Live Lincoln County 2017

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Lincoln County - Rural by Choice

The Lincoln County community continues to grow and change. Expanded dining and entertainment options, renovated healthcare facilities, great shopping, and excellent schools are just a few of the highlights.

The reasons to visit are numerous. Great hunting, refurbished and well-maintained historic landmarks, the annual Lincoln Reenactment celebration, and, at the county’s western border, the state’s clearest lake.

But for those who call Lincoln County home, the reasons to live here are even more compelling. You’ll find them in the “Rural by Choice” features scattered throughout this publication.

A sense of community, low crime rate, friends that are more like family, the “Rural by Choice” features paint a glowing picture of what it means to Live in Lincoln County.

And those stories are from just a few of the dozens of families who call Lincoln County home.

We hope in these pages you’ll find a reason to visit, perhaps for a weekend, or a long summer vacation. And, if you like what you see, and who you meet, take a closer look, and consider choosing Lincoln County as your destination to become “Rural by Choice.”

To plan your visit, or your future, find us online at www.livelincolncounty.com. Or, if you’re feeling social, find Live Lincoln County on Facebook.

If you’d like to connect with someone over the phone, or in person, call the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation at (785) 5248954, or visit them in the basement of the beautiful Lincoln County Courthouse.

This guide, the website, and the Facebook page represent a unique public/private partnership between the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation, the Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce, and a number of generous vol-

What’s Inside?

Explore

Dine

HUNT Shop

Work

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Explore Everything Lincoln County

Page 15

Lincoln County Is A Food Lover’s Paradise

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Hunting For The Best Hunting In Central Kansas?

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Unique Shopping Options Abound

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Lincoln County Has Employment Opportunities

unteers.

We hope you enjoy it!

John Baetz, Publisher, Lincoln Sentinel (The phrase, Rural by Choice, and the logo, are used with permission of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

For more information visit www.kansassampler.org.)

Photo by Kris Heinze

Design & Layout Becky Rathbun

Advertising Sales John Baetz, Tyler Gier

Writers

Jennifer McDaniel, Jyll Phillips

Photographers

Tyler Gier, Kelly Larson, Bree McReynolds-Baetz, Kris Heinze

Publishers

Sixteen 60 Publishing Co., Lincoln, KS

Web Designer Kris Heinze

A special thank you to the volunteers of the Travel & Tourism Task Force, Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation Director Kelly Larson, and the advertisers who made this publication possible.

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Lincoln, Kansas

Lincoln Just east of the center of the county, the City of Lincoln Center is the county seat of Lincoln County, as well as the county’s commerce center.

Platted in 1871, Lincoln became a city of the third class in 1879.

Lincoln’s business district is primarily located along Lincoln Avenue, and includes many of the city’s original native limestone buildings, but is also spread along Highways 14 and 18 that intersect the city.

A variety store, a clothing store, and a fullline grocery are just a few of the local retail establishments in town.

For those interested in the arts and humanities, Lincoln is home to three museums, one of the most well respected art centers in all of Kansas, and a first-run movie theater renovated and operated by volunteers.

Lincoln’s Carnegie Library was built in 1913 and is one of about two dozen in the state still functioning in its original purpose.

In 2009, the Library doubled its space, building the addition in matching native limestone, while modernizing the interior.

Lincoln’s schools are often honored by the State of Kansas for Excellence in Education.

Their Lincoln Leopards are competitive academically, musically and athletically with similarly-sized schools throughout the state.

The city’s Recreation Commission provides a variety of recreational sporting events and activities for children ages five to 18, and are adding activities for adults.

The Radish Patch, Lincoln’s community garden, gives residents and volunteers the opportunity to grow good food while cultivating friendships. Founded in 2012, The Radish Patch has more than 20 volunteers, who grow more than 2,000 pounds of organic produce, which is donated to local organizations. For a small fee, residents can also raise produce in their own garden plot.

Historic buildings abound in Lincoln, including the Marshall-Yohe House, built in 1875, the Lincoln County Courthouse, and the Cummins Block Building which is home to the Post Rock Scout Museum and the Crispin Drug Store Museum.

Lincoln offers many of the conveniences of the city with the feel of a traditional rural American small town. Photo by Kelly Larson

Sylvan G rove, Kansas

Sylvan Grove Home of the Sylvan-Lucas Mustangs, Sylvan Grove is the second largest city in the county. Settlement began in 1867, and the town was platted in 1887.

On the western edge of Lincoln County, Sylvan Grove is only 12 miles from Wilson Lake, boasting some of the top boating, swimming, fishing, and camping in Kansas.

Sylvan Grove is home to the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, where the county fair is held each summer. Livestock exhibits, a demolition derby, food, and live entertainment are just a few of the attractions at the Lincoln County Fair.

Sylvan Grove offers a beautiful city park, a library, a historical museum, Hometown Cafe, Bennington State Bank, the popular Props & Hops Brewing at Fly Boy’s, and other independently owned and operated businesses.

The first Sunday of June the city park plays host to the annual Sylvan Community Day, which features old-fashioned fun with events ranging from turtle races to three-onthree basketball. Homemade ice cream and traditional entertainment round out the day.

Sylvan Grove is home to the recently expanded Sylvan-Lucas Unified School District known for exceptional student performance, both on the field and in the classroom. The Mustangs have fielded several championship teams in both girls’ and boys’ athletics and earned the standard of excellence in several categories, including recognition in 2008 from U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best high schools.

Sylvan Grove city officials made improvements to the city park last summer, including the installation of nearly 3,000 square feet of sidewalk and an ADAaccessible curb ramp. The sidewalks begin at the park entrance and connect all shelters, playground equipment and new restrooms.

Other additions included a new play structure and equipment with features designed for older kids, and an estimated 30 tons of rubber mulch added to the playground to cushion falls. A preconstructed restroom building was also installed as well as new grass and trees.

The Sylvan Grove Historical Society

Low cost of living • No traffic jams Beautiful community center • Proactive leaders

Peaceful country living at its best!

SAS

KAN BARNARD,

O ur m ission is to enhance the business clim ate of L incoln County and the surrounding area.

Mon. - Thurs. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

144 East Lincoln Avenue, Lincoln Phone: 785-524-4934 Email: lcoc137@sbcglobal.net

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continues to rehabilitate the local Union Pacific Railroad Depot. Last year, a new base was poured, replacing the deteriorating underpinning supporting the last surviving depot in Lincoln County. Once the depot was set back on its reinforced foundation, volunteers were scheduled to begin working on the interior and exterior parts of the project, and recently completing exterior painting of the building.

The local historical society has been active in recent years in getting several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Cross & Morgan General Store, the Evangelical Lutheran School and the depot.

It was in Sylvan Grove that the Post Rock Community Foundation began their mission to meet charitable community needs across Lincoln County through leadership, grants and volunteer initiatives.

Barnard A small community in Salt Creek and Scott Townships in Lincoln County, Barnard is located near the northern boundary of the county, about 10 miles north and five miles east of Lincoln.

A quiet community now, Barnard was once home to the Barnard line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.

The community was first surveyed and laid out in 1887. The town was named for John Fike Barnard, a general manager for one of the Santa Fe Railroad’s operating divisions at the time the Barnard branch was built.

The city was incorporated in 1904. By 1910 Barnard was home to 425 people, had two banks, a weekly newspaper called the Barnard Bee, several churches, retail stores and a telegraph and express office. It was described as an important shipping point for agricultural products.

With a declining population, Barnard’s school closed in 1966. Students travel the 15 miles to Lincoln to attend USD 298 schools.

Residents of the area hold fast to their heritage and community. A community

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Barnard, Kansas

center has been built, home to a variety of community events.

New ownership has reopened the city’s only cafe, renaming it Nancy’s Fancys and serving a weekly special each Wednesday evening.

The Barnard Lions Club is active in the community by providing scholarships for students through fundraising activities. The group also received a grant through the G.L. Huyett Co. to replace playground equipment at the city park, and the project is slated for completion in the near future.

Community pride is abundant in Barnard, people come from near and far to attend community events.

Beverly Beverly, located on the eastern border of Lincoln County, was the first settlement in the county. Settled by Civil War veterans known as the “Colorado Boys” in 1865, the town was incorporated in 1905 as a thirdclass city, located in Colorado Township.

Once a thriving community, Beverly was the home to Beverly State Bank, a drug store complete with a marble topped fountain

backed by a huge mirror, a harness shop, restaurants, retail establishments, a barber shop, doctor’s office, and a hotel.

Beverly enjoys notoriety as the birthplace and childhood home of Donald K. Ross, the recipient of the first Congressional Medal of Honor awarded in World War II. A portion of Kansas Highway 18, located along the north edge of town, was renamed in honor of Donald K. Ross in 2011.

Beverly’s community center, called the Colorado Township Hall, is located on Main Street and is home to many community events.

Today, Beverly is home to Wilson State Bank, the recently expanded Crop Service Center, specializing in custom application of fertilizer and herbicides, and a recycling center operated by CB Trucking and housed in what was once the Beverly school.

The Beverly Fire Department hosts a fundraising Mud Run each year while the Beverly Community Club hosts their Turkey Shoot each November. The Beverly Rural School Alumni Association celebrated its 100th annual reunion a few years ago. The Photo by Amanda McCosh

Beverly, Kansas

JOIN

Lincoln Lions Club CHARTERED IN 1923

Lincoln #USD 298 focuses our efforts on ensuring all students are prepared to be college and career ready.

www.usd298.com

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

The World’s Largest Service Club Organization! Here’s just a few of the activities provided by the Lincoln Lions Club: Independence Day Fireworks Stand, Spaghetti Dinner, Community Birthday Calendar, Ticket Takers at Football Games, Collect Eye Glasses. To join the Lincoln Lions Club contact Dustin Florence at dustinflorence202@gmail.com

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D enmark, Kansas

yearly celebration is believed to be among the longest, continually running school reunions in Kansas.

Denmark Located seven miles west, and three miles north of Lincoln, the small village of Denmark was settled along the banks of Spillman Creek by Danish immigrants. The first settlers arrived in 1869, and nearly all of them lost their lives in an Indian raid in May of that year. In 1871, the ranks of Danish settlers grew. Many Denmark-area residents are descendants of those early settlers, four and five generations later.

For more than a century, Denmark

Lutherans have clung to their faith and to the enduring rock of their tiny, sturdy church built atop the rise at Denmark, Kansas in 1878. The beautifully simple church has withstood the test of time, services being held there even today. The bell tower and south entry were added in 1901. The Lutheran cross, carved of native limestone, first stood on the roof over the doorway. In 1901 when the tower and entry were added, the heavy cross was removed. It now stands to the east of the church on a memorial to the early pioneers who built the house of worship.

The centennial brochure tells that the decision to build the church was reached in the fall of 1875. The building was to measure 46-and-a-half feet x 26 feet, to be constructed of native stone with a shingle roof, on a site located on the summit of a “gentle rise of ground” located on the homestead of Lars P. Nielsen, who donated the ground. The deed was recorded May 3, 1880.

Stone quarrying was done in the community from the Niels Andersen farm, the sand from the farm owned by Clarence Lessor. The lumber came from 35 miles away in Ellsworth. Later, the bell tower rock came from the land of Bob Nelson.

The community hall was built nearby in 1911, and is now home to many community

The historic Lincoln C ounty C ourthouse

Photo by Fernando Rojas

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activities including an annual pheasant hunter’s lunch.

The Denmark Dames is a ladies’ service organization that does much for the church and the county by making donations. The group started the Lincoln rabies clinic, now in its sixth year, arranging for a veterinarian from a nearby community to come to Lincoln to care for pet dogs and cats. Your Other Family Doctor now hosts the event.

Denmark is also host to an After-Harvest Plow Day event which features antique farm machinery used to harvest wheat and work the ground in historic fashion.

After years spent watching Denmark’s buildings fall into disrepair, Debra Parmenter has decided to do something about it.

In November, she acquired a building across the road from the rural fire department. The structure, which was originally designed to house five individual businesses, had been neglected for years. A month later, she formed the Denmark Preservation Foundation, and in December, work began to clear away trees crowding the building’s personal space.

As the project has progressed, the original storefronts, doors and windows and other salvageable items were removed and are being kept in storage so they can eventually be restored and put back in place.

Parmenter can already visualize what she hopes will become a cultural center displaying Denmark’s history. Her intent is to educate visitors about the DanishAmerican culture and art. And she has other ideas as well.

Project expenses have so far been covered through donations, but even more money is needed. Parmenter said she would like to be able to have the first phase completed to draw visitors to the center, which could encourage more donations to further the project.

Parmenter said she does not have a timeframe to complete the project’s first phase, adding it will all depend on the number and amount of the donations she receives.

More information can be found on the foundation’s Facebook Page, Denmark Preservation Foundation. A website is currently under construction as well. The foundation’s email address is denmarkpreservation@gmail.com.

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thriving community, with their own business district.

The community built a consolidated school in 1914, where classes were held until it closed in 1966. Vesper is part of the USD 299 Sylvan-Lucas School District.

A tightly knit community, the Vesper Community Club is active in the area, and holds Bingo once each month in the gym of the old Vesper High School. The high school’s gym has been remodeled and is host to live entertainment, wedding receptions, reunions, and private parties.

Department, and a community center that is available for both community and private events.

Westfall is thought of as a “sister city” to the City of Beverly. With less than eight miles between them, the two communities share a volunteer fire department.

Students in Westfall are part of USD 298 School District in Lincoln.

Westfall Eight miles south and eight miles east of Lincoln is Westfall. Located in Madison Township, on Elk Drive and 270th Road, Westfall is without an active business district, but remains host to several residents and well-maintained homes.

