edge has only been open less than one year, it does not have any specialties, but is experimenting to become an innovator in the wine industry. Steinert aims to do what others might not think of. He is in the process of producing a blush-style wine in the same realm as white zinfandel, but with native grapes. Wyldewood Cellars is based out of Mulvane, but has a tasting room in Paxico. It originated from brothersister duo Merry Bauman and John Brewer in 1995. In 20 years, the two built the business up to include over 40 fruit, berry and grape wines. They specialize in
xperience an evening under the stars with the works of the greatest writer in the English language at this family-friendly festival and theatrical event.
E
Each fall, the wooded thicket of Sir William's Hollow is transformed into an outdoor Shakespearean amphitheater and village festival where you'll find handcrafted items for
2nd & 3rd Weekends in September Sept. 11, 12, 13 and 17, 18, 19, 20
In St. Marys, at Sir William’s Hollow Mount Calvary Road (just east of Hwy 63)
sale, games for children, and festival food such as smoked salmon fish tacos, hearty soups (prepared in cauldrons on wood fires), lamb kabobs, crepes and caramel apples. As the warm glow of evening gives way to twilight, as dulcimer music and the smell of open-fire food wafts through the air, amble over to the amphitheater and enjoy one of the great pleasures of the Bard.
2015 PRODUCTION:
ThE MErry WivEs of Windsor
TICkeTS AVAILABLe AT THe GATe
(affordable pricing for the entire weekend!)
FlintHillsShakespeareFestival.com 28 | Highway 24
[Photo courtesy of Highland Community College]
using the elderberry plant. Wyldewood is nationally recognized, with hundreds of awards backing up its claim of “providing the best quality wine the Midwest has to offer.” Its spiced elderberry wine was the official wine of Utah’s Olympic Village in 2002. Bauman hopes that despite the obstacles in the state’s wine industry, she and her brother have built their business with a strong enough foundation so that their children and grandchildren can build upon it for years to come. “It’s a struggle being a winery in Kansas. If you want to be really good at it, it takes a lot of work,” she said. “My brother’s fondest thing to say is, ‘If you want to make a small fortune in the winery business, start with a large fortune.’” Many Kansas winemakers say that the business is much more of a challenge than they ever thought it would be. In recent years, weather has been a primary nemesis. Over time, plants start to wear down because of harsh conditions, which reduces the life of the plant and the quality of the wine it produces. Lack of moisture was especially hard for Steinert in 2011 and 2012. “It’s not like we can just say that this season is done and we’ll just wait for next season’s plants,” Steinert said. “These plants are perennial. They come back from the previous year’s bud, and if you don’t have the moisture, if you don’t have the nutrients to support that dormancy, then drought situations start taking its toll.” Steinert’s production increased this year, but it is still not to where it was before the drought. Bauman believes that wine tourism needs to be vigorously promoted by the state to reap larger benefits.
“People just do not associate Kansas with worldchampion wine, and that’s funny because people in California know our wines probably better than they do in Kansas,” she said. “I would love to see winery tourism become bigger. There’s so much out there to do and so much to see and taste.”
Cultivating an industry
Only time will tell if Kansas’ long-standing fantasy of wine dominance will bibbity bobbity boo itself into the real thing. Industry advocates like HCC and the Kansas Grapegrowers and Winemakers Association unremittingly pursue an atmosphere that allows winemakers to flourish in the state. Through camaraderie, the cause can be strengthened. “If we all work together, we can build this industry enormously,” Bauman said. “We all make completely unique wines. We make some amazing wines, and that’s just something that people don’t expect from Kansas.” Kohl is certain that there is demand to help the dream along. A “buy local” movement is influencing consumers to purchase products from merchants they trust, and Kansans’ desire to make wine is visible, exhibited with the increase in HCC’s viticulture and enology enrollment numbers. A whimsical perception of romance is the stimulus for many who seek to attempt the trade. For some, the brutal realities of commerce quickly wear off the enchantment, but for those who are dedicated, the strenuous struggle is only a stepping stone towards triumph. California never said it would be easy. After over 100 years on the bench, Kansas is officially back in the game. ¶
Monthly Membership Meeting Every Third Thursday, 6:30pm at Laird Noller Ford Dealership 2245 SW Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS Find us on Facebook! (785) 640-2230 Life along Route 24
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3203 SW 10th Topeka - 785.357.8474 Highway 24 | 29
The Columbian Theatre in Wamego in Pottawatomie County. The early-named roads that turned at this corner included the Midland Trail, the Kansas White Way and the Golden Belt Road.
30 | Highway 24
Celebrating the Heritage of the
Midland Trail T
he value of Highway 24 can’t be measured simply by its utilitarian purpose of carrying people and goods from one spot to another. Today, where roads are innumerable and (usually) well-kept, we often don’t understand the significance of those first routes that catered to the first cars and connected the country. Members of the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance, though, not only understand what highways did, but they celebrate that part of the U.S. history by preserving it. Then they move one step further to remind people that Highway 24 is critical today — in development, in transportation, in connections. Founded in 1999, the organization grew out of a “right place, right time” moment, when historian Leo Oliva was talking to communities about local history, said Joan Nothern, president of the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance. “He made us realize that instead of looking at each of our towns as single dot or destination, trying to attract people and tell a story, that if we could work as a group and present the Solomon Valley as a region, with a road going through it, it would be a stronger way to present ourselves,” Nothern said.
WRITTEN BY
MORGAN CHILSON
When Oliva was done speaking, “Nobody left,” she said. “We sat in a circle and said, ‘What you are saying makes so much sense.’” With a simple purpose at the beginning, to “research, preserve, promote the history of Solomon Valley,” volunteers began to work together, she said. “We had to find out who we were in order to tell what we were and what the attractions would be,” Nothern said. By the third meeting, the group decided to become an association and had a motto; “Stories of land, of man, of nature.” The first letters spell Solomon. Early on, the group received a grant to build kiosks in the “24 towns on 24,” Nothern said, explaining, “We wanted people to become aware of their own stories.” The blue-roofed kiosks feature information on each town based on the eight rural cultural elements as outlined by the Kansas Sampler Foundation. They are: architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history and people. “We used them as a lens that each community would look at their history and their towns, and then put that story on a kiosk in the town, so that people could hear the local people tell their story in their place,” Nothern said.
ART BY
DAVID DOUGLASS DEARMOND
Highway 24 | 31
Clockwise from the upper left; St. Marys in Pottawatomie County; Clay Center in Clay County; Manhattan in Riley County; Rossville in Shawnee County.