The Westfall school, closed since 1973, was refurbished by the community with volunteer labor to house both the Westfall branch of the Beverly-Westfall Fire

Photo by John Baetz

W estfall, Kansas

Church Directory Ba r n a r d U n ited M ethod ist

Photo by Tyler Gier

Vesper, Kansas

Vesper Settlement began in the Vesper area, located seven miles west of Lincoln and a half-mile south of Highway 18, in 1869. The current Vesper townsite was named Nemo when it was founded in 1887. “Old Vesper” was a community located two miles west of Nemo. The post office was founded there in 1873. The townsite of Nemo was vacated in 1894. “Old Vesper” was moved to this location and was platted into lots in 1905.

The Union Pacific ran through the new townsite.

The Vesper Presbyterian Church was organized September 3, 1876 by Dr. Timothy Hill and Rev. H.C. Bradbury two miles west of Vesper in an old school building until a new church was built in Vesper in 1901. Services were held in the church until January 6, 2008. The building was purchased by Linda Wrench, and is available for tours and community events.

The Union Pacific Railroad passed through Vesper at one time, creating a

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W IL TheSON L AK E ClearestLake in Kansas Photo courtesy Lori Spear

By Jennifer McDaniel Located along the Post Rock Scenic Byway about five miles north of Interstate 70 is one of the state’s best-kept secrets.

Considered, by many, the most beautiful in the state, Wilson Lake and state park offers a surprise at every turn. Nestled in the Smoky Hills, the area is known for its striking contrasts – from the dramatic, limestone outcrops and rugged lakeline at Wilson Lake to the sweeping prairies and gentle, rolling valleys that lend to its subtle beauty.

Fed by the Saline River, the lake offers phenomenal fishing and other outdoor recreational opportunities, and draws a quarter-million visitors each year. Activities include camping, swimming, boating, paddle sports, skiing, windsurfing, sailing, kite-boarding, scuba-diving, fishing, hunting, trails, mountain-biking and remote-controlled sailplane racing.

While water levels have held steady, only two years ago, officials were facing unprecedented lows at the reservoir.

Water depth at Wilson Lake started falling below normal in May 2012, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2015 when the lake hit its lowest point. But a surge of moisture last fall filled the lake, restoring water levels and pushing them above normal.

Even with little precipitation this winter, water levels continue to increase.

Nolan Fisher, park manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, anticipates a full lake will attract more fishermen and boaters this year.

“We expect a 20 percent increase in tourism, with all boat ramps being accessible,” he said.

“We’re already experiencing increased spring fishing for the walleye spawn, at the moment.

Fisheries biologists are reporting a positive outlook with great spawning and habitat opportunities. We’re expecting some excellent fishing opportunities in the years ahead, and that’s provided the precipitation level continues to hold.”

Fishing The lake is known for excellent white-bass and striped-bass fishing. An ocean native, the striped bass has been known to reach more than 40 pounds in the lake’s salty water. State records for smallmouth and striped bass and walleye have all been set at Wilson Lake.

Billed as the clearest lake in Kansas, Wilson Lake features a variety of recreation activities including boating, camping, fishing, hunting, and biking and hiking trails.

Located at the western edge of Lincoln County, the lake is well-known for its annual Independence Day fireworks show, one of the largest displays in Kansas. When it comes to a summer day out on the water, the people of Lincoln County often make the short trip to Wilson Lake.

Good numbers of crappie can be found in wooded coves and submerged brush piles using jigs and live minnows. Crappie fishing is at its height in the spring and late-fall.

With fish on the move toward shallower rock and cover to feed prior to spawning, fishing experts were predicting areas toward the upper end of the reservoir and Otoe in Hell Creek were best bets this spring.

Looking for largemouth bass? Try areas near brushy cover. Standing timber and brush piles are always good bets. Worms, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are all effective tools in landing a keeper.

While walleye can be taken off the face of the dam in the spring, try the mudflats during May and June. Jigs, spoons and trolling baits are all effective. Wilson ranks second in the state for density of 12-inch and larger fish.

Smallmouth bass are caught near rocky points and will hit on spinners, rattlers, worms and jigs.

Channel and flathead catfish can also be found in the lake. Worms, minnows, shad and crayfish are preferred baits for these species. Submerged timber are ideal homes for flathead, which are skilled predators with a hunger for live fish.

They’ll feed heavily at night, often moving to shallow waters.

But for the most part, catfish and flathead like to hang out on bottom, but can be tempted with a little skill and the right bait.

The populations of many game fish species have been enhanced in recent years by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s stocking program at the lake.

Fisheries management activities are aimed at monitoring fish populations and improving fishing opportunities for anglers.

The lake plays host to several fishing tournaments throughout the year, including the Knotheads’ carp bowfishing tournament. The popular bait shop, an official AMS Bowfishing dealer, hosts the event each year during the first weekend in August. Since its first year, the competition grows in popularity. This year’s tournament, the fourth-annual, is set for Aug. 5-6, with the first-place team winning $2,500.

Owner Sue Graham offers customers a variety of live and artificial baits, fishing, boating and camping supplies. The shop also sells fishing and hunting licenses, beer, ice and groceries.

Knotheads, which is located on the east side of Shoreline Drive, just off Highway 232, overlooks Hell Creek Bridge and Otoe State Park.

Camping Five campgrounds are located around the lake.

The corps of engineers manages three - Lucas, Minooka and Sylvan park campgrounds, while the KWPT manages Wilson and Otoe state parks.

User fees are charged for camping in parks operated by the corps, and are based on the type of facilities provided.

Campgrounds contain level campsites, many with electrical hookups, lantern hanging posts, picnic tables and fire rings. Shower buildings, sanitary dump stations, playgrounds and fish cleaning stations are available in most parks.

Wilson State Park also provides rental cabins as an alternative to roughing it. Four, onebedroom cabins are located at Foxtail in the Hell Creek area and at Elm in the Otoe area.

Reservations can be made online at: www.reserveamerica.com. For more information, visit the KWPT website at www.ksoutdoors.com.

Boating Boaters on Wilson Lake enjoy water-skiing and pleasure-boating, while sail-boaters can find plenty of room to maneuver on the lake as well.

Boat ramps in the park include the spillway ramp near the east end of the dam and the Hell Creek boat ramp.

Of the two boat ramps in the park, the Hell Creek area ramp is designed for use by boats too large to launch elsewhere. Handicap-accessible courtesy docks are located at both state park boat ramps. Other boat ramps include: Lucas, Otoe and the east, middle and west ramps at Minooka.

The Lake Wilson Marina, located in the Wilson State Park area, is open from April 1 – Nov. 1. Owners Terry and Roberta Favinger offer a wide variety of items, including groceries, live bait, and fishing and camping supplies.

Currently, there are 200 rental slips available, and prices vary craft size. Fuel is available on the water. The business phone number is 785-6582392.

Hunting Wilson Lake offers many opportunities to hunt Continued on page 38

By Jennifer McDaniel

Hit the road and head to Lincoln County.

Rich in history and tradition, the Post Rock Capital of Kansas features plenty to see and do, from annual festivals and art exhibits, to fun in the sun at nearby Wilson Lake. Take in a movie or a round of golf. There are no rules on this road trip, and it’s all here in the heart of north central Kansas - Lincoln County!

Museums and attractions Lincoln County Historical Museum The Lincoln County, Kan., Historical Museum in Lincoln consists of the Kyne House main buildings, Topsy School and Marshall-Yohe House.

The museum, which tells the story of Lincoln County through historical collections, artifacts and information, is committed to the

collection and preservation of artifacts and information that document Lincoln County’s heritage and culture, and to the production of interpretive exhibits, educational programs and publications.

Among the museum’s many exhibits is the Cooper Room, which celebrates Lincoln native Frank Cooper, an artist and historian.

Cooper, who graduated from Lincoln High School, worked as a graphic designer in New York City. Cooper later returned to Lincoln to operate the family store when his father died.

The museum also features a newspaper collection, original drawings, the famed mystery stone, and the Post Rock Stone and Fence Room, which recognizes the primary building materials for fence posts and the building structures in Lincoln County.

Kyne House Built by Lincoln resident Timothy Kyne in 1885, the Kyne House, located at 214 W. Lincoln Ave., is furnished entirely with furniture and other decor from that era.

One of the first limestone houses built in the county, the Kyne House is listed on the Kansas Registry of Historic Places and is part of the Lincoln County Historical Museum Complex.

Topsy School The Topsy School, a one-room, elementary

Dan Bates has worked as the Turf and Commercial Worksite Product salesman at Carrico Implement for seven years, and continues to live in Lincoln, even after the implement dealer made the move to Ellsworth in 2012. His wife Traci is a stay-at-home mom to their three boys: Levi, 10; Clay, 8; and Dane, 5. She recently started a part-time job assisting the director of the Lincoln Housing Authority.

Dan and Traci both grew up in small towns in Kansas, and relocated to Lincoln from Kansas City to get back to the rural lifestyle.

“We both worked full-time jobs, with long commutes that took away from time with our boys,” Traci said. “I wanted to be able to stay Photo by Bree McReynolds-Baetz home with the boys while they were little. We wanted to raise our family in a community that reflects the same values that are important to carts and bikes and baseball. We chose Lincoln County speus.”

And their own small-town upbringing drove their desire cifically because it was centrally located, had the amenities we were looking for, and was just the right size.” to see their children raised in the same setting.

When it comes to Lincoln County, Traci said the people are “Both of us grew up in smaller communities, and we wanted our kids to experience that lifestyle. We wanted the best part. our boys to make lasting friendships with their classmates “We love the people!,” Traci declared. “I love that we were and families, and have the opportunity to participate in a made to feel welcome from the very first moment we moved variety of activities. And we wanted a slower pace for our here. A local couple graciously let us rent their house for a family; to have time for floor parties in front of the fire- month (sight unseen) while we looked for a more permanent place in winter, and s’mores around the firepit in summer. place to live, and even met us at Mity Mart to welcome us Time for fishing and camping and swimming, space for go- the night we caravanned into town. A young mom with a boy

Dan and Traci Bates

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school originally located in Elkhorn Township - south of Lincoln and west of Westfall - was moved to its present location east of the Kyne House, and renovated by the historical society and its volunteers many years ago. The classroom is fully furnished with old desks, dunce chair, lunch buckets, books and maps, giving visitors a true glimpse of education during the 1800s.

Marshall-Yohe House The Marshall-Yohe House, at 316 S. Second St., in Lincoln, was constructed in 1895 by Lincoln builder Henry Casserly.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the three-story, Queen Anne-style Victorian sits on a rustic native limestone foundation. The home features Lincrusta wainscoting in the main floor parlor, and an eight-foot, stained-glass stairway leading to the second floor. Original and period furnishings can be found throughout the home. Updated in the 1920s, several art deco details and indoor plumbing were added during the renovation. The garden area occupies a large space, approximately a lot and a half in size, directly behind the house.

The home is open to the public by appointment.

Yesterday House The Yesterday House Museum, owned and operated by the Sylvan Historical Society, houses historical artifacts, displays, photos and other items related to the history of the town

Continued on page 10

my son’s age walked up to me at the grocery store the first month we were in town, introduced herself, and invited me to a women’s Bible study.”

Traci calls it sense of community.

“When you know everyone, you tend to be kinder and (hopefully) more willing to work together even when you have a difference of opinion. I love that my oldest can tell me who is driving every car we meet on the road, and what kind of wave they are going to give. I love that my youngest talks to everyone we see, and they all have time to make him feel important.

I love that the best part of my middle child’s day is seeing his big brother in the hallway of a school that lets him jump out of line and hug him. I love knowing that, no matter where our children are, our ‘village’ is watching, caring, loving, and even disciplining them as if they were their own. I love that our neighbors will feed our pets and rush to put out fires while we’re gone.”

Traci said they are definitely living Rural by Choice.

“For us, choosing to live in a rural area was a conscious decision. We gave up some conveniences of a large city, but the value added to our family’s life is the reward. The values we want to teach our children, and the memories we want to create as a family are enhanced by where we chose to live. We are where we are supposed to be.”

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Crispin’s Drug Store Museum

161 East Lincoln Avenue • Lincoln, Kansas 67455 • (785) 524-5383 • rxmuseumist@yahoo.com

Step into this museum and step back 100 years in time. See a drug store from 1900: the drugs, medicines, equipment and sundries from yesteryear. View the crude drugs: slippery elm bark, bladder wrack, life everlasting herb; and the equipment the druggist used to turn these seeds, roots, leaves and bark into pills, salves and lozenges “whatever the doctor ordered.” Read the wild claims of the patent medicines. Examine quack medical devices and learn about the conditions they “cured.”

Watch demonstrations of pill rolling, cork sizing and powder dividing. Ask about the silver coated pills, the use of poisons and narcotics, and the “medicinal cigarettes.” Leave with a better understanding of how far we have come in the last 100 years.

The museum is generally open daily from 1 to 5 pm, but it is always best to contact us and schedule a tour as the sign says: “Open by Chance or Appointment.” Hope to see you soon!

Admission to the pharmacy museum is by donation.

Post Rock Scout Museum

161 East Lincoln Avenue • Lincoln, Kansas 67455 • (785) 524-5383 • postrockscoutmuseum@yahoo.com

The Post Rock Scout Museum was created in 2004 by Kathie Crispin, a long-time member of Girl Scouts and collector of Girl Scouts memorabilia. The collection now on display in the museum also includes memorabilia from Girl Guides, Pioneer Girls, Camp Fire Girls, Girl Reserves, and Boy Scouts. The museum is filled with uniforms, insignia, jewelry, books, dolls, and lots of memorabilia that tell the story of scouting through the years. The museum is part of the non-profit organization, the Crispin Antiquarian Foundation.

The Post Rock Scout Museum is generally open daily from 1 to 5 pm. Please contact the museum to schedule your visit by calling (785) 524-5383. Admission is by donation.

Both the Crispin’s Drug Store Museum and the Post Rock Scout Museum are housed in the Cummins Block Building in Lincoln, Kansas. The Cummins Block Building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings.

Lincoln County Historical Society

216 W. Lincoln Avenue • Lincoln, Kansas • (785) 524-9997 • lchs10@att.net

The Lincoln County Historical Society Museum complex is one of the finest, and best maintained historical societies in rural Kansas. The complex features the Lincoln County Museum, Kyne House and Topsy School along with the Marshall-Yohe House which is maintained by the society and occupies its original location across town.

The museum complex is open 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Entry is by donation. The Marshall-Yohe House located at 316 S 2nd is open by appointment. Entry is $5 for groups less than 10 and $4 for groups 10 or more.

For more details about this organization that is dedicated to preserving the history of Lincoln County visit www.lincolncohistmuseum.com

Photographs from top to bottom: Cummins Block Building; Crispin’s Drug Store; Kathie Crispin in the Post Rock Scout Museum; map of historical events in Lincoln County painted by Frank Cooper, displayed in the Lincon County Museum; Marshall-Yohe House; Lincoln County Museum & Kyne House complex.

Lincoln Art Center

126 E. Lincoln Ave. Lincoln, KS 785-524-3241 lincolnartcenter@att.net In the last 25 years, the Lincoln Art Center has grown into one of the best art galleries in Kansas. With 6-8 major exhibits each year, each kicked off with an opening reception and gallery talk, the Lincoln Art Center brings many opportunities for cultural growth to the greater rural Lincoln community.

Bringing community together has always been an important part of the Lincoln Art Center’s mission, with weekly studio nights, monthly music jams, beginners classes, summer youth classes, as well as special student art workshops throughout the school year.

Lincoln Art Center Director Joyce Harlow has long been dedicated to finding creative ways to keep the gallery thriving while simultaneously growing the Lincoln Arts & Humanities Foundation Public Art Collection. Make plans to visit the Lincoln Art Center or attend an event. Open Tues-Fri 12-4 p.m. and Sat 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. http://lincolnartcenter.org

Finch Theatre

122 E. Lincoln Ave. Lincoln, KS 785-524-4350 The beautifully renovated, state-of-the-art Finch Theatre is a multi-purpose facility founded by volunteers. The theater shows first run movies every weekend, is home to local children’s theater and other live events, and features a fully stocked concession stand with savory buttered popcorn, soda, and candy, for far less than the theaters in the city. The meeting room is available for rent for private parties and public meetings and features tables, chairs, linens, and a full kitchen with ice machine. The Finch is one of Lincoln’s most popular community gathering places thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of numerous volunteers and benefactors. Find them online at www.finchtheatre.com, or find them on Facebook.

Dickerman’s Free Range Zoo

It is a real treat to drive along scenic Kansas Highway 18 in Lincoln County, where soft, rolling hills, old farmsteads, waving wheat fields and lush pastures with herds of cattle grazing aren’t the only thing attracting visitors and locals. The area is becoming well known for JRD Creature Creations! Jim, is a local Grass Roots Artist and welder, who assembles parts of Kansas past and creates them to be a part of Kansas future. His goal is to “create emotion, good, bad or indifferent” and hopes his work inspires others to find their own creativity within themselves. Dickerman’s Free Range Zoo driving instructions start on Highway 18 in Lucas, Kansas and moves toward the east, then on Highway 14 starting in Lincoln and moving towards the south to I-70. Some creatures are fun and whimsical, some are frightening and predatory, all are fascinating and colorful. Go to the following link to get a complete list of the fantastical creatures for you and your family’s own little “creature” hunt. http://livelincolncounty.com/jimdickermans-open-range-zoo/

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of Sylvan Grove, established in 1876. The museum is also home to an extensive barbed wire collection with more than 500 varieties on display. Hundreds of photos, newspapers and City documents are available for viewing.

Open Sundays, Memorial Day weekend through September, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Contact Terry Lilak at 785-524-6034 for more information or an appointment.

Bethlehem Lutheran Evangelical School Located just north of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Sylvan Grove, the school was built in 1913, replacing an earlier structure at the same location. The nativelimestone building, which was designed by a Salina architect, still serves youth groups, confirmation and Sunday School classes. In October 2015, the school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The following year, nearly $10,000 in funding was awarded to the school to support the pieces of a large restoration project. The improvement project included tuckpoint work around the foundation, flooring repairs and exterior paint for the window and door trim.

Gutters and downspouts were replaced last fall, and storm windows were expected to be installed this spring.

Cummins Block Building Home to the Drug Store and Post Rock

Scout museums, the historic Cummins Block Building attracts looks from visitors to downtown Lincoln.

Residents Jack and Kathie Crispin own the building, which was built in 1881, and spent 10 years renovating the second story, which is now their home. Built in the Italianate style, the limestone building was once a bank and still houses the original vault.

Post Rock Scout Museum Opened in 2004, Lincoln resident Kathie Crispin, a life-long Girl Scout and leader, created the Girl Scout Museum with her own collection of scouting memorabilia. Dedicated to the preservation of historical artifacts of various scouting organizations, the museum features exhibits devoted to Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Pioneer Girls, Campfire Girls and other similar youth organizations. Among the displays are Girl Scout uniforms dating as far back as 1918.

The museum also offers scrapbooking sessions for scout groups. Other scouting related items and gifts are also sold within the museum.

Crispin’s Drug Store Museum Jack Crispin, a long-time pharmacist who owned and operated Crispin Pharmacy in Lincoln for many years, opened Crispin’s Drug Store Museum in 2007.

The museum, which is brimming with Crispin’s vast pharmacy artifacts collection, recreates the drugstore atmosphere at the turn of the 20th Century when pharmacists were transitioning from preparing ingredients and products from seeds, barks and roots to buying

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prepared ingredients and products. The museum displays both drug ingredients and manufactured drugs.

Jack’s description of the displays and vast knowledge of the history of pharmaceuticals makes a visit to the museum a must.

Both museums are open by appointment, or if you’re lucky enough to catch Jack or Kathie at home.

For more information visit their websites at postrockscoutmuseum.com or crispinsdrugstoremuseum.com.

Carnegie Library Built in 1914, Lincoln’s Carnegie Library is one of 59 libraries built in Kansas by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Today, it’s one of just 25 still in use for that purpose.

The library is governed by a board whose members include Sharon Luck, Sunnie McBride, Kathy Moss, Patrisha Street, Patti Winters and Charlene Batchman. Nancy Jensen serves as head librarian. Mary Andersen is children’s librarian.

In 2004, the library officials began planning and raising funds for an impending expansion and building renovation. Four years later, construction started on the expansion, which featured an elevator, reading room and Kansas/ Lincoln County room. The children’s department was moved upstairs, and the former children’s space was turned into a meeting room.

Construction was completed in May 2009.

The expansion project, which totaled more than a half-million dollars, was paid for with grants and private donations. No bond issues or additional taxes were levied to cover

The library also offers public access computers and Wi-Fi, DVD and Blu-ray movies for both adults and children, photocopy services, magazines and newspapers, audio books and even cake pans are available. For researchers, the library features copies of local newspapers on microfilm from 1873 to 2010.

Denmark’s Historic Church and Hall For more than a century, Denmark Lutherans have clung to their faith and the sturdy church built atop the rise at Denmark in 1878. The church has withstood the test of time, with services still being held there today.

The bell tower and south entry were added in 1901.

The Lutheran cross, carved of native limestone, first stood on the roof over the doorway.

But in 1901, when the tower and entry were added, the heavy cross was removed. It now stands to the east of the church as a memorial to the early pioneers who built the church.

The community hall was built nearby in 1911, and is now home to many community activities including an annual pheasant hunter’s lunch.

For more information visit the Get Denmark (Kansas) group or Denmark, Kansas page on Facebook.

Lincoln Art Center For more than 20 years, the Lincoln Art Center has offered first-rate exhibits highlighting the work of local and regional artists and artisans. A special opening kicks off each new exhibit.

Under the direction of Joyce Harlow, the center is home to the Lincoln Public Art

Collection, which started with the purchase of an oil painting by Charles Rogers of Ellsworth in 1986, and has expanded to include several works from different mediums, with additional works added to the collection each year.

Exhibits at the center are free and open to the public. The center, which is one of the most well-respected facilities of its type in all of Kansas and the Midwest, hosts an open studio every Tuesday evening and also serves as a meeting place for local organizations.

For more information visit the center’s website at www.lincolnartcenter.org or find them on Facebook.

Spillman Creek Double-Arch Bridge The limestone, double-arch bridge, which was built in 1908 under the supervision of John Edward Beverly, is located nine miles north of Sylvan Grove on Kansas Highway 181 at the south fork of Spillman Creek.

The rare bridge, which features semi-circle arches spanning about 20 feet, was abandoned by the Kansas Department of Transportation in the early-1990s and was slated for demolition. But thanks to the work of local historians, a grant was awarded to repair and stabilize the bridge. The local historical society was later given the bridge and the 1.3 acres adjoining it. Signs along Highway 18, to the east and west of the Sylvan Grove turn-off on 181, note the bridge’s existence to the north.

The bridge was placed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Sylvan Grove Union Pacific Depot A year ago, local historians were making plans to use more than $40,000 in newly

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awarded grant funding to give the former Sylvan Grove Union Pacific Railroad Depot a solid foundation.

And in February 2016, a new base was poured, replacing the crumbling underpinning supporting the last surviving depot in Lincoln County.

Built in 1887, the structure is an example of a combination depot, meaning it served both freight and passenger needs. The rail line the depot served was originally known as the Salina, Lincoln & Western Railway Line, which later became a part of the Union Pacific Railroad. The existing depot still stands in its original location - at the south end of Sylvan Grove’s Main Street. According to historians, the depot closed in 1968; the rails on either side of the building were removed following the 1993 flood. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 2014.

The depot, located at 131 S. Main St., was purchased by the Sylvan Grove Historical Society in 2005.

For more information visit the Sylvan Historical Society page on Facebook.

The Finch Theatre Built by volunteer labor and thousands of dollars in donations and free materials, Lincoln has its own downtown movie theater.

Though the Finch Theatre is decorated in the style of the early 1900s, it’s a state-of-theart digital cinema with 3-D capabilities. The

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art digital cinema with 3-D capabilities. The facility shows first-run movies every weekend, and is used for other community events and productions as well.

For two weeks each summer, the theater’s stage is home to the Finch Children’s Theatre, which hosts a musical production by area elementary and junior high students.

Wind Farms The Smoky Hills Wind Farm, located on the Ellsworth-Lincoln County line spans across 20,000 acres. The project’s initial phase went on-line in January 2008, followed by the second phase which was operational at the end of the same year. Owned and operated by Enel North America, the wind farm produces 250 megawatts of renewable electrical energy.

In late-2011, construction began on the Post Rock Wind Project, originally developed by Hilliard Energy, and later purchased by Wind Capital Group. Consisting of 134 wind turbines generating 201 megawatts of energy, the project, purchased by Pattern Energy Group in 2015, is spread across 23,000 acres in Lincoln and Ellsworth Counties.

While both projects are easily viewed along Interstate 70, motorists are encouraged to take extra caution if pulling onto the road’s shoulder or off-ramps to view the enormous structures.

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Events From small town festivals to historical events and the annual 4-H fair, Lincoln County is host to something for every interest and every season.

Lincoln Re-enactment Each February, Lincoln is home to the annual Lincoln Re-enactment celebration.

For more than 25 years, the event has been dedicated to honoring Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president. Marilyn Helmer, who co-founded the event with local historians, still organizes the celebration, which nearly fills two days. While the schedule changes each year, one of the most prominent events is the annual Lincoln Look-A-Like contest, which is held at the Lincoln County Courthouse, 216 E. Lincoln Ave. Dedicated in September 1900, the native limestone building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 1976.

The Lincoln County Fair For more than a century, the fairgrounds in Sylvan Grove have been home to the Lincoln County Fair. The event is a showcase for Lincoln County 4-H’ers, and includes an open class for the general public to compete with exhibits ranging from 4-H and open class fashion, livestock, arts, sewing, photography, and foods. The fair also includes the Cow-Calf classic, special evening entertainment, bingo, a demolition derby, exhibits by area historical societies and antique farm implements along with the American Legion food stand, the annual BBQ Contest, and ice cream treats.

Post Rock Festival The annual Post Rock Festival in Lincoln offers something for everyone the Saturday of Labor Day weekend including the Post Rock Classic Run/Walk, a parade, museum tours, children’s games, cardboard boat races in the city pool, food vendors in the city park, fireworks and a dance with live music at the tennis courts.

Kids inflatables, a horseshoe tournament, and beer garden are just a few of the other activities that round out the day.

For an updated schedule visit the Post Rock Festival Page on Facebook.

Lincoln County Rod and Custom Car Show Each September Lincoln plays host to the Lincoln County Rod and Custom Car Club car show. From completely restored automobiles to tricked-out hot rods to classic trucks and motorcycles, this show is a must for any auto enthusiast.

Set in Lincoln’s City Park, the event includes classic rock music, a barbecue and numerous prizes.

Sylvan Community Day An old-fashioned hot dog and watermelon feed marks the annual City of Sylvan Grove’s Community Day - the first weekend of June in the city park. The day begins with a church service in the park, and includes a potluck lunch, horseshoe tournament, volleyball, basketball, frog and turtle races and a pickleeating contest.

The celebration eventually draws to a close as residents sit down to enjoy traditional live

entertainment.

Beverly Mud Run Each September, the Beverly-Westfall Fire Department hosts a tractor pull and fourwheeler mud run in Beverly as its biggest fundraiser of the year.

Firefighters fire up the grill, serving hot dogs and burgers, while locals compete for top bragging rights. Contestants come from around the area to participate in the Mud Run which features two pits.