32 | Highway 24
Local stories are also captured for the Solomon Valley Anthology, a quarterly newsletter edited for 12 years by Oliva. Stories that place the area in history abound on the organization’s website and in its newsletter, the Solomon Valley Anthology, www.hwy24.org. Snapshots of life and history, all reflecting who we are today, are captured throughout the alliance’s work. In the words of Grandma Freeman, who lived from 1854 to 1941 and was known as the “Godmother of Sheridan County” “For the good that lack assistance The wrongs that need resistance The future in the distance And the good that we can do.”
The Midland Trail
One of the interesting aspects for alliance members in exploring Highway 24’s history was the prominent role played by the Midland Trail. Nothern is considered the organization’s expert on the trail, which was also called Roosevelt’s Midland Trail and even referred to as the “Main Street of America.” A transcontinental auto trail created to encourage people to travel across the country in the early 20th century, the Midland Trail came into being in 1912. It stretched from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco and a portion of it traveled through Solomon Valley. The actual trail followed another trail already set up by residents from Glasco and Plainville, who had created a Red Line route to draw people through their towns after another route, the Solomon Valley Highway, ignored them. “They were such good people, town boosters working with the farmers, getting the roads improved,” Nothern said. In 1914, the Red Line, rather than the White Way which went through Hill City and Osborne, was selected to become part of the Midland Trail. It was a blow to the developers of the White Way and it wasn’t unusual to see competitions between such community endeavors.
The Midland Trail was the shortest way across Kansas, Nothern said, and drew economic development to the towns along its path. “It was a huge, huge attraction to serve this new traveling citizenry,” she explained. The numerous trails that came into being across the country became confusing to follow by name, and eventually, the roads were given numbers. The Midland Trail Red Line Division was first called Highway 40 from Manhattan to Lima, Colorado and then morphed into Highway 24, Nothern said.
Economic Development
The economic opportunities that came to Kansas towns as the Midland Trail blossomed in the early 1900s are not unlike some of the opportunities the alliance hopes to create today. Roger Hrabe, economic development director in Rooks County, said it can be challenging for small Kansas towns to promote themselves and that few counties even have paid staff. Volunteers like those staffing the Alliance are the heart and soul of their efforts; he is one of the few people in the 24 towns along Highway 24 that considers the work part of his job. “There’s strength in numbers,” he said. “The Highway 24 Alliance, there’s no way that any of these groups would probably be cooperating if it weren’t for the alliance being in place. As an example, the kiosks. That just never would have happened.” Each community has been actively promoting itself, he added, but “it was never the promotion of the journey from one end to the other.” “It was never something that would involve someone experiencing what the other counties had to offer as well as what they have to offer locally,” Hrabe explained. “There’s power in that.” When Hrabe is promoting Rooks County at shows around the country, he said the Highway 24 brochure and another one for Highway 36 are the most popular ones picked up. And, he added, the Highway 24 brochure would never have happened without the Alliance.
Promoting Highway 24 Heritage
Although increasing economic activity in Solomon Valley is certainly an alliance goal, another key initiative of the organization is preserving the area’s heritage. Stories are collected in the group’s newsletter, put out and edited by Oliva whose historical talks started the whole thing. And Nothern said surprising and lovely things have happened as a result of their work together. Echoing that “right time, right place” attitude that brought them together. For instance, Kansas artist David Douglass DeArmond, who has painted at least four times in each of the 105 Kansas counties, became involved in the Midland Trail. Nothern met him at a festival and saw his art, and then she approached him to ask whether he had painted in the places mentioned in a 1916 Midland Trail guidebook, DeArmond said. Her email came “just when I was looking for a project,” the artist said. “I just decided I’d go out and do it all over again. So I did.” What he did was take the “Midland Trail Tour Guide 1916,” which offered options for travel, and visit each one of the Kansas sites highlighted. “What I did was made a list of all the places named in the guide and then made it my business to create at least one piece of artwork in all of these places,” DeArmond said. He then published “Sketching the 1916 Midland Trail Across Kansas: As I Found It a Century Later,” and became so enthralled with following roadways that he recently published, “An Open Road: Sketching the 1914 Kansas White Way,” both from the Mennonite Press. Both books are available to order online. Nothern said other artists also have been drawn into the alliance’s work. Glasco was selected to participate in a Continental Harmony initiative in which composers went into 58 communities across the country to create original music. Texas composer Greg Sanders came to Glasco and wrote a band suite called “Dreams and Faith (The Solomon
Highway 24 | 33
Valley Anthology)” in 2003. The music spoke to the prairie and towns in Solomon Valley, with pieces titled “Enchanted Sky,” “Freedom: A Long Time On Its Way,” “Distant Hymns” and “Plows on the Prairie.” Cellist and composer Steven Elisha wrote a suite called “Solomon Valley Sketches,” that was inspired by the works of Swedish artist Birger Sandzen, who lived most of his career in Lindsborg. “To me, those are miraculous things that happen when you make those connections,” Nothern said. There is still much to do. Part of Highway 24, for instance, from Riley to Colby, is the World War II Veterans Memorial Highway. An unusually long memorial highway at about 200 miles, Nothern said the alliance would like to do what it can to make sure people know it is there.
Nothern, who is clearly passionate about the Alliance and its future, although not nearly as passionate about that as she is about preserving the heritage of Kansas’ small towns along Highway 24, believes this work is important. “We’re over 150 miles or so, but just the sense of friendships that are almost boundless, the whole sense,” she trailed off, words escaping the retired teacher. It was, she said, like picking up a reissued book of Hutchinson’s William Stafford’s poetry, and opening it up to realize “that you know so many of those people who contributed to it, and it’s all because you’ve been working on something larger than just the everyday of a local, local world.” “The local world ties to a much bigger world.” ¶
Silver Lake in Shawnee County.