Recreational Activities Lincoln County allows for easy access to boating, camping, fishing, or a round of golf at one of the most challenging sand green courses in Kansas. For the hunter, Lincoln County is home to some of the best upland game bird, deer, and turkey hunting in Kansas. (See page 22 for more details on how to hunt in Lincoln County.)

Wilson Lake Nestled along the Saline River in central Kansas, Wilson Lake serves as a destination for anglers, boaters and campers who simply want to get away from it all.

The lake, which was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, resulted from the federal Flood Control Act of 1944. At its completion in 1964, the dam cost approximately $20 million to construct. It would take nearly 10 years for river inflows to fill the lake.

Today, the Kansas City District of the Corps of Engineers manages 9,000 surface acres of water in addition to approximately 13,000

acres of land surrounding the lake.

Shortly after the dam was completed, the 8,069-acre Wilson Wildlife Area was offered to the Kansas Forestry Fish and Game Commission under the terms of a license with the Corps of Engineers in 1965. A year later, the state Legislature established Wilson State Park in 1966. The park’s Hell Creek Area was also created the same year. The Otoe Area would be granted to the state nearly two decades later in 1984. By 1996, a waterfowl refuge was established.

Lincoln Golf Course Lincoln is home to a nine-hole sand green golf course privately owned by stockholders, but open to the public. The course is located a half-mile east of Lincoln High School on the paved Milo Drive.

The course features a challenging layout that includes rolling fairways and soft sand greens.

The No. 9 tee box boasts a magnificent view overlooking the City of Lincoln.

The course has recently undergone significant upgrades with members and volunteers improving tee-boxes, fairways and greens.

The golf course’s clubhouse is available for rent for private parties or family gatherings and features kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Daily green/trail fees are $5. For more information contact Stephan Smith at 785524-6003, or find the Lincoln Golf Club page on Facebook.

Connie Achterberg Wildlife-Friendly Demonstration Farm The demonstration farm is a recent addition

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to the Audubon of Kansas (AOK) sanctuaries.

Located southwest of Lincoln, it consists of 240 acres with cultivated fields, prairie meadows, streams and woodlands. The AOK will utilize the property to demonstrate how land can be farmed but also be good habitat for wildlife and native plants. Picnic tables have been placed in the southeast corner of the property on an overlook.

Be sure to bring binoculars to view various bird species. For more information, and the story of Connie Achterberg’s farm, visit the farm’s website at: www.audubonofkansas.org/ sanctuaries/connie-atcherburg/ Gurley Marsh The Gurley Marsh is a natural wetland located in northern Lincoln County approximately where Highways 14 and 284 meet. The area, locally referred to as ‘the salt marsh,’ is home to a variety of wildlife of all sizes.

Recently, a pull-off stop was added along Highway 14 for visitors to get a closer look.

The Lincoln G olf C lub

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L ABERTEW APIARIES Busy as Bees Courtesy Photo

By Mike Kessinger Hays Daily News

SYLVAN GROVE - North of this small town, there’s a country road with a field of sunflowers.

On a still and quiet day, you can hear the sound of thousands of bees. All working, many of them eventually cross the road to the stacks of white boxes — all labeled Labertew Apiaries, Sylvan Grove, KS. The bees find the apiaries by following the queen and make their way into the boxes where the hives are, which includes nine frames where production of honey starts.

Across the road from the sunflowers, someone passing by might not notice the stream of bees crossing to the hives.

“We’re typically between 1,000 to 1,500 hives,” said Ben Labertew, who runs Labertew Apiaries/Labertew Honey with his father, Stan.

The Labertews have boxes of hives in seven north-central and northwest Kansas counties.

“We try to scatter them around,” Stan Labertew said. “A bee will work in a 2-mile circle. It’s nice to not overlap them too much. We’re looking for the sweet clover, alfalfa, soybeans and sunflowers this time of the year. We probably got about 200-plus hives on sunflowers right now.”

In the fields, when the frames of the hives are full, the Labertews load the apiaries and bring them into town where their shop is located in downtown Sylvan Grove.

Stan Labertew has been involved with the process since he married his wife, Sandy, more than 40 years ago. Ben was born into it, and they have kept it a close-knit family business.

“People say, ‘How did you get into it?’’’

Stan said. “And I say, ‘Well, I married a beekeeper’s daughter, and I’ve been getting stung ever since.’”

Ben’s wife, Angie, a teacher in SylvanLucas Unified Schools, helps the father and son with the marketing and sales of the honey they keep to sell in the area. She does

the work on the Labertew’s Facebook page, posting pictures and video, answering questions about the business, and how everything else is done.

The Labertews will sell their honey to local businesses. But, it hasn’t been used for only the sale of the honey. Props & Hops Brewery at Fly Boy’s in Sylvan Grove purchases some for different beers it brews.

“Clay and I are delighted to have the opportunity to use Labertew’s high-quality honey in our Hotel Oscar Whiskey and the Apricot Honey Wheat beer,” Fly Boy coowner Linda Haring said. “Their consistency in quality guarantees that each batch of our beer will retain its unique flavor. The added benefit of using Labertew’s honey is that we are helping support, and hopefully, promote a local business, which is key to sustaining our communities.”

Most of the hives the family has are loaded each year on a semi and shipped to California. It is usually in the winter when the hives are taken west, where the Labertew bees will pollinate fields like almond groves. Then the hives are brought back to Kansas, and the cycle starts again.

In the back of the Labertew shop, the production is done. Boxes are lined along the limestone walls. Many of them have been in the family for generations - some of them more than 80 years.

“There’s not many (of the older boxes) left,” Ben Labertew said. “Just that they’ve lasted that long is pretty impressive.”

When the moisture is right inside the hives, the bees will seal the honey with wax.

That is where more of the human element of the honey production will begin as the Labertews will run the honey through machines, starting with the uncapper that uncaps the honey from the comb.

“That’s as raw and pure as you’re going to get,” Stan Labertew said as honey ran off the machine and into the buckets below.

Once it has gone through the uncapping process, the honey goes through the spinner, which is taking the honey off the comb.

The comb then can be reused. After it has

gone through the rest of the production to be cleaned, the honey is put into large tubs.

In a business that has become somewhat obsolete in some areas, the Labertews have been able to keep their production strong for the most part - and they plan to keep it that way.

“We have a cousin in Smith Center, and he runs about the same number that we do,” Stan said. “I think between the two of us, we’re running about half the commercial honeybees in the state of Kansas. It shouldn’t be that way.”

“It didn’t used to be that way,” Ben added.

“I don’t think (bees) will ever become extinct, because it’s mother nature,” Stan said. “I think we will be extinct before that honeybee is. Mother Nature has a heck of a way of taking care of things.”

Labertew honey is available at Labertew Apiaries Shop on Main Street in Sylvan Grove, Heller Chiropractic and Village Lines in Lincoln and Brant’s Meat Market in Lucas.

Reprinted by permission from the Hays Daily News.

Courtesy Photo

By Jennifer McDaniel

The true taste of a community can often be found in its food. And in Lincoln County, a tasty sampling of down-home favorites, elevated fare and fresh takes on comfort food await you. In recent years, the number of local eateries has increased, giving both county residents and visitors even more options to choose from. Here, we’ve included a list of some of the most roadtrip-worthy restaurants and diners sure to fill you up, and have you eagerly asking for seconds, or maybe even dessert.

Biggie Bigg’s Pizza & Pub After sitting dormant for several years, Sylvan Grove residents Justin and Trish Miller decided to shake off the dust from the former microbrewery and opened Biggie Bigg’s Pizza & Pub in 2011. Today, the couple, who teamed up with Lincoln businessman Jared Spear to open the bar and restaurant, serve up warm and bubbly home-made pizzas and savory calzones brimming with cheese, sausage or anything else you might want tucked inside a golden, flaky crust.

Throw in an order of Justin’s Famous Cheese Stix, or choose from any of Biggie Bigg’s satisfying appetizers, and you might just be in cheesy bliss.

There’s also a full bar featuring regional microbrews by the bottle or draft along with popular domestic beers and a complete selection of cocktails and spirits.

Biggie Biggs, located at 120 S. Fourth St., Lincoln, is open at 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Carry-out orders are welcome at 785-524-5044.

Props & Hops Brewing at Fly Boy’s When Fly Boy Brewery & Eats opened nearly two years ago, the emerging brewery

offered four microbrews on-tap. Less than two years later, Props & Hops Brewing now boasts seven, including Hotel Oscar Whiskey, Aviator Ale, Tailspin IPA, Round Engine Red, Gear Up, Barnstormer Brown, Nutty Navigator, and Lomcevak.

Beer enthusiasts can also take advantage of their seasonal small-batch brews, which are offered about every two months. Other richly-flavored brews include cranberry, plum and even a raspberry-rhubarb beer. Here, ordering a flight takes on a different meaning as a sample platter of five microbrews are served on a homemade wooden propeller.

Try one of Chef Grant Wagner’s unique creations, or one of Fly Boy’s signature items such as the P51 Mustang Burger, the Reuben, featuring Wagner’s homemade corned beef and sauerkraut, a juicy ribeye or hearty chicken-fried steak.

The aviation-themed restaurant can also handle large groups and has six big-screen TVs in case you want to catch a game.

Fly Boy’s, located at 105 N. Main St., Sylvan Grove, is open from 5-10 p.m., Thursday, and 5-11 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and are now serving brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday. The phone number is 785-526-7800. No reservations are required.

Hometown Cafe & Convenience The parking lot at the Hometown Cafe is filled with pickup trucks most mornings.

Inside, farmers, ranchers and locals gather in the cafe for coffee and fellowship.

Owner Ronda Mishler has been filling tables and empty stomachs by serving up popular breakfast staples such as eggs, bacon, pancakes and homemade biscuits in sausage gravy goodness. Or, try a fresh, made-toorder omelet or a hot, homemade cinnamon

Cody Robison and Beranda Pickering

Photo by Bree McReynolds-Baetz

Dine

roll. There’s also daily lunch specials, or choose from hamburgers, sandwiches, soups or salads.

The Hometown Cafe, located at 116 N. Main St., in Sylvan Grove, is open from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The phone number is 785-526-7376.

Next to the Cafe is the Hometown Convenience Store offering ice, pop, beer, and staples like milk and bread along with Hunt Brother’s Pizza. The store is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Sunday.

Lincoln Grocery Deli The deli counter at Lincoln Grocery is bustling during the noon hour as customers grab a hot meal and are back on their way.

Grocery store owner Kerry Smith

Fly Boy’s, Sylvan G rove

Cody and Beranda started BC Diesel in Lincoln less than a year ago and have already expanded to five full-time employees. Beranda says Lincoln County’s centralized location and proximity to major highways were two key selling points.

“As a native of Lincoln County, I knew how much this community had to offer both our business and our family,” Beranda said. “Lincoln’s central location, situated between Highways 14, 18, and I-70, provides direct access for all of our out of town customers while also allowing us to service the diesel needs of Lincoln County and the surrounding communities. After 10 years in the city, it was time for a change and for our family, and Lincoln County was hands down the place we wanted to call home and raise a family.”

While the county’s location was key in determining where to locate their new business, the quality of the people and the variety of activities, adds to the quality of life.

“Lincoln County is a friendly, welcoming, positive community,” Beranda said. “It is very easy to feel at home here. Even though it is a small county there is no lack of things to do. Whether it’s enjoying dinner and a movie with friends, participating in local sports or intramurals, attending one of the many festivals, heading to the lake, or enjoying a little hunting and fishing, there’s always something to do.”

The slower lifestyle is an added bonus, Beranda says, and why she, Cody, and two-year-old Knox choose to be “Rural by Choice.”

“A rural lifestyle is a lifestyle you can actually enjoy at a pace that YOU choose. It’s a place where you can fulfill your dreams and build a life full of value and meaning with the support of great people around you.”

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 15

Dine

Ronnie’s Diner Lincoln

H ome Town Cafe Sylvan G rove

expanded the deli a few years ago to offer hot and cold deli items, as well as occasional lunch specials.

A full-service grocery, Lincoln Grocery is open from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

The store is located at 123 S. Fourth St. in Lincoln. The phone number is 785-524-4401, or find them online at www.lincolngrocery.com.

Mity Mart Convenience Store Walk into the Mity Mart convenience store, and the aroma of freshly-baked pizza greets you at about the same time the clerk does.

But if you’re not in the mood for Hunt Brother’s Pizza or wings, there’s plenty to choose from. Daily lunch specials range from pulled chicken to tacos to tender sliced beef brisket. Make it a meal, and they’ll throw in a bag of chips and a 20-ounce fountain drink.

There’s also fresh-made deli sandwiches and hot breakfasts, if you’re on the go.

Mity Mart is open from 5 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. The store is located at 1903 E. Highway 18 in Lincoln. The phone number is 785-524-4544.

Nancy’s Fancys Owner Nancy Houghton has handmade crafts for sale, and home-cooked dinners every Wednesday night. The Barnard restaurant offers a unique dinner special every week that’s available for dine-in or take-out.

Nancy’s Fancys, located at 314 Main St., is open from 5–8 p.m. Wednesdays. The phone number is 785-792-6343.

Pizza Hut - Wing Street All your favorites are served up hot and fresh at your neighborhood Pizza Hut, which opened in Lincoln more than 30 years ago.

Pizza, wings and pasta are on the menu, which is available for dine-in or carry-out.

Order cheesy breadsticks, appetizers or a dessert to round out your meal, or dine-in with the lunch buffet or salad bar.

Located at the intersections of highways 18 and 14, Pizza Hut is open from 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Carry-out orders are welcome at 785-5244462, or check their menu at pizzahut.com.

Hometown Cafe & Convenience Hometown Cafe Tuesday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Hometown Convenience Monday - Sunday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

116 N. Main • Sylvan Grove

785-526-7376 16 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

$2 off

your order of two or more pizzas Offer valid with this coupon Expires May 1, 2018

Ronnie’s Diner You can’t help but smile as you enjoy the creamy goodness of an ice cream treat served up at Ronnie’s Diner. It just isn’t possible.

At Ronnie’s, portions are generous, and so are the fixings that go into the diner’s signature Twisters. Dairy delights on the menu include ice cream - by the dish or cone malts, shakes, sundaes, floats and banana splits. There’s also an assortment of pies by the slice to choose from.

The eatery, which opened in December 2015, offers everything from hamburgers, including a turkey burger for lighter appetites, to sandwiches and wraps to chicken strips and shrimp. Each fresh-made order includes a side, such as curly or sweet potato fries or thick, crunchy onion rings. They feature daily lunch specials.

The 50’s-style diner, located at 116 S. Fifth St., features a black-and-white checkerboardtiled floor and a striking red interior, and a recently remodeled exterior. Business hours are from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The phone number is 785-5240005.

3 Amigos Mexican Restaurant Owner Ricardo Hernandez, of Osborne, opened 3 Amigos Mexican Restaurant in downtown Lincoln in March, offering locals authentic Mexican food and fast and friendly service.

Hernandez, who grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico, also currently operates Yopo’s Mexican Restaurant in Osborne.

Tacos, burritos, enchiladas and other tra-

ditional Mexican dishes are on the menu along with daily specials, combination dinners and house specialties – many of which are family recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.

3 Amigos, located at 109 W. Lincoln Ave., is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. MondaySaturday, and from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

Carryout is also available. The phone number is 785-524-0030.

Sylvan Sales Commission Cafe Mondays are sale days at the Sylvan Sales Commission in Sylvan Grove, and that means the kitchen is busy prepping for hungry ranchers, cattle buyers, and area residents all looking for some of the best homemade cooking in the county, and the region.

Cook Teresa Erbert keeps the menu varied at the cafe, which serves up country-style, down home dishes from hamburgers and hot roast beef sandwiches to lasagna.

The ample portions keep customers satisfied and coming back for more. Erbert also serves up pie and other treats to end your meal on a sweet note.

The Sylvan Sales Commission, located at 400 First St., is open from 6:30 a.m. until the sale ends every Monday, and on the second Saturday of the month during the regular sheep and goat sales. The phone number is 785-526-7123.

VFW Post No. 7928 Each month, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Lincoln opens its doors to the public, inviting guests to partake in a succulent steak dinner.

Dine

Bacon-wrapped filets, KC Strips or ribeye steaks are on the menu the second Saturday of the month.

Each entree is accompanied by a salad, potato, garlic bread and a drink.

During the winter, every fourth Saturday, fresh, tender lamb fries are served up for the more adventurous eater.

The VFW, located at 144 Fourth St., is open for steak night from 5:30-9 p.m. the second Saturday of the month, and from 6:30 9:30 p.m. for lamb fries during the winter months.

Carry-out orders are welcome by calling 785-524-4535.

3 Amigos M exican Restaurant Lincoln

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 17

It was 14 years ago when TJ and Sheri Jonsson moved to Lincoln so TJ could take a physical therapy position with the Lincoln County Hospital. His wife Sheri serves as a dietitian and nutritionist at nearby Ellsworth County Medical Center, and she says the proximity to Wilson Lake, the beautiful rolling hills and limestone fences, and quality schools are just a few of the reasons they choose to call Lincoln home.

“We love the quietness, the fresh air, the four seasons, the wildlife, the clear lake close by and the beautiful rolling hills,” Sheri said. “As we have lived here for 14 years, we have come to know and enjoy the people and families.”

In addition to the schools, Sheri cited several other amenities offered by the community.

“We are proud of the school system, the administration and the teachers; the remodeled Carnegie Library and Lincoln County Hospital; and improvements in the Fire Department,” Sheri said.

“Lincoln County has numerous volunteers that strive to help the county prosper.”

Sheri says the rural lifestyle suits her family just fine.

“Rural living in Lincoln County is wide open blue skies, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, starry night skies, even in town, quiet neighborhoods, excellent schools, personalized health care, and affordable housing.”

But she doesn’t stop there.

“Everything is within walking distance. Business owners know your name and are glad you came in. No traffic jams. No air pollution. No high crime rate. A terrific place to go to church and raise your family.”

That’s a long list of reasons that TJ, Sherri, and sons Bjorn and Courtesy Photo Gabriel, are Rural by Choice.

TJ and Sheri Jonnsson

18 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

Co nveniently lo cated at the intersectio n o f H ighw a ys K -14 a nd K -18 is the City o fLinco ln, o riginally nam ed Linco ln Center and kno w n as the Po st Ro ck Ca p ita l o f K a nsa s. This beautiful co m m unity is situated o n ro lling hills o verlo o king the Saline River and bo asts bea u tifu l p o st ro ck bu ildings thro ugho ut its do w nto w n area including the co unty co urtho use w hich w as built in 1900 o ut o f lo cal lim esto ne. One o f the m ajo r lo cal industries co ntinues to be quarrying quartz ite.

In additio n to the ex cellent scho o l system , Linco ln o ffers vario us recreatio n o ppo rtunities available thro ugh private o rganiz atio ns and lo cal residents. The city park pro vides a sw im m ing p o o l, ba llfields, tennis co u rts, p la ygro u nd, and a m o dern RV p a rk w ith w ater, sewer and electricity.

LhelpOCAL COM PETI TI ON S long-range shooters hone their skills

By Jennifer McDaniel

For the shooting enthusiast, there’s nothing more exciting than hitting a target more than five football fields away.

And while the feat itself automatically grants the shooter bragging rights, there’s more to it than just luck.

Shooting at extreme ranges is a skill, and it’s all in the details.

And at businesses like Spearpoint Ranch north of Lincoln, shooters can practice and hone their skills, giving them the confidence to make each shot land.

Steve and Laura Wirth first opened their small crop and livestock ranch to hunters in 2001, offering pheasant, quail, deer and turkey hunts. Years later, the couple is still offering hunters small-town hospitality as well as the excitement and reward of the hunt.

“One thing we do a little differently is we provide a personalized and exclusive experience for the guests,” Steve said. “What this means is the group that books the place is the only group that is on-site for the duration of their hunt.

They are the only ones in the lodge and on the hunting grounds, while they are here. We can also customize their stay at Spearpoint to fit their needs.”

The Wirths specialize in a relaxed atmosphere where hunters enjoy clean and comfortable accommodations in a modern, ranch-style home, which features a fireplace, pool table and newly remodeled break room.

Meals, transportation and game processing are also provided. The ranch itself is approximately 4,000 acres, including 1,100 acres of state-licensed, controlled shooting areas. Hunts are conducted in various terrains, including open hillsides, CRP land enhanced by food plots and cattail sloughs and wooded creek bottoms.

About nine years after the Wirths began hosting hunters, the couple decided to organize shooting matches at the ranch. Competitions are scheduled each month from April through September.

Earlier in April, the Wirths hosted the Precision Rifle Series points race match. The

Courtesy Photos

competition attracted more than 100 of the top rifle-shooters in the country, and about 40 other people helping as range officers.

There are only about 36 of these matches throughout the United States, Steve said, explaining this was the only one in Kansas this year.

During competition, shooting distances range from as close as 10 yards to as much as 1,400 yards, and include anywhere from eight to 10 stages. During the recent Precision Rifle Series event, shooters faced 25 stages.

Not only are shooters tested by target distance and size, but face other challenges, such as shooting positions.

“We shoot some targets prone, but we also use various barricades, obstacles and fieldshooting positions to engage targets from,” he said. Target sizes range from three inches to 20 inches.

“Participation has risen from five or six at the first match to averaging a little over 60 per weekend.”

Other competitions offered at Spearpoint include an AR-15 .223- or 5.56-only match, various caliber carbine matches as well as night, team and law-enforcement-only contests.

“Each stage has a specific way in which you must engage the targets and a time limit, and once in a while, some movement within the shooting position to elevate the heart rate and breathing cycle,” he said. “The stages are designed to make you focus on building a solid firing position quickly and follow through on the fundamentals of breaking or firing a clean shot.

Spearpoint also hosts seasonal precision rifle, carbine and pistol training courses.

“These matches are really good learning experiences,” he said. “There usually is no prize, other than bragging rights for first place, so everyone is very helpful with techniques and needed gear and teaching each other on what works to impact the target and what doesn’t.”

Spearpoint Ranch is located at 1890 N. 215th Road, Barnard. For more information, call 785524-5330, or check out their website, www.spearpointranch.com, or Facebook page, www.facebook.com/spearpointranch.

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 21

HUNT

By Jennifer McDaniel

The rolling hills, rich valleys and sweeping pastures of Lincoln County provide the perfect habitat for wildlife. Acre after acre of prime farm and well-managed CRP land are home to world-class deer, turkey, pheasant, quail and other game.

Year after year, hunters travel to Lincoln County to put their skills to the test in hopes of bagging the big one. When nature calls, Lincoln County answers with hunter-friendly lodging, outfitters, and supplies to keep you in the hunt.

Here’s a look at just a few of the lodges and guide services available to make your hunt one to remember.

Post Rock Motel The glow from the Post Rock’s vintage neon sign attracts the attention of motorists as they drive down Kansas Highway 18.

The motel, which was recently renovated, features 20 rooms with either one, two, three, or even four queen beds. Each room is equipped with televisions, wireless internet, refrigerators and microwaves.

Hunters have access to a game-cleaning area and rooms feature front door parking.

Post Rock Motel is located at 1907 E. Highway 18, Lincoln, just east of the Highway 14 and 18 intersection. For more

information, call 785-524-4424. Hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

Find them online at postrockmotel.com.

Salt Creek Outpost Located five miles north of Lincoln, the Salt Creek Outpost offers hunters cozy accommodations in the rolling hills of north central Kansas.

The house has been home to three generations, and features four bedrooms and two baths as well as a workroom, and washer and dryer. Groups of 10 or more can comfortably stay in the home thanks to extra room in the basement. A full kitchen is stocked with pots, pans, plates and eating utensils and a microwave.

The outpost’s central location provides hunters with quick and easy access to some of the country’s finest hunting, including world-class deer, pheasant, quail and turkey hunting.

For more information, call 706-483-6461, or find Salt Creek Outpost on Facebook.

Setter Dogs In 2006, Jim Gourley walked away from his job as director of career services at Washburn University in Topeka, and went home to Lincoln County.

Gourley knew he wanted to start his own business training hunting dogs and guiding hunters. A decade later, he’s living out his dream and operating a successful business that has hunters returning year after year.

Gourley offers semi- and fully-guided wild quail, pheasant, turkey and deer-hunting packages on more than 3,000 acres of private

hunting land – some of the land he’s hunted on for the last 45 years including where the Gourley family homesteaded in the 1800’s.

In addition to the guided-hunting business, he also offers puppies, bird-dog training and started/finished bird dogs for sale. Gourley is licensed by the Kansas Department of Agriculture for training, boarding and breeding, and for commercial dog training by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

This fall, Gourley is opening a new hunting lodge, located about 12 miles east of Lincoln on the ground where Setter Dogs was founded. The lodge sleeps six adults and features three bathroom/showers, satellite TV, central air, heated floor, full kitchen and microwave, as well as an outdoor fire ring, 1.2 mile native grass walking trail and stocked fishing pond. Smoking and indoor pets are prohibited.

Find them online at www.setterdogs.com.

Spearpoint Ranch When Steve and Laura Wirth first opened their working grain and livestock ranch to hunters in 2001, they did so with the idea of offering guests a comfortable, successful pheasant hunting experience. Years later, the couple are still offering hunters small-town hospitality as well as the excitement and reward of a private pheasant hunt.

The Wirths specialize in a relaxed atmosphere where hunters enjoy clean and comfortable accommodations in a modern, ranch-style home, which features a fireplace, pool table and newly remodeled break room.

We invite you to come in and check out our services.

See what we can do for you!

Beloit • Lincoln • Mankato • Osborne

Phone: (785) 524-5134 Toll Free: (800) 530-5154 113 E. Lincoln • Lincoln

www.farmwaycu.com Each Member Account Federally Insured to at least $250,000 by Administrator of NCUA

22 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

Meals, transportation and game processing are also provided.

The ranch itself is approximately 4,000 acres, including 1,100 acres of KDWP&T licensed controlled shooting areas. Hunts are conducted in various terrains, including open hillsides, CRP land enhanced by food plots and cattail sloughs and wooded creek bottoms. Minimum group size is three, and groups of up to 13 can be accommodated.

Groups will be accompanied by a guide/dog handler to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunt.

Spearpoint Ranch is located at 1890 N. 215th Road, southwest of Barnard. For more information, call 785-524-5330. Find them online at spearpointranch.com, or find them

on Facebook.

Spillman Creek Lodge Located in Denmark, Spillman Creek Lodge provides some of the best pheasant and quail hunting in the midwest thanks to 1,500 acres of prairie and farmland.

Hunters can choose from a variety of packages led by experienced guides who will take hunters on terrain suitable to their hunting skills and agility.

Spillman Creek also offers waterfowl hunting on the lodge’s 14-acre watershed complete with blinds and pits. Guides are champion duck and goose callers, and hunters will be outfitted with all the necessary equipment for the complete experience.

HUNT

Groups of up to 15 can be easily accommodated, and most packages include guide, dogs, lunch, field transportation, and birds cleaned and packaged. Full hunting packages, which include overnight lodging, offer hunters three meals each day.