Rediscover your heritage. Rediscover Kansas! Nicodemus
Waconda Lake
St. Mary’s
Travel a road with history going back to the Midland Trail and forward through Western Kansas. Town boosters forged the route to entice transcontinental auto travel, crafting services to meet tourist needs. Explore Western Kansas on ‘our’ road. Take 24 all the way. A fantastic 2-lane journey. Yesteryear never looked better. The Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance encourages you to venture off the interstate and enjoy the route your parents & grandparents traveled -- US Highway 24! P O Box 572, Gl a s c o, KS 6 74 4 5 • 7 8 5 - 5 6 8 - 012 0 • w w w. h w y 2 4 . o rg
34 | Highway 24
Watercolors from the book: Sketching the 1916 Midland Trail: As I Found it a Century Later. by Dave DeArmond
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Highway 24 | 35
A PLACE TO PLAY
Riverside Park has a long history WRITTEN BY
36 | Highway 24
HEATHER PERRY
O
n a breezy afternoon in late September, 1,625 people merrily observed the horse races in St. Marys. The year was 1907. The equestrian sport was as fashionable to attend as a bigcity opera. Women dressed to the nines; men
often did too, as bait for the women. The festivity was rejoiced as majestic and exciting — adjectives that modernized St. Marys to metropolitan status a few magical days out of each year.
The two-mile horse races were the main attractions, but baseball games, foot races, eating contests, local music, dancing and games entertained crowds throughout the threeday event. Over the years, vaudeville acts, horse troupes, mule races, motor polo and aerial flights were also advertised. Riverside Park, two blocks south of Bertrand Avenue, has been a colorful source for entertainment, pride and debate for over 100 years. The town of St. Marys was cultivated in 1848 when a mission school was formed on land allotted to the Pottawatomie tribe. When the first mayor was elected in 1869, there was no space for a public park, but 14 years later, 20 acres of land was purchased by the Kaw Valley Fair Association to hold an annual event that would showcase the community. The area was dubbed the Fair Grounds. For four years, multiple events, focusing on agriculture and local trade, brought in commerce until a drought resulted in the fair’s cancellation in 1887. The fair grounds went into disrepair that year since money was not brought in to finance its upkeep. A failed resurrection of the event in 1888 resulted in The St. Marys Star printing: “The series of bad years the country has passed through, even the small expense of attending the fair was more than most believed that they could endure.” The fair grounds was sold for farm-use in 1894, leaving St. Marys residents without a park to call their own. In 1902, a petition brought forth to the city council incited debate over whether a park should be purchased again. A close vote for the proposition passed and the fair grounds was purchased back and used for a Fourth of July celebration that summer. The next year, the first horse races were held on the Fourth of July. As a way to bolster commerce, local business owners formed the St. Marys Racing Association in 1905. The races grew large and profitable for over ten years. Two hundred horses raced at the event’s peak in 1917. Despite its initial popularity, profits decreased significantly by 1921. An increase in ticket sales, bad weather, setting a later race date and unfavorable behavior, including gambling and drinking, all played factors in its demise. In a report written on the history of Riverside Park, current city manager Maurice Cordell offered up his analysis on why the races ultimately ended: “It seems that the weather, the timing of the race meet, and the price of the admission were but symptoms, with the actual malady being that horseracing had fallen out of favor, and that at the time community celebrations in general were suffering.” The racing era officially ended after 1922. The Star printed that year: “Forsaken, the King of Sports will seek more inviting ovals next summer, when August and racing time comes round in St. Marys.” Riverside Park would soon be reinvigorated thanks to local effort. Before the races stopped, the city commission determined that the town’s citizens should take over responsibility if they wanted to keep their treasured park lively. A bond election held that year in October proposed construction of a concrete-bottomed swimming pool, a bathhouse, a lagoon for ice skating, graveled driveways, hedges, floral beds and an entrance gate at the northwest corner of the park. The bond was voter approved. The election was the first in St. Marys to have women voters.
[Photo courtesy of the City of St. Marys]
Highway 24 | 37
[Photo courtesy of the City of St. Marys]
In 2010, a grassroots organization created by concerned citizens called “Friends of the Park” gave the park a makeover by purchasing new playground equipment, refurbishing the bathrooms and creating fitness stations along the walking trail.
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On May 27, 1923, the playground and the swimming pool were dedicated in a celebration that included a music concert and a baseball game between St. Marys and Alma. The pool became another vital source of tourism for the community. At that time, even Topeka did not have a concretebottomed pool. Early St. Marys’ resident and city manager of St. Marys for nearly 40 years, Maurice Coleman, recalled to the St. Marys Historical Society how Topeka’s “elite” came to swim in the pool on Monday nights after it was refilled with fresh water. Since few people had running water or bathtubs in the 1920s, the water was thick and murky by Sunday night. This always resulted in many swimmers at the start of the week, no matter how cold the water was. Although the swimming pool is still in the same location, various improvements have been made over the years. Particularly, a wading pool was added in 1924 (then relocated in 1965) and a five-foot-high chain link fence was
raised around the pool in 1949 at the request of the State Board of Health. In 2006, a fiberglass coating was installed in both the main and wading pools. Besides the swimming pool, motor tourists stopped in St. Marys to park in the campgrounds. In 1923, the Star reported that the park had as many as a dozen groups camping out each night. The park was a good location for tourists, being off of Highway 24 and offering restrooms, recreational facilities, water, camp stoves and the convenience of local grocery stores. In 1991, three campsites and RV hookups were created on the south side of the park. The park lagoon was meant to be used for boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter, but it could not maintain enough water to serve those purposes. There were a few years that it was able to be used for ice skating, but in 1980, after years of sitting idle, it was filled up with dirt. After the horse races ended, the oval track was used for high school track meets. Baseball and softball
Highway 24 | 39
games were frequently played in the park, and during the first few seasons for the St. Marys High School football team, home games were played at 2 p.m. in the afternoons in what is now the southern part of Diamond One. In 1974, Alex and Betty Pappas started the St. Marys Summer Track Festival, which attracted hundreds of participants. Enough money was raised to build an allweather track, but it was removed when the Pappas and the track meet left town in 1980. It was replaced by another ball diamond as part of the $80,000 “Ball Diamonds Project” which was completed in 1990. Two miniature golf businesses were in the park at separate times. The first was in 1930, which ended in 1934 due to economic depression, and the other began in 1978, the remains of which were ultimately removed in 1999. In 2010, a grassroots organization created by concerned citizens called “Friends of the Park” gave the park a makeover by purchasing new playground equipment, refurbishing the bathrooms and creating fitness stations along the walking trail. Through 17 fundraisers, the organization raised about $29,000 for the improvements, which was used alongside a $75,000 grant and donated labor and equipment, resulting in an estimated $181,195 makeover. Riverside Park currently has three large ball diamonds, the swimming pool, a children’s playground, two shelter houses, numerous picnic areas, a gazebo, the original bandstand, a concession stand and restrooms, a basketball court, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, the original “Judges Stand/Tower” from the old horse racing days, fitness stations, a walking trail, horseshoe pits and RV hookups. Locals are at it again to improve the longstanding park. In 2014, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board ordered an evaluation for the swimming pool, which resulted
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in a recommendation to the city for a new one. The 90-yearold pool was deemed to have exceeded its lifespan. The city shelved the topic and countered with a request that the board come up with an improvement plan to identify priorities that need to be fixed. The board has come up with an expansion plan that includes soccer fields and upgraded amenities. In the next few years, the park will achieve another makeover, potentially to the extent of attracting favorable outside attention once again. According to St. Marys Historical Society Archivist David Steele, the park will always be a site worth visiting, no matter what changes or what stays the same. “A gem in the heart of St. Marys is Riverside Park, certainly one of our town’s biggest assets,” he said. “Throughout the years, it has been a hub of activity and has served countless families, young and old alike, with relaxation and recreational opportunities and it will continue to do so in the years to come.” The fight was worth the struggle for advocates who fought to cement Riverside Park as a pillar of community togetherness in St. Marys. The goal is the same, but strengthened with revitalized energy, for those who will move the park forward. The starting pistol is raised. And…they’re off! ¶ This article could not have been written without information provided by St. Marys City Manager Maurice Cordell, St. Marys Historical Society Archivist David Steele and research done by longtime St. Marys resident Dorothy Newcomer Hoobler. For more information on the history of St. Marys and Pottawatomie County, visit the St. Marys Historical Society Indian Pay Station and Museum, located at 111 East Mission Street. It is open daily for free tours from 1 to 4 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day or by appointment (785-4376600).
DESTINATION:
ST. MARYS
Visit St. Marys
Full Service Pharmacy & Drug Store Serving the St Marys & Surrounding Area for 100 Years!
• Home Medical Supplies • Gifts, Cards & More!
520 W. Bertrand, St. Marys • 785-437-2967 866-403-6219 • www.stmaryspharmacy.com
St. MaryS MuSeuM & Pay Station
for local events and activities, visit www.facebook.com/ TriCountyRuralbyChoice Be sure to visit the • Indian Pay Station Museum • St. Marys Golf Course • Riverside Park & Swimming Pool
2015 St. Marys Events • July 3rd - 6 p.m. Community BBQ at Riverside Park
Featuring: • Original Old Potawatomie 111 E. Mission • St. Marys Tribal Pay Station • Adjoining Museum buildings filled with historic artifacts Daily 1-4 from Memorial Day to Labor Day (May 25-Sept. 7) By appt. anytime by calling 785-437-6387
785-437-6600
• July 4th - Activities in park starting with free swim, Boat Race in the Swimming Pool, Fireworks and more • November 27 - The Bells of St. Marys - Retail stores have specials all day, kick off starts at George J. Perry Memorial Armory Check the Chamber web site for times and added events as the dates get closer.
Phone: 785/437-2935 email: star@oct.net www.thesmstar.com
St. Marys Chamber of Commerce St. Marys, Ks. 785-437-2077 chamber@saintmarys.com www.saintmarys.com Highway 24 | 41
Little Apple
BIG DEVELOPMENTS WRITTEN BY
HEATHER PERRY
The small city of Manhattan, Kansas, serves over 56,000 in-city residents and 130,000 metro area consumers. There has to be a Jayhawk fan in there somewhere. Promoted as a great place to work, live and play, the city’s attraction goes beyond purple and white pride. With a vibrant downtown atmosphere, a growing population and thriving business community, the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce seems to be doing its job — and doing it right. Since 2010, Forbes has consistently honored Manhattan as one of the “Best Small Places for Business and Careers.” The city won the list’s top spot in 2011 and was ranked 21st for 2014. Chamber President Lyle Butler said the organization’s mission is simple: create jobs. Three divisions, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Traditional Membership Division and the Economic Development Department work with 830 business members to achieve this goal. It is by no accident that the Little Apple is a fiscal front-runner among small cities in the nation. Through teamwork and leadership, a vision of growth leads the charge for economic success.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GO DOWNTOWN Redevelopment plans for the city’s downtown area have been underway since before the millennium, but just in the last decade has commercial expansion really bolstered. The most recent Downtown Redevelopment Project had a goal to reduce the need for residents to travel to larger cities for shopping. According to the city’s website, areas of modification included the North and South ends surrounding Manhattan Town Center, with boundaries comprising Fort Riley Boulevard on the south, Tuttle Creek Boulevard on the east, Fourth Street on the west and Bluemont Avenue on the north. The plan also incorporated
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KEVIN ANDERSON
Historic Downtown and Poyntz Avenue. When Best Buy broke ground on March 1, 2006, it signified the beginning of the Manhattan Marketplace shopping center on the North end. Since Best Buy, other businesses have flocked to the district, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Olive Garden and HyVee. The South End contains the Downtown Entertainment District. Envisioned as an entertainment mecca, the interactive learning institution, Flint Hills Discovery Center, is its focal point. The area includes Blue Earth Plaza and the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center. The redevelopment of Poyntz Avenue addressed safety issues, such as improving the streetscape for walkability and maximizing lighting to better assist pedestrians. Irrigation improvements, electrical upgrades, and beautification were key alterations. Even five years ago, these areas were not where they needed to be for maximum profit marketability. As more businesses move in and housing opportunities for these areas are explored, the Economic Development Department predicts that downtown will continue to grow and thrive.
WILLIE’S INFLUENCE In 2014, the chamber broke its own ribbon cutting record with 46 in one year. This does not include the openings of businesses that are not in the chamber and those that opted out of the cutting experience. Butler said this number means Manhattan’s economy is still vibrant, as it was even through the nation’s recession. Driven by two massive entities, Kansas State University (KSU) and Fort Riley Military Base, the economy has students and soldiers to thank for much of its triumph. A steady increase in student population has impacted Manhattan’s business and housing market. For the 2014-2015 fall semester, there
were 24,766 undergraduate and graduate students at KSU. This number is up nearly 3,000 from 15 years ago. Home to thousands, including families, retirees, civilian employees and close to 18,000 soldiers, Fort Riley’s economic impact on the Central Flint Hills region for 2013-2014 was $1.6 billion, according to a report issued by the base. Child dependents of soldiers accounted for 1,272 students in the Manhattan school district that same year. Students and soldiers attract visitors to the region, which bolsters commerce through consumption. In addition, the general business community has grown and created jobs to fill demand.