A working grain farm since 1871, the lodge offers accommodations that include private bedrooms, two private baths, full kitchen, private phone and satellite TV. Spillman Creek Lodge, is located at 1125 Pike Drive, at the west edge of Denmark. For more information, call 785-277-3424, visit

RODNEY LARSEN CONSTRUCTION Building Sites Terraces Waterways

785-524-4122 785-488-7169

Photo by Jim Gourley

90 Years

CELEBRATING

MICHAEL KRATKY

Sales Representative Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl., Inc.

131C S Main - Sylvan Grove 785-658-7054

Hauling Ponds Basements Tree Removal

We know what matters to you!

At Crop Service Center in Beverly, the things that are important to you are important to us as well.

We specialize in custom crop application of fertilizer and herbicide to fit each grower’s needs and to help give you peace of mind that your fields are working hard for your farming operation and in-turn helping you provide for your family!

Farming

Fields

Family

Crop Service Center, Inc.

201 S. Main • Beverly, KS 67423 785-436-2401 • www.cropservicecenter.com Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 23

HUNT

their website at www.spillmancreek.com, of find them on Facebook.

Triple H Outfitters When Gerald Huehl first picked up a bow, little did he know the fascination would grow into a love he would pass on to his children.

But for Gerald, and his sons, Donovan and Charlie, archery and hunting wouldn’t be occasional hobbies or sport, but a true calling that would eventually lead them into opening their own outfitting business.

A year ago, the three teamed up to form Triple H Outfitters and Cardinal Archery. The family-owned and operated business, Donovan said, primarily focuses on guided turkey and deer hunts in Lincoln County, but has plans to expand into upland game hunting by next year.

The outfitting business will also host out-of-state hunting excursions for bear and elk as well as red stag hunts in Argentina.

Triple H clients can choose from archery, rifle and muzzleloader deer hunts and youth, archery and shotgun turkey hunts. Hunters can also select from four- and five-day deer hunt and three-day turkey hunt packages. All packages are all-inclusive and cover lodging, meals and transportation to

and from the hunt.

Clients who visit the Lincoln County lodge often travel from out of state, including New York and Michigan, and in groups of 12 to 15 hunters. Many of those clients, Gerald said, are customers who return year after year.

Cardinal Archery offers G5 Pro, Prime and Quest bows as well as a repair shop. Besides archery, the business sells other products and hunting accessories.

Triple H Outfitters is located at 1150 N. 130th Road, Lincoln. For more information, call 785-488-5120 or check out their Facebook page.

Post Rock Ringnecks Pheasants Forever Chapter 635 The local Pheasants Forever chapter is dedicated to the conservation of local pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land-management policies and programs.

An annual banquet each November offers dinner, raffles, silent auctions and other prizes to fund projects for youth and habitat development, including the annual mentored youth hunt each fall. Young hunters, ages 12-16, are invited to join members as they hunt on private land in Lincoln.

For more information, check out the group’s Facebook page at Post Rock Ringnecks Pheasants Forever Chapter 635.

Triple H Outfitters & Cardinal Archery 1150 N. 130th Road, Lincoln For more information, call 785-488-5120

www.triplehoutfitters.com

Brennan and Allison returned to her hometown of Lincoln a little over three years ago when Allison was offered a job as a Speech Language Therapist based at the Lincoln County Hospital. While Allison’s home base is in Lincoln, she travels across North Central Kansas to visit patients. Brennan started his own construction company, Elite Construction, and stays busy working on roofing and remodeling projects throughout the area.

Brennan says small town living drew them to Lincoln County.

“We lived in the big city for a while, and both being from small communities we always knew we wanted to get back to a small town,” Brennan said.

“Allison was raised here, I saw an opportunity to start a business here. We had talked about it some, and then Allison was offered a job here as well, so things kind of fell into place.”

Brennan said he values the sense of community.

“We love it here. It’s a small community - that means everyone knows you, or at least who you are. There’s a real sense of belonging that you just don’t have in a big city.”

But while the Johnsons love the small town, they want people to know small town living doesn’t mean limited opportunity.

“There are way more opportunities here than you might expect,” Brennan said. “People think of small towns meaning farming families only, and that’s not true at all. It’s a great place to raise a family. We don’t have kids yet, but someday we will - and we can’t imagine raising them in a large city, going to a school where their own teacher might not know their name. We were both brought up in small towns, and it truly does take a village to raise a child, and this is a great village.”

Brennan and Allison Johnson

Courtesy Photo

24 22 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

Shopping is part sport and part entertainment, and for visitors to Lincoln County, it’s a chance to indulge in a little retail therapy.

Travelers can get lost in the county’s oneof-a-kind shops and boutiques that specialize in small-town hospitality. Whether it’s clothing, jewelry, home decor or antiques and collectibles - no matter where you are, you’re sure to find that special something that will have everyone asking, “Where did you get that?”

Here’s a look at a few of the special spots to shop in Lincoln County.

181 Ag Supply In October 2013, the family-owned and operated 181 Ag Supply opened its doors in Sylvan Grove, offering feed, seed and fertilizer, and in 2015, they added a second location in Tescott. And while 181 Ag Supply’s focus is on agriculture, with a wide selection of animal feed from crumbles to pellets and cubes, their inventory includes a selection of dog, cat, poultry, small and big game, goat, rabbit, lamb and sheep feed.

For ranchers needing muscle, 181 Ag Supply offers Besler 3100 hydraulic bale beds.

They also have crown feeds for horses along with hay savers and round-bale feeders for cattle. They also offer steel and poly-lined silage bunks and steel and poly stock tanks in various sizes.

181 Ag Supply is located at 306 W. Old Kansas Highway 18 in Sylvan Grove and 105 S. Main St. in Tescott. The business phone number is 785-420-7037, for the Sylvan Grove location, and 785-283-4260 for the location in Tescott. Both locations are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday. Check out 181 Ag

Supply’s Facebook page or find them online at www.181agsupply.com.

Country Soul Last fall, co-owners Mandy Burger and Haley Richards, both of Sylvan Grove, opened their online shop, Country Soul, specializing in fun and funky country and western clothing, dress and work boots, shoes and accessories for kids, women and men.

Shortly after its launch, Country Soul began expanding its efforts by displaying retail items at 181 Ag Supply as well as appearing at local craft shows. But with customer demand growing, the business began expanding its selection of one-of-akind, brand-name items including Twisted X, Ariat, Hooey, Crazy Train and Cheekys.

Two months later, Burger and Richards opened a location in downtown Sylvan Grove, giving customers immediate gratification without waiting for their purchases to arrive.

While business hours vary, the boutique, located at 129 S. Main St., is typically open from 6-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 5-9 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, contact Richards at 785-534-0501 and Burger at 785-531-2919 or check out the Country Soul Facebook page for updates and offers.

Dollar General When the Lincoln Dollar General location opened in 2014, it joined the more than 12,000 stores in 43 states. The bargain retail chain sells a variety of household goods, groceries, beauty products and other items from brands like Clorox, Energizer, Procter & Gamble, Hanes, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, Nestle, Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg’s, General Mills, and PepsiCo.

Shop

Dollar General, located at 1886 E. Highway 18, is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. The phone number is 785524-2403, or find them online at www.dollargeneral.com. Find specials and new product releases on the Dollar General Facebook page.

Family Hair Flair 2 Nothing feels better than a new cut or fresh highlights, and the staff at Family Hair Flair 2 have the experience to make clients look their best. After operating a salon in Tescott for more than 20 years, a second location opened in Lincoln in 2015. The full-service salon offers haircuts and styling, highlights, color and nail services, or relax and unwind with a massage. Choose from Swedish, hot stone or deep tissue massages. Facials and waxing services are also available, along with a complete variety of hair and skin care products.

Family Hair Flair 2, located at 150 E. Lincoln Ave., is open from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday and 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday. For an appointment, call 785-524-5080.

The Gift Gallery at the Lincoln Art Center Throughout the year, the Lincoln Art Center displays unique, hand-crafted items made by local artists in its Gift Gallery. This partnership allows the art center to generate some revenue as part of their overall fundraising efforts, while helping local and regional artists supplement their income and

Photo by Kelly Larson

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 25

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some revenue as part of their overall fundraising efforts, while helping local and regional artists supplement their income and continue to create.

The art center, located at 126 E. Lincoln Ave. in Lincoln, is open from noon-4 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday, and from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday. The phone number is 785-5243241. For more information, check out the Lincoln Art Center’s website at www.lincolnartcenter.org.

Hayworth Hardware When Roger Hayworth isn’t tending to the plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical needs of Lincoln County, he’s operating a hardware and sporting goods store in downtown Lincoln.

Hayworth Hardware features all the nuts, bolts, nails, and screws you’ll need to tackle that weekend DIY project along with various sizes of PVC pipe, electrical supplies, and everything else the local contractor or do-ityourselfer needs.

Hayworth also stocks a variety of sporting goods, including guns and ammo, and hunting and fishing licenses. Located at 119 W. Lincoln Ave., Hayworth’s is open 8 a.m.5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.5:00 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunday. Give them a call at 785-524-3442.

Lincoln Building Supply

A family-operated business, Lincoln Building Supply offers customers an impressive selection of products not usually found at the lumberyard.

Shop from a wide selection of specialty items including clothing, Amish wedding food items, greeting cards and home decor.

Feeling thirsty? Stop by Java Junction, Lincoln Building Supply’s unique coffee shop, which offers 45 flavors of Big Train Gourmet Coffee.

Mochas, hot chocolates and smoothies are also on the menu.

Lincoln Building Supply also offers farm and ranch and pet supplies, housewares, lawn and garden supplies as well as a full line of Pratt & Lambert paints and Dewalt power tools.

Located at 1111 N. Fifth St., just east of the Post Rock Motel on Highway 18 in Lincoln, the store is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday.

Reach them by phone at 785-524-4416. Visit their website at lincolnbuildingsupply.com, or look for them on Facebook.

Lincoln Grocery Kerry Smith takes pride in providing the residents of Lincoln County with a modern full service grocery store.

Through the years, the small-town grocery has expanded to offer a selection of products usually found in larger communities. And if customers can’t find what they need, Kerry is more than happy to order it for them. The grocery offers top-quality meats, dairy, frozen foods, fresh produce and hot deli items, doughnuts and pastries, magazines, seasonal flowers and lawn and garden items, DVD/Blu-Ray rentals, cold drinks and made to order deli sandwiches.

Lincoln Grocery is open from 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

The store is located at 123 S. Fourth St. in Lincoln. The phone number is 785-524-4401.

Find them online at www.lincolngrocery.com.

M&J Furniture and Appliance The Lincoln-based business has Crosley brand appliances in stock and available to order as well as furniture and mattresses to choose from. The business also rents DVDs. Business hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. M&J Furniture and Appliance is located at 112 E. Lincoln Ave. The business number is 785-524-4602.

Mrs. B’s Greenhouse & Nursery Brandy and Kenny Krueger recently opened Mrs. B’s Greenhouse & Nursery, at 811 N. Sixth St., in Lincoln, just off Kansas Highway 14, south of Lincoln Park Manor.

The greenhouse offers flowering annual and perennial varieties, vegetables, trees and shrubs.

Mrs. B’s Greenhouse & Nursery is open in the spring from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday. The business phone number is 785-531-0748, or find them on Facebook.

Nancy’s Fancys Owner Nancy Houghton has handmade crafts for sale, and home-cooked dinners every Wednesday night in Barnard.

The shop not only offers an assortment of seasonal crafts and home decor, but also has craft classes for a minimal fee.

Continued on page 28

Don’t just dream, give us a call...

785-524-6161 Remodeling Roofing • Additions Kitchen & Bath

Get your hunting licenses and permits here!

Brennan Johnson, Owner

Hayworth’s

Plumbing • Hardware Houseware • Gifts Lawn & Garden 26 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

119 W. Lincoln Avenue Lincoln, KS 67455

(785) 524-3442

Store Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 am - 5:30 pm Sat. 8 am - 5 pm Sun. - 10 am - 4 pm

Seirer’s Clothing

143 W. Lincoln • Lincoln, KS

785-524-4752

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9-5pm

Tuxedo Rental

Gene’s Cleaners Drop Off Mon. & Thurs.

Carly’s - The Place To Go For The Brands You Know Since 1984!

Grant Heller returned to the area he grew up in to practice chiropractic and after a year he purchased the Lincoln practice in 2014. His wife Felicia is a sales associate with Farm Bureau Financial Services in Lincoln. The couple both enjoy traveling the area rodeo circuit, Grant as a steer wrestler, and Felicia as a barrel racer. Their home near Vesper provides a great home base.

“I always wanted to practice in a rural area after growing up in Mitchell and Lincoln counties,” Grant said. “I looked into several different rural communities and counties in the state of Kansas and found that the main difference between Lincoln County and the others was the overwhelming outreach and support that I had received when researching whether to invest my business within the county. From communicating and working with local banks, leaders, economic development, the chamber and other organizations, I instantly felt welcomed as an integral part of the community.”

Grant says he and Felicia love the rural lifestyle, in large part because of the contributions of so many within the small communities.

“People here wear a lot of different hats serving as city council members, commissioners, public servants, volunteer firefighters, EMS crew, board members of various organizations and schools, often times while working a full-time job and raising a family,” Grant said. “They give back a lot of time and energy into their communities without expecting much in return, often times opening themselves up to criticism. I don’t think you see that in larger cities and demographics which goes to show how generous people truly are around here. It taught me that you always have more to give for your community even if all you have to give is a little bit of your time.”

Felicia grew up in the Omaha area, and Grant says she loves the rural lifestyle.

“Felicia appreciates the small, neighborly atmosphere where everyone knows your name,” Grant said. “While growing up, her family moved from Omaha to Wahoo, Nebraska, due to commercial and housing development.

Within the last several years the new hospital has been built several miles from her parents family farm and a new Ford dealership has been built a Courtesy Photo mile down the road as housing development has followed. She enjoys Lincoln County as she no longer experiences ‘the urban sprawl.’”