GROWING SMALL BUSINESSES According to Trent Armbrust, existing business manager for the Economic Development Department, 92 percent of Manhattan’s chamber members are small businesses. “We’re trying to bring resources to small businesses to help them become better and eventually grow,” Armbrust said. The chamber’s Small Business Development Center provides full-time counselors that help entrepreneurs get started. They also council struggling businesses and those looking to expand, focusing on clear business plans and funding. Network Kansas, a statewide funding program, provides specific money to Riley County and Manhattan that allows the chamber to offer gap funding for small businesses who have trouble getting the full amount they need in bank loans. Once a business is established and successful, the focus shifts on expansion. Butler said that about 80 percent of all new jobs in the nation are created by businesses already in communities, regardless of what size of city. Primary sector jobs in the community, ones
Highway 24 | 43
that export products, bring wealth to the city, said Butler. This trickles down to create a need for retail businesses and restaurants, resulting in more jobs. Large companies with high-skilled employees are drawn to Manhattan because of the quality of life. Division one sports, amenities of the university, and the quality of the public schools are all enticing factors. “They say this is a great place to live, a great place to raise your family. When you add great jobs on top of that, it’s a magical mix,” Armbrust said.
GROWING WITH THE TIMES The growth of Manhattan is directly linked to the success of its entrepreneurs. Business savvy individuals, ones who started companies that grew into major employers, are invaluable economic assets. Businesses like GTM Sportswear and CivicPlus are examples of triumph. CivicPlus, a web development business for government sites, opened a new office building in the downtown area in 2013. The company, founded in Manhattan in 2001, is a leader in primary sector job creation. CivicPlus attracts young, vibrant, technology-oriented professionals looking for an atmosphere that Manhattan did not offer a decade ago. The company boasts an open-space work
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environment and its downtown location is adjacent to popular restaurants and coffee shops. This was no coincidence. CivicPlus caters to its employees in order to keep them for the long-haul. In recent years, a shift in perspective gained Manhattan its fair share of Millennials, young adults who were born in the early ‘80s to the early 2000s. This group grew up in the age of technology. They want their information fast and are constantly connected to their peers through social media. Today’s college graduate chooses location over job, said Butler. It’s all about the environment. And it seems to be working. Expansion plans are currently the norm. Tallgrass Brewery, which opened in Manhattan in 2007, is acquiring and converting a 60,000-square-foot factory near Manhattan Regional Airport that will triple its capacity to 3 million gallons per year. A tap house will also open downtown. The Manhattan Regional Airport will also expand from 12,500-square-feet to 42,000 square feet. The need for terminal expansion is due to an increased number of passengers. Over 125,000 passed through the terminal in 2012. Made possible by $15.8 million worth of subsidized grants through the Federal Aviation Administration, the airport will better serve passengers on American Eagle’s daily flights to Chicago O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth airports.
RESEARCH CAPABILITIES In 2009, Manhattan was selected as the $1.2 billion National Bio and AgroDefense Facility (NBAF) location. NBAF will conduct research, develop vaccines and train veterinarians in response to threatening diseases transmittable from animals to humans. These diseases have potential to affect U.S. agriculture and public health. Construction is ongoing as funding is being finalized. The site will be close to the KSU School of Veterinary Medicine and the KSU College of Agriculture, which includes the Department of Animal Science and Industry. The facility will bring in jobs, including construction, private sector and research positions. It will also open another realm of research capabilities for the city. “[NBAF] put a stake in the ground that this area is known for its current research and future research, so we will be attracting more and more, which ties with K-State’s goal of being a top 50 research university,” Butler said. According to a study done for KSU that forecasts the impact NBAF will have throughout the state of Kansas and the region, over the course of 25 years, the city will gain close to 800 new residents. An estimated 562 permanent jobs will be created in Manhattan, including 326 direct jobs associated with the facility. On average, these workers will be paid
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about $77,000 per year in salaries and benefits. Butler estimates that these high quality research jobs will positively affect the corridor between Wamego and Manhattan by defining it as a high-skilled workforce area.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME Jobs offered by NBAF will possibly affect the housing market. To an outsider, enticing aspects of a home in the Flint Hills include the possibility of living by a lake or on a high hill overlooking miles of trees — for an unthinkably reasonable price tag. Recently, a shift in traditional thought has introduced homebuyers to options outside of suburban areas. Butler said that people are now interested in purchasing townhomes or condos in the downtown areas. Less upkeep and walkability (to shops and entertainment) are favorable to those seeking something new. This perspective allows for diversification in future housing possibilities. Butler noted that interest in urban housing will be an important trend to watch develop. But it’s not just the young folk interested in Manhattan’s housing market. According to John Pagen, Economic Development Director and Vice President of the chamber, a 15-year-old marketing initiative titled, “Retire to the Flint Hills” has sparked interest in adults 50 and older. With a vibrant culture, booming commercial climate and top-notch medical facilities, the city is a provocative living option for retired individuals. The campaign targets people who already have ties to the city, such as KSU and Fort Riley alumni. It seems to be working. “They come here, they look around, and they’re excited about what they see today,” Butler said. “College towns in general are becoming more and more desirable places to retire to. There’s always something to do — the sports, the energy, the students, the culture. It’s just so full of life.”
JOIN THE CLUB The chamber works to keep the city’s business community thriving. According to the
Economic Development Department, a multitude of factors entice members to join. Making connections is a key component in business relations. Through the chamber, business leaders are able to brainstorm with one another to better serve themselves. The chamber also advocates for its members by communicating with city and county commissioners and state and federal legislators. The Convention and Visitors Bureau continuously markets the region by promoting local attractions, such as the Discovery Center, Beach Art Museum, Tallgrass Prairie and McCain Theater. Education is an important facet for business growth. Armbrust said that this year, the chamber will have eight brownbag lunches where members can come to learn and socialize. Topics will include social networking, customer service, hiring practices and inventory control. Above all, the chamber seeks to maintain the quality of Manhattan. “You want to have a good community that people want to live in and the services and amenities that attract them,” Butler said. “If people don’t want to live here, businesses can’t survive because there is no workforce.”
Little Apple ...
BIG ADVENTURES
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MOVING FORWARD Manhattan’s population has increased 20 percent from 44,831 in 2000 to 56,143 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A small town feel with big city amenities, Manhattan boasts a quality of life that is difficult to beat. The best part? It won’t stop here. Developments continue to move forward. Butler, Armbrust and Pagen are not just talking the talk. After each living in separate big cities across the nation, they all chose Manhattan as home. For various reasons, ones they helped create, they will stay in the city to watch it grow. “As you look to the future, the next 10 years is going to be very bright, not just for Manhattan, but for the Highway 24 corridor,” Butler said. ¶
Highway 24 | 45
New director takes on future of Pottawatomie County WRITTEN BY
S
ince 1991, the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) has worked for expansion in Pottawatomie County. The county takes its name from the Potawatomi tribe of Native Americans. With a growing population of over 22,000, encompassing 862 square miles, it has an eclectic cluster of 23 municipalities. Areas diversify in terms of population — from rural towns like Emmett with less than 200 residents to larger communities like Wamego with over 4,300. A quarter of the county’s population has ties to Kansas State University, while most are familiar with agricultural practices and rural culture. Blue Township is the fastest-growing section of Pott County, which has increased 30 percent over the last 10 years. It includes the eastern corner of Manhattan, primarily east of Tuttle Creek Boulevard along Highway 24. St. Marys is the fastest growing incorporated
city. With a population of about 2,600, the town includes businesses recognized both statewide and nationally, like Custom Wood Products, Patriot Outfitters, Nemaha County Coop, KG Moats and Sons and Florence Adams. It is both 30 minutes from Manhattan and Topeka. With a population of 700, Onaga is the home to Community HealthCare System, which employs over 450 associates in seven locations in the county. The Onaga Chamber of Commerce serves the Onaga, Havensville and Wheaton areas. Pott County departments are located in similarly-populated Westmoreland, which boasts Hoffman Pharmacy, an “8 Wonders of Kansas” attraction, notable for its old-fashioned soda fountain. The PCEDC is located in Wamego. The city’s annual events draw in massive crowds from all across the state. Last year’s Fourth of July Celebration drew in a record audience of 60,000, according to the Wamego Area Chamber of Commerce.
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785-320-6653
(right next door to Arlan’s)
46 | Highway 24
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HEATHER PERRY
Jack Allston, newly appointed Executive Director for PCEDC, is busy setting future goals for the county. In the fall, he replaced previous director, Bob Cole, who retired last spring. During Cole’s 12 years as director, the corporation sold dozens of lots in the county’s industrial parks. He was instrumental in the 2011 Caterpillar Work Tools expansion project, which is estimated to have a $90 million economic impact in ten years’ time. Allston has worked for nearly 40 years in the field of economic development. He was manager of site selection for Paragon Decision Resources, a major site selection and relocation company, for nine years. He was also a senior consultant for the New Mexico Economic Development Partnership while conducting studies in North America with Foote Consulting Group. A long list of credentials speaks for Allston’s ability to enhance Pott County. One of the first tasks that he accomplished was preparing a labor and target analysis that
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Highway 24 | 47
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assesses the county’s weaknesses and strengths in terms of ideal economic development. In terms of employment, he determined that attractive opportunities are available in the county for spouses of military personnel and students, but blue-collared workers are difficult to find. “Maintenance workers, welders ... not only is there a critical shortage of them, but they are also old,” Allston observed. “A number of companies have most of their skilled mechanics or maintenance mechanics over 50. There doesn’t appear to be a rise to the top real quickly from the younger generation.” Allston acknowledged that this is not an isolated occurrence. It is happening all over the country. He hopes that a job-skill assessment system offered by ACT called WorkKeys will help to remedy this problem. WorkKeys is a series of tests that measures high school students’ capabilities and skills. The results will ideally place young adults down the right career path for success. Allston seeks to implement this assessment in all schools so that the county will become a Certified Work Ready County through ACT. At the time of press, 25 students at Onaga High School had been tested, while Wamego High School and Rock Creek High School had informally committed to the program.
The goal is to get mechanical-minded individuals into mechanical jobs faster through identification of their skills early on. This will shrink the age gap in the industry over time. Allston also recommends more outreach from high schools to colleges and technical schools. A Workforce Development Plan created by a roundtable of experts in the county will seek to address these issues. The good news is that the quality of the labor force in the county is excellent. Turnover is mostly in retail, closer to Manhattan, as there are more students in that area. The PCEDC will also collaborate with colleges in the region to help with expansion at a reasonable cost. Allston plans to utilize Kansas State University business students to create marketing campaigns for county businesses. “Most of the rural communities that can’t get that access, that’s what we’re going to try to do, hopefully get students to work on projects there,” Allston said. Pott County’s three industrial parks are nearly filled. Only a few lots in Green Valley and 20 acres in Wamego Industrial Park are available. Sandy Hill Industrial Park in St. Marys is filled by Patriot Outfitters. A strength for the PCEDC is that it has the ability to buy and sell land and buildings. Allston aims to explore those options. The quality of life for Pott County was rated
high in the analysis. Recreation activities, such as hunting, fishing, camping and theater are abundant. Schools are highly rated across the board. The major issue that concerns employers is housing, which has affected some employers’ expansion plans. “Some companies that we interviewed said that there wasn’t any executive-level housing,” Alsston said. Executive-level housing consists of homes equaling at least 3,000 square feet for a family of four with a $150,000+ income, said Allston. The study states that about 4,400 people commute daily from the Kansas City area to Manhattan because of this issue. Some of those workers simply want to live in an urban area, but others cannot find housing to attract them to move. The PCEDC’s overall mission is to create jobs, wealth and income to provide a fantastic quality of life in Pott County. The board of local business leaders, county commissioners and city commissioners will decide this year how to spend a $1 million private investment budget that must be spent in the next five years, raised by the Advance Pottawatomie campaign. “If you don’t like rural and you don’t like K-State football and basketball, then you might not want to come here,” Allston said. No matter the attraction, there are many people placing their faith in the future of Pottawatomie County. ¶
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2 Miles East of Manhattan on Hwy. 24 PHONE: 785-776-5764 HOURS: Mon-Sat. 9-6 • Sun. 12-6 Highway 24 | 49
Festivals and Fairs Around Highway 24 [Photo courtesy of the Wamego Chamber of Commerce]
N