G rantand Felicia H eller

KRUEGER

Backhoe & Trenching 785-524-4663 Cell: 452-0700

Mrs. B’s

GREENHOUSE & NURSERY 811 N. 6th 785-531-0748

lants, ls, P e i g Veg Perennia ls, Annua es, Shrubs Tre

Owners: Ken & Brandy Krueger

150 E. Lincoln Ave. Downtown Lincoln

HOURS

785-524-5080

Wed-Fri 8:30a.m. – 6:30p.m.

Sat 8:30 a.m. – 2p.m.

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 27

Shop

Continued from page 26

Nancy’s Fancys, located at 314 Main St., is open from 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays. The phone number is 785-792-6343.

Patterson Health Mart Pharmacy Patterson Health Mart Pharmacy isn’t your regular pharmacy. Yes, the business fills prescriptions, offers over-the-counter medications and medical supplies, but there’s even more inside the pharmacy, including jewelry, home and holiday decor, gifts for the KU or K-State fan, educational toys from Melissa & Doug, and Willow Tree figurines.

Located at 204 W. Lincoln Ave., the fullservice pharmacy is open from 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m.Noon, Saturday.

The phone number is 785-524-4649, and they are online with a new website at pattersonhealthmart.com. They can also be found on Facebook.

Rustic Floral and Gifts Rustic Floral and Gifts, Lincoln’s new floral and gift shop offers a wide arrangement of fresh flowers for all occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, weddings, prom, and numerous holidays.

Along with a variety of fresh plants the shop has introduced Candy Bouquets. The candy bouquets are made to order in selected sizes with various candies, and some are made

ready to grab and go.

Rustic Floral is located on East Elm Street in Lincoln, and is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Call in an order at 785-524-5118, or find them on Facebook.

Seirer’s Clothing When Carly Errebo was deciding on a location for her new clothing business, she took a walk down Lincoln Avenue. What she found made her decide that her shop had to be in Lincoln.

“I picked Lincoln because the people said ‘Hi’ to me,” Errebo said. “The people were friendly and willing to meet a stranger.” That was 1984. More than 30 years later, that small-town hospitality is just as important as it was then. “It’s one of those things we’re striving for,” she said. “We’re trying to offer the small-town experience.”

The shop offers casual clothing for girls, boys, juniors, misses, women and men, a wide variety of footwear, including Skechers, Easy Street and Georgia Boots, jewelry, accessories, and so much more.

Although she’s never called the shop a boutique, Errebo admits the clothing in her shop isn’t easily duplicated.

“What we offer you’re never going to see in Salina or Wichita. I’m not going to meet myself walking down the street.”

Seirer’s Clothing, 143 W. Lincoln Ave., is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and is closed on major holidays.

The shop also offers special Ladies’ Night

Patterson’s

HOME FARM BUSINESS 1111 N. 5th Street • Lincoln • 785-524-4416

Check out our website @

promotions the second Thursday of the month from March through December, and a special Men’s Night promotion to help men find the right gift during the holidays. The phone number is 785-524-4752, or find them on Facebook. And now, you can shop for selected Seirer’s Clothing items online at seirers-cloth.shoptiques.com.

Stop & Shop Thrift Store Opened in 1967, the Stop & Shop thrift store is solely operated by members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7928 Auxiliary.

Antiques, second-hand items and one-of-akind treasures can be found throughout the quaint shop. Customers come into the store once a day, sometimes twice, to see if any new items have made their way into the shop, said Pat Florence, who manages the shop with her sister, Debbie Ortiz.

“Sometimes we get brand-new items, some are second-hand,” Florence said.

“Sometimes, people donate collectibles like Fenton Glass. You just never know what you’re going to find.”

Any revenue from the shop covers operating expenses and supports 36 or more local organizations and projects as well as veterans.

The shop, which is located at 120 E. Lincoln Ave., is open from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

Village Lines Step into Village Lines, and owner Marilyn Helmer greets you like a long-lost friend. Not

lincolnbuildingsupply.com

N o w there’s o ne less thing to w o rry abo ut:

LINCOLN

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Online Refills Join our email list for specials

lincolnbuildingsupply@gmail.com 28 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

Your Pha rm a cy forYour Hea lthca re Needs

204 W. LINCOLN • LINCOLN, KS 67455

785-524-4649

w w w .pa ttersonhea lthm a rt.com

only will you be treated to a sample or two, but you’ll find a unique shop with a heart for Kansas.

Helmer boasts a large selection of Kansasmade souvenirs and take-home treasures as well as an ever-expanding selection of gluten/dairy/preservative-free foods and products including skin care and makeup.

And if you have any questions, Helmer’s more than happy to help.

Specialty teas, coffees, sparkling beverages and Marcon pies can also be sampled and shared with friends as you sit around the table.

The shop, which opened in 1986, also offers custom picture-framing, books and original art detailing the history of the Lincoln area. And for the history buff, Village Lines is the official headquarters for the annual Lincoln Reenactment and offers Lincoln County visitor information.

Village Lines, located at 139 W. Lincoln Ave., is open from 10 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

The phone number is 785-524-5133. Find them on Facebook, or online at www.villagelines.com.

Viv’s Retail Liquor Viv’s Retail Liquor, located at 605 N. Sixth St., in Lincoln, offers a large selection of liquor, beer, wine and spirits. Business hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The business number is 785-524-4844.

Photo by Tyler Gier

Your Other Family Doctor

Dr. Kyle Gwinner, Optometrist 208 W. Lincoln, Lincoln, KS M,W, & Th- 8:00 am-12 noon Tues. & Fri.- 8:00 am-5 pm Third Saturday- 8 am -12 noon

Call 524-5244 or 1-800-371-5244

Dr. Lindsay’s Mobile Veterinary Hospital is located at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Fifth Street, next to Don’s Glass Shop.

We are in Lincoln EVERY TUESDAY!

785-531-1372 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 29

W EL COM E TO L IN COL N New S igns H elp Visitors Navigate

By Jennifer McDaniel

Although it took months of work and years of discussion, six new wayfinding signs have popped up throughout the city of Lincoln to make it easier for visitors to the community to find their way around town.

Initiated by members of the 2015-16 Leadership Lincoln County class, the idea eventually evolved into the group’s community project, said Kelly Larson, class member and Lincoln County Economic Development director.

As part of the annual leadership program, each class commits to developing and completing a community improvement project which advances the county and its goals.

During the past 15 years, the leadership program helped local residents increase their understanding and awareness of the county’s assets, goals and challenges by going behind the scenes of local government, businesses, industries and community projects.

The idea for the wayfinding signs was spurred by a similar project the county’s economic development travel and tourism task force took on nearly two years ago.

The task force was formed following an October 2014 countywide strategic planning session aimed at expanding and growing Lincoln County’s local economy. Among the goals identified were refocusing efforts on attracting travel and tourism to the county by promoting its assets, creating additional amenities such as bike and walking trails and developing new events and attractions.

Volunteers got down to work developing a brand and ideas to bring more visitors to Lincoln County.

Eventually, the group developed a new logo for marketing Lincoln County, which would eventually tie into a new website, a visitor’s guide and related marketing materials.

The idea for the wayfinding signs just clicked, Larson said, after the class learned the county task force was installing new welcome signs along Kansas highways 18 and 14. The new welcome signs were also a product of the task force, which wanted to update billboard and community signage along county roadways. The new signs were later installed in 2016.

But while the new signs would direct visitors to Lincoln, there was nothing in town to show the way to the ballfields, schools, parks, the library and the downtown area.

After settling on the idea, Larson said the group looked toward other communities, such as Salina and Belleville, as sources of inspiration.

Eventually, the group was able to develop a high-quality design that reflected the color and tone of the Live Lincoln County logo.

But there were other details such as funding and approval from the city council and state transportation officials. And eventually, those plans came together last year during the spring and summer months when officials finally signed off, approving the signs and the locations where they would be placed.

The project, which cost a little more than $10,000, was eventually funded by contributions by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation, the leadership class and an anonymous donation. Together, the group was able to collect more than $11,000 to cover the cost.

Members of the 2015-16 leadership class include Tyler Gier, Joe Biggs, Sheri Suelter, Nancy Walter, Larson and Lincoln High School students Dylan Babcock and Nathan Feldkamp.

“This is a project that has been discussed for several years by various community groups, the chamber of commerce and by past leadership class participants as a need, but has never got off the ground,” Larson said. “We (felt) it (was) finally time to implement this project.”

Photo by John Baetz

By Jennifer McDaniel and John Baetz

Lincoln County’s economy is supported by a diverse mix of employers in fields including agriculture, health care, industry, education, and small business. If you’d like to turn your visit into an opportunity to LIVE Lincoln County, check out a few of the county’s top jobs and employers chronicled on the following pages.

Agriculture Farming is a tradition in Lincoln County passed from generation to generation. Those roots run deep as families till the same soil their great-grandfathers plowed a century before.

In 2015, the agriculture industry impacted Lincoln County’s economy by creating nearly 650 jobs, or about 31 percent of the county’s entire workforce, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The industry, which includes the food and food-processing sectors, contribute about $118.3 million to the local economy, state agriculture officials said.

Those nine sectors include: oilseed, grain, vegetable and other crop farming, beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots and dual-purpose ranching and farming, dairy cattle and milk production, poultry and egg production, animal production and bread and bakery product manufacturing.

Of those sectors, the biggest contributor to the county’s agriculture picture is beef cattle ranching and farming, which employs more than 184 people, and generates more than $38.5 million. Grain, crop and oilseed farming follow respectively.

Crop Service Center, Farmway Co-op, Lincoln Farm Supply, Post Rock Aviation, Walker Elevator and Concrete, 181 Ag Supply and the Sylvan Sales Commission are just a few businesses that serve agriculture producers and offer careers in the ag industry in Lincoln County.

The Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Post Rock Extension District - an arm of Kansas State University’s Research and Extension program are all government agencies that assist producers and residents through state and federal funds. All have district offices in Lincoln.

Industry and Energy The Lincoln County area is host to a number of small manufacturers and industrial service providers, and thanks to recent expansions in wind energy and oil distribution, the county has become a center for energy production.

APAC-Shears, Quartzite Quarry APAC KS-MO has been building the midwest for more than a century. From supplying aggregate materials, hot mix asphalt and concrete to constructing road and bridges, APAC does it all. Customers include contractors, businesses and local governments across two states. The APAC-Shears, Quartzite Quarry, is located off Kansas Highway 14 in Lincoln, and employs over 30 area residents.

Precision Electrical Contractors/ Street Plumbing, Heating & Electrical In the fall of 2014, Lincoln native Royce Hillegeist joined forces with local plumbing and electrical contractor Mike Street to expand

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their respective businesses into the former Carrico Implement building. Together the electrical, HVAC, and plumbing contractor serves commercial, industrial, and residential needs throughout the region and has quickly grown into one of Lincoln County’s largest employers.

US Tower US Tower, the largest manufacturing facility in Lincoln County, is also one of the county’s largest employers, and is currently expanding.

Manufacturers of fixed and mobile telescoping towers, US Tower’s current product line includes telescoping tubular masts, selfsupporting and telescoping lattice towers (standard and custom), mobile tower units, custom-built structures as well as a full line of accessories to accommodate antenna and feed line support.

US Tower Corp. is often hiring to fill multiple positions at its Lincoln facility, including: • Engineers • Manufacturing Assemblers • Welders • Purchasers • Administrative Assistants For more information visit the Careers page at www.ustower.com.

Smoky Hills Wind Farm The Smoky Hills Wind Farm (Phase I & Phase II) is a 250 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Lincoln and Ellsworth Counties. The farm is

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 31

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operated by Enel Green Power and produces enough electricity to power some 37,000 average Kansas homes annually. The farm provides a number of jobs to residents of the county, and surrounding area.

Pony Express Pipeline Tallgrass Pony Express Pipeline, LLC is a 764-mile crude oil pipeline running from Guernsey, Wyo., to the U.S. oil hub of Cushing, Okla. With a design capacity to transport 320,000 barrels of oil per day. Pony Express links new and emerging oil plays such as the Bakken, the Powder River Basin and the Niobrara Shale to markets across the country.

Banking Bennington State Bank, Citizens State Bank and Trust, The Bank of Tescott, and Wilson State Bank operate banks in Lincoln County communities. Together, they serve as one of the county’s largest employers. Farmway Credit Union also operates a branch in Lincoln.

Education USD 298 - Lincoln The USD 298-Lincoln School District employs more than 80 staff members. The district has three buildings - an elementary school, junior/senior high school, and district office. During the 2016-17 school year, the district had 366 students enrolled.

USD 299 - Sylvan-Lucas The USD 299 - Sylvan-Lucas Unified School District employs more than 60 teachers and

staff members, and includes the communities of Sylvan Grove, Vesper, and Hunter as well as Russell County students from the Lucas and Luray areas.

In 2010, the Russell School District transferred the territory and schools in Lucas and Luray to the USD 299 School District.

Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, the school district established an elementary school for grades kindergarten through sixth grade in Lucas and a junior/senior high school in Sylvan Grove for seventh- through 12th-grade students.

During the 2016-2017 school year, the district had 267 students enrolled.

Government One of Lincoln County’s largest employers is the county government, which offers competitive wages and an excellent benefit package for both full- and part-time employees.

Lincoln County regularly has both full- and part-time positions open and employs approximately 70 workers.

Lincoln County not only offers positions in treasurer’s, county clerk’s and appraiser’s offices, but employs deputies in the sheriff’s department and emergency medical services personnel. Other county offices include the county highway and health departments, district court and waste management.

Each municipality in the county also employs a number of people in central offices, on maintenance crews, and in other key positions.

Health Care Lincoln County Health Department The mission of the Lincoln County Health

Department is to provide quality, cost-effective, preventative services to the county residents.