othing compares to the rush of nerves and excitement felt in the midst of full bleachers under the Friday night lights; to the comfort of a cozy old sweater saved for the coldest of winter mornings; to the relief of hearing your name hollered across a crowded room of strangers. Such simple pleasures embody the spirit of Kansas. We joyfully trade movie stars, skyscrapers and skylines for local athletes, vintage buildings and a boundless view of the rolling prairie. We don’t have Great Lakes, but we have plenty of good ones. Our seasons change, but our people don’t. Hardworking, trusting neighbors are always there to lend a helping hand. Because of them, there is much to experience in the heart of America. The essence of Kansas relies on appreciation for a simpler existence. Communities across the state preserve this atmosphere through annual events where food is most often homemade and local talent provides the entertainment. Along Highway 24, hole-in-the-wall occasions like these are overflowing. Though we all know that nothing that happens in a small town is really a secret, for those passing through, discovering the details of upcoming events can be quite the challenge due to such tight-knit communication. Last year, Kenzie Olejnik, 26, orchestrated a grassroots movement in her hometown of St. Marys that she uses to promote such attractions. She sends out daily emails and posts regularly to Facebook to showcase what’s happening in Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties. Tri-County Rural by Choice brings young adults together to brainstorm how to preserve the small towns that they love. Olejnik’s passion stems from growing up in a town of less than 3,000 people where “taking a Main” (driving down Main Street in a vehicle packed with friends) was an eventful Saturday night. She cherishes a feeling of freedom similar to what she felt as a kid running around town. After relocating for a period of time, Olejnik has since moved back to St. Marys with her
50 | Highway 24
WRITTEN BY
HEATHER PERRY
husband, Dane, to start a family. “They always say home is where the heart is. St. Marys is where our heart was,” she explained. Olejnik’s group is a branch of a larger movement created by Marci Penner, a longtime advocate for small Kansas communities. In 2009, after recognizing that rural communities were not maximizing the potential of its young citizens, she created Rural by Choice. She wondered who would make up a town’s population in the future if its young adults decided not to stick around. A group of influential Millennials met with Penner to brainstorm how to motivate Kansans to stay rural. The organization gives small town leaders resources needed for long-term success. Despite its origin, age is nothing but a number for this group. All are welcome to share the vision of a sustained rural environment in Kansas. The only requirement? Passion. Penner exudes passion for Kansas. In the early 1990s, she and her father, Milfred Penner, coauthored three Kansas guidebooks. They then formed the Kansas Sampler Foundation, which aims to preserve and sustain the state’s rural culture. Penner is currently its executive director. As a way to promote the guidebooks, Penner organized a yearly festival on her farm in Inman. She included local vendors and exhibitors, which attracted growing crowds. After eight years on the farm, the festival grew large enough to go on the road. In 2014, the Kansas Sampler Festival celebrated its 25th year in Wamego. Over 11,700 people attended last year’s event. Every two years, the festival moves to a different location to attract new visitors. For the second and final year, the event was held in Wamego City Park on May 2 and 3. Kansas culture is displayed in various forms in the outdoor festival, meant to inform visitors of day-trip attractions. Hundreds of exhibitors from 150 communities, including city chambers, organizations and mom-and-pop shops display together what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in the Sunflower State. Entertainers perform on various stages while food vendors keep
crowds fueled to shop Kansas-made products. This year’s event will continue to promote Wamego as a unique rural community — one that a farmer and an artist can each enjoy. The town of about 4,300 people has a growing culture of art and entertainment that includes festivals throughout the year, a “Wizard of Oz” inspired museum and winery and a 120-year-old theater. The Columbian Theatre hosts plays year-round, making it an essential asset to town commerce through tourism. Its executive director, Clint Stueve, is a native of Wamego who witnessed the renovation of the theater in his youth. For 40 years the building stood barren, until local volunteerism got it thriving once again in the early ‘90s. Stueve participated in many of its early productions and later on was curator of the Oz Museum, which The Columbian Theatre Foundation operates. After a series of different positions, he accepted that of the executive director in 2012. The theater is a creative outlet for locals and a foundation for involvement. “For rural communities to continue to thrive while in competition with cities for younger residents, we have to include arts and entertainment in an overall quality of life package,” Stueve said. “I see the Columbian’s role as an essential component in providing this.” Stueve’s passion for theater is only surpassed by that for his community. He appreciates the familiar places and faces that make his hometown shine even more after having traveled the world. As a coffee fanatic, Stueve enjoys Paramour Coffee and regularly eats at Toto’s Tacoz, The Friendship House, and Barleycorns, all located within walking distance of the theater. “We have everything that draws people to a small community and plenty to keep them here,” he said. Whether you’re traveling through or you’ve already decided that there’s no place like … that place you sleep at night … Kansas has just what you need to rev you up or slow you down. The spirit of Kansas will nuzzle its way into your heart. Maybe it’s been there all along.
MAY
Kansas Sampler Festival May 2 & 3
Wamego City Park, Wamego What is there to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in the state? Find out at this oncea-year festival where over 150 communities showcase the wonders of Kansas.
Memorial Day Tribute May 25
Rossville Cemetery, Rossville The Rossville American Legion Post No. 31 honors fallen veterans with a flag salute and Taps at five area cemeteries, ending with a memorial honoring on Main Street. A lunch follows at the Legion. Call 785-584-6213 for info.
JUNE
Mulvane Art Fair
[Photo courtesy of the Wamego Chamber of Commerce]
Juneteenth Celebration June 19 & 20
Washburn University Campus, Topeka Hobnob with over 100 artists who display a variety of media pieces.
City Park, Manhattan A celebration of freedom that emphasizes achievements of African Americans. A parade, guest speakers, gospel pride, sports and food make this a night you won’t soon forget.
Oregon Trail Festival and BBQ
Wheatstock
June 6 &7
June 13
Downtown Westmoreland A garden tractor pull is the main attraction for this community gathering. Grab some homemade ice cream before watching the parade.
Symphony in the Flint Hills June 13
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve “Grasslands of the World” is the theme for this celebration’s 10th anniversary. Country musician Lyle Lovett performs with the Kansas City Symphony for an evening concert.
Territorial Days June 19 and 20
Downtown Lecompton Experience what “Home on the Range” really meant in 1800s Kansas. Witness historical pioneer reenactments and skill demonstrations such as blacksmithing and spinning.
June 20
Old Prairie Town at Ward Meade Park,
JULY
Spirit of Kansas Blues Fest July 4
Lake Shawnee, Tinman Circle, Topeka Watch fireworks illuminate Lake Shawnee while listening to classic blues.
St. Marys 4th of July Family Celebration July 3 & 4
Topeka Simplify your day by listening to bluegrass in a botanic garden adjacent to 19th century buildings.
Lasley Street, Riverside Park, St. Marys A community BBQ, home run derby, cardboard boat race and fireworks bring locals together to celebrate freedom.
Meatloaf Festival
Wamego Fireworks Show
Paxico Who will be Meatloaf Master at this annual meatloaf competition? Enjoy the parade before getting your antique on in downtown shops.
Wamego City Park, Wamego This growing festival boasts a car and tractor show, carnival, parade, live music, fireworks and vendors. Did I mention fried oreos? FRIED OREOS.
June 27
Country Stampede
July 4
June 25-28
Fiesta Mexicana
Tuttle Creek State Park, Manhattan This annual country music festival attracts thousands each year. This year’s lineup includes Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Sara Evans and Travis Tritt.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Topeka A carnival parade and Hispanic cuisine will spice up your weekend at this Latin festival comprised of culture and tradition.
July 14-18
Highway 24 | 51
Riley County Fair July 23-27
Cico Park, Riley County Fairgrounds, Manhattan Rodeo entertainment for the whole family that is sure to bring out the country in you. Eat, drink and be merry!
Pottawatomie County Fair July 24-29
Onaga Fairgrounds Better wear your cowboy hat at this large outdoor gathering, which has a beef show, sheep show and swine show. Food, entertainment, rodeo fun.
Flush Picnic July 29
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Flush Enjoy a tasty home-style chicken dinner and concessions at this traditional church event.
BBQ Cook-Off July 31 & August 1
City Park, Rossville Regional and national pit masters compete to be top BBQ chef.
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
August 7, 8, 9
September 3 & 4
Tall Corn Festival
Purple Power Play
Rossville Main Street, City Park, Rossville
Manhattan City Park, Manhattan Wear your purple to support the KSU football team at this massive event with an inflatable carnival, vendors, food and live music.
Corn-themed parade, corn-themed festival, corn-themed contests, corn-themed mascot. Not much zucchini at this long-standing community affair.
Shawnee County Allied Tribes Traditional Pow Wow
Emmett Stampede
August TBD (contact St. Marys Star at 785-437-2935 for details)
September 4-6
Lake Shawnee, Topeka Experience Native American culture with tribal dancing, music, food and educational seminars.
Main Street, Emmett There’s no party like an Emmett party. Dustin Evans & Goodtimes perform live country/rock music (whatever the crowd prefers) at this downtown street dance.
Orchestra on the Oregon Trail
Topeka Railroad Festival August 15
September 6
The Great Overland Station, Topeka Memorabilia and historic reenactments teach visitors about the Kansas railroad. Vendors, arts and crafts, beer garden.
Alcove Spring, Blue Rapids The 70-piece Topeka Symphony Orchestra will travel to Alcove Spring on Labor Day weekend to perform westerns along with patriotic and familiar songs. Food and activities planned for this first-ever event.
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Huff ‘n’Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally
Piotique (Pioneers & Antiques) September 26
Wamego
Lake Shawnee, Topeka Is it a bird? Plane? Awe at the picturesque image of hot air balloon flights. Children’s workshops, vendors, music.
Clay Center Get your history on at this pioneer-themed event. Parade, arts and crafts and loads of food. Don’t worry, there’s a 10K run/walk to burn those calories off.
There’s no place like Wamego. This Wizard of Oz-themed festival has an antique car show, children’s activities, costume contest, vendors and food.
Flint Hills Shakespeare Festival
Aaron Douglas Art Fair
September 11-13
September 11-13, 17-20 (17th is show only) St. Marys The play’s the thing at this outdoor Shakespeare festival. Walk through a wooded oasis of renaissance, purchase homemade goodies and munch on local grub before planting yourself in front of the stage.
Paxico Blues Festival
September 26
Aaron Douglas Art Park, Topeka Will you meet the next Picasso at this diverse “arts in the park” fair? Emerging artists are available to chat with while you listen to live music and tour vendor displays.
Cider Days Fall Festival September 26 & 27
Kansas Expo Center (inside & out),
September 19 Paxico
Big city blues in a small town setting. Food, vendors, antiques — what more do you want? FRIED OREOS.
Topeka An apple a day ... well, you know what they say. This festival includes arts and crafts, bluegrass, pioneer demonstrations, animal attractions, kid rides and vendors.
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Oztoberfest TBA
OCTOBER Apple Festival October 4
Old Prairie Town at Ward Meade Park, Topeka Vintage vultures, unite! Pioneer demonstrations, live music, folk art all surrounded by historic buildings.
NOVEMBER
Kaw Valley Woodcarvers Show and Sale November 21 & 22 Ramada West, Topeka Master woodmasters show off their craft at this annual show and sale.
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Bells of St. Marys November 27
St. Marys Armory, St. Marys St. Marys ho-ho-hopes you have a great time at this community gathering filled with toys, food and children’s crafts, including a cookie decorating station. Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, too.
Miracle on Kansas Avenue November 28
Kansas Avenue, Topeka This annual holiday parade lights up Topeka. Santa Claus waves to the crowd on a luminous float after a community tree lighting ceremony.
DECEMBER Season of Lights
Throughout December (visitwamego.com for more info) Wamego Thousands of lights illuminate City Park. Christmas Spectacular program brings festivity to the Columbian Theatre. This
56 | Highway 24
month-long event also includes a live nativity scene, children’s crafts and visits with Santa.
Fake Patty’s Day
Little Apple Ball Drop
Join the biggest party of the year for Manhattan in downtown Aggieville. Don’t forget to wear green! Just don’t get too green from the St. Patty’s Day-themed drink specials.
December 31
Aggieville, Manhattan Ring in the New Year with a kiss from your sweetheart under the Midnight ball drop atop Varney’s Book Store in Aggieville.
EVENTS TO WATCH FOR…
St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Road Race
March (aggieville.org for more info) Aggieville, Manhattan Celebrate REAL St. Patrick’s Day in Aggieville with a 2-mile fun run/walk and 10K road race. If you would rather sit and watch, enjoy green eggs and ham at the Blarney Breakfast, which raises funds for a local charity. Don’t forget to stick around for the parade.
March (aggieville.org for more info) Aggieville, Manhattan
St. Patrick’s Day Parade March (topekastpats.com for more info) Topeka Irish Fest with food, beer and music. The annual parade kicks off along Kansas Avenue at high noon. A Leprechaun Leap and fun run are more attractions at this traditional event.
Tulip Festival
April (visitwamego.com for more info) Wamego City Park, Wamego There’s nothing like the aroma of spring flowers on a sunny day. Craft vendors, homemade goodies and food make up this community festival.
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