Programs are offered within the limits of available funding emphasizing wellness education over illness treatment. The department employs a number of nursing staff.

Lincoln County Hospital Lincoln County Hospital opened its doors in 1952 and continues serving residents in Lincoln and the surrounding area with high-quality care.

In 2009, the hospital began an ambitious multi-phase remodel, expanding the facility’s emergency unit with two new examination rooms and the addition of an ambulance bay.

The nurses’ station and patient rooms were also updated during the initial stages. Improvements made during the second and final phases included a new pharmacy, laboratory, an updated lobby/waiting area, three additional patient rooms, the expansion of the hospital’s therapy department and a covered front entrance.

The project, which totaled approximately $6 million, was completed in 2011. The hospital, along with the Lincoln and Sylvan medical clinics, employs nearly 100 people, including medical and administrative staff.

Services offered at Lincoln County Hospital include inpatient, skilled and outpatient care, an emergency department, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitation services.

To learn more about career opportunities, visit the employment page on their website at: lincolncountyhospital.net/employment/.

Specializing in real estate loans • Mobile Deposit Banking • Personal & Business Banking • 24-Hr ATM • IRAs & Certificates of Deposits • Loans -Agricultural -Consumer -Commercial -Mortgage • Free Internet Banking • Safe Deposit Boxes • Direct Deposit/Withdrawals

www.csbanc.com Lincoln Branch Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday Lobby Closed Drive In & Walk Up Window 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

100 W. Lincoln Ave. Lincoln • 785-524-4840 32 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

Lincoln Park Manor Lincoln Park Manor provides much-needed services and careers for Lincoln County residents of all ages. The facility, which offers assisted living, rehabilitation, home health, intensive care and hospice services, employs more than 50 staff members. Lincoln Park Manor has 36 rooms on the nursing side for patients in intensive care or skilled rehabilitation, and also includes nine assistedliving apartments.

The facility also hosts community events such as legislative coffees, emergency preparedness meetings and quilt shows in its basement community room.

Patterson Health Mart Pharmacy Patterson Health Mart Pharmacy offers durable medical equipment, respiratory therapy equipment, sleep apnea therapy, oxygen therapy, and compounding along with a complete line of prescription and over the counter medications. For more about Patterson’s locations in Lincoln, and across central Kansas, visit their website at www.pattersonhealthmart.com.

Small Business A number of small businesses, including retail shops like Seirer’s Clothing, Village Lines, Lincoln Building Supply, and Lincoln Grocery, health care providers like Geist Dentistry and Heller Chiropractic, contractors like Elite Construction and Bullfoot Contractors, attorneys Bob Crangle, Jennifer O’Hare, Susan Marshall and Dan

CB

Metz, and insurance agencies like Farm Bureau Financial Services, Insurance Works, and Wagoner Insurance are among the many small operations that help make Lincoln County home by offering services and smalltown hospitality. But more than services, these small businesses also provide dozens of jobs within the county, and the region.

To find a career in Lincoln County visit www.livelincolncounty.com/category/work/ jobs/.

Entrepreneurship Opportunities All businesses in Lincoln County are small by traditional standards, but the county is a booming entrepreneurship center, and dozens of county residents are fulfilling their dream of business ownership in the Post Rock Capital of Kansas.

The number of new businesses opened in recent years, providing both full- and parttime employment, is significant and includes a broad spectrum of industries.

According to statistics from the Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation the county has witnessed no less than 20 new business startups in just the last three years.

Among them are BC Diesel, Elite Construction, Family Hair Flair 2, Massage Therapy by Tori, Ronnie’s Diner, Rustic Floral & Gifts, Triple H Outfitters, 3 Amigos Mexican Restaurant and more.

If becoming a small business owner is your dream, find a list of opportunities on the next page.

TRUCKING & SERVICES Trucking • Recycling • Salvage

Scrap iron, old autos and aluminum cans among items that can be dropped off at our facility in Beverly or Lincoln County residents can sign-up for direct curb-side recycling pick-up for a fee. Optional on-site clean up available for large projects.

Recycling Facility Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

300 S. Main • Beverly 785-658-5842 • 785-524-6132 cbcurbrecycle@gmail.com

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Lincoln Farm Supply

From Standing to Storage

we provide hay equipment solutions

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H eller C h iro practic 102 E.Elm ,Lincoln,KS67455

C allfor an appointm ent:785-524-4371 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 33

The Steckleins made their lives and raised their family in Sylvan Grove. Jude has served as an administrator for Unified School District 299 for the last 33 years. His wife, Rachel, recently retired as the Sylvan Grove city clerk after more than 29 years in that role.

Jude says Sylvan Grove has provided a great environment to raise their three children.

“When we moved here, we thought it would be 2-3 years,” Jude said. “But we found out we liked the small town atmosphere to raise our family.”

And Jude said it’s about more than just the community, but the opportunities available for his children - all now adults - in the small school district.

“Some people think kids in a small district have disadvantages because of low enrollment,” Jude said. “We found just the opposite.

Our kids were able to participate in all activities they wanted to: sports, music, drama, speech. We felt they got a well-rounded education with excellent instructors.”

After her recent retirement, Rachel noted how much she enjoyed her role in the community.

“The part I liked best about my job was meeting and helping people,” Rachel said. “In a small town, the first place people go is to the city office. I was the chamber office, the housing contact, general information specialist. People would say, ‘Ask Rachel, she will know.’ (That was) not always the case, but I could usually find someone who did know. It made me feel good to help.”

The Steckleins have certainly gotten the most out of living “Rural

by Choice” right here in Lincoln County, Kansas.

Jude and Rachel Stecklein

L IN CO L N CO U N TY H O SPITA L •Inpatient C are and Skilled Sw ing B ed •O u tpatient C are •E m ergency D epartm ent •Updated Im aging Su ite •L ab oratory •Reh abilitation Services •L incoln M edicalC linic and Sylvan M edicalC linic

lincolncou ntyhospital.net

Neighbors helping Neighbors 219 N .M ain St.• Sylvan G rove

785-526-7474

624 N .Second St.• L incoln

785-524-4403

• Consistent Standard of Excellence Achievement • Tradition of Athletic and Academic Success • Low Student-to-Teacher Ratio • Pre-School and After-School Programs • Commitment to Current Technology • Innovative Curriculum • Virtual School for Alternative Students

Sylvan-Lucas Unified Schools 504 W. 4th • Sylvan Grove

Phone: (785) 526-7175 Fax: (785) 526-7182 www.usd299.org

Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 35

Lincoln County W ork ing for You!

H IG H W AY D EPAR TM EN T

The Lincoln County Highway Department maintains 1,120 miles of roads and 220 bridges with a staff of 25 employees.

LIN CO LN CO U N TY LAW EN FO RCEM EN T

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department is home to a fifteen member team of officers and dispatchers who work with the county’s chief law enforcement officer, the Lincoln County Attorney, to protect the citizens of Lincoln County and prosecute criminal offenders in the Lincoln County District Court.

H EALTH CAR E

Lincoln County provides a full-time Ambulance Service which offers basic and advanced life support services; a Health Department that provides quality, cost-effective, clinical and preventative services to County residents; and tax dollars to support a state-of-the-art hospital and elder care facility.

AD M IN ISTR ATIV E O FFICIALS

The Lincoln County Commissioners, Appraiser, Clerk, Register of Deeds, and Treasurer, work together to manage the daily administrative and financial needs of Lincoln County, providing financial oversight, council in matters of employment, and daily operational management.

TR AN SFER STATIO N & N O X IO U S W EED D EPAR TM EN T

The Lincoln County Landfill/Transfer Station provides County residents a place to properly dispose of trash, trees, metal, concrete, tires and construction/demolition debris. The Noxious Weed Department works to provide information and materials to help control and eradicate noxious weeds.

Lincoln County is frequently in sea rch of qua lified individua ls to serve a s em p loyees in a ny of the dep a rtm ents m entioned on this p a ge.To see a va ila ble job op p ortunities visit the Em p loym ent O p p ortunities p a ge of the county w ebsite a t w w w .lincolncok s.com or visit the Job O p p ortunities p a ge under the W ork ta b a t w w w .livelincolncounty.com .

Jason and Annie D ohl

Jason and Annie Dohl returned to Jason’s hometown of Sylvan Grove in the early2000s to raise a family and pursue their dreams of owning their own business.

“We wanted to raise our children (Valden, 12; Vance, 9; Tevis, 7) in a small town,” Annie said. “We wanted to allow our children to feel safe and be a part of a great community. We love that they know how to interact with people of all generations, are known by most everyone in the area, and are held accountable not just by their parents.”

Jason started Sylvan Lawn Care, a bustling lawn and landscape business serving customers in Lincoln, Ellsworth, Mitchell, Russell, and Osborne counties, in 2002, while Annie is the owner, and instructor, at Post Rock Dance Academy, a dance school teaching different styles of dance to youth from toddlers through high school.

“We love the people here, we love the support we’ve had during difficult times, and we love the customers who support our businesses...they have become like family,” Annie said.

But it’s more than just the safety and security of small town living that keeps the Dohls “Rural by Choice,” it’s also the sense of community.

“We would encourage anyone who wants to be a part of a community, not just a neighborhood; who wants to feel a sense of safety for yourself and your children; who loves the beauty of open, green spaces, and who wants to feel like what you’re doing matters to others’ lives, then small town life is for you,” Annie, who grew up in Topeka, said. “Since a small town’s population is ‘small’ each person’s role is that much more important. The appreciation one receives for that is not felt in a big city.

Serving others is why God put us here; a small town is a great place to do that.”

Courtesy Photo

Benson Accounting Specializing in small business and farm accounting

SYLVAN SALES COMMISSION 400 E 1st St • Sylvan Grove Phone: (785) 526-7123 COW SALE Every Monday SHEEP/GOAT SALE Second Saturday of Every Month

Joel Benson, CPA Mary Benson, CPA

1929 S. Ohio Salina, KS 67401

Office: (785)827-3157 Fax: (785)827-3159

jmbensoncpa@yahoo.com Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 37

W ilso n L a ke/fro m

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pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, whitetail and mule deer, turkey, waterfowl and rabbit. Fur harvesters may also find coyote, bobcat, beaver, muskrat, mink, raccoon and possum to pursue.

Nearly 7,000 acres of project lands are licensed to the KWPT for wildlife management. Public access is available to a majority of these lands, but vehicles are restricted to existing roads. Nearly all federally owned land is open to hunting, with the exception of the developed parks and the waterfowl refuge.

All federal and state hunting regulations are enforced, and sportsmanship and safety should be considered at all times. Kansas law requires any hunter born after July 1, 1957, to complete a hunter education course before obtaining a state hunting license.

Trails The lake has a number of trails designed for walking, hiking and mountain-biking.

The Rocktown Hiking Trail, located in the western part of Lucas Park, is a 3.5-mile loop that takes you to a scenic shoreline area featuring 15-30 feet sandstone pillars.

If you’re up to the challenge, the 23-mile Switchgrass Bike Trail in Hell Creek challenges all riders - both novice and advanced. The trail is home to several mountain-biking competitions throughout the year.

Other great leisurely walking trails include Cedar Trail, a one-mile trail in Otoe State Park, the two-mile Dakota Trail, the Minooka hiking trail and the Bur Oak Trail.

Come for the

LINCOLN COUNTY COUNCIL ON AGING ? ? ?

Me al

Are you disabled or turning 65?

Have questions about Medicare, Medicare Supplement or drug plans?

Need help finding services to stay in your home? Housekeeping or Attendant Care

CAN HELP!

785-524-3510 Distribution site for commodities and Bob’s Boxes 38 Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com

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If you are age 60 or older, the suggested, voluntary contribution for a meal is $3.50 or whatever you can comfortably afford. Home delivery is available for those who need it.

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Lincoln County Council on Aging

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Otherwise, anyone of ANY AGE may eat at the Lincoln Senior Center for just $5.25 a meal.

Contact the Lincoln Senior Center at 785-524-4738 116 W. Lincoln Ave. • Lincoln

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www.worldpestonline.com Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 39

Jim Metz took the long way home. After graduating from Kansas State University, and spending time in the Peace Corps, Metz took a job working at a resort in the Pacific island nation of Samoa. There he met his wife Faye, and just two years ago they decided to return to Jim’s hometown to raise their family.

“We chose to move back to Lincoln County to be closer to family and friends and put down some roots,” Jim said. “Having kids of our own we wanted them to grow up around their immediate and distant relatives. There are still a good number of my childhood friends living in Lincoln, or close by, and there is something to be said about the quality of friendships you make in your youth as compared to those after graduating high school.”

Jim took a job as a Trust Officer with Citizens State Bank & Trust Co. in Lincoln, and Faye has recently opened Island Day Care, filling a key need in the community.

“It’s a great comfort to know the people you interact with on a daily basis,” Jim said. “Shopping, doctor visits, ball games, and even walking down main street is more enjoyable when you know the people you are dealing with. We have a beautiful city park, great teachers at our schools, a couple restaurants that I would prefer over anywhere in a big city, and a pristine lake that is less than 30 minutes away.”

Jim says technology has brought the world closer together, and made small town living, bigger than ever before.

“It’s a given that life in ‘rural’ America has it’s limitations in regards to variety of goods and services and not as many ‘conveniences,’” Jim said.

“However, today I can get almost anything I need from the palm of my hand.

Technology has given us the ability to access information from anywhere and the ability to buy almost anything and get it in less than 48 hours. That is a ‘convenience’ that should allow rural communities to compete with cities for population growth. Combine that with affordable housing, short commutes, a big back yard, friendly neighbors who I can trust, and an active recreation department for kids and adults and I don’t know why anyone would want to Photo by Bree McReynolds-Baetz deal with the stressors that come with life in a city.”

Jim and Faye M etz

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Live Lincoln County | www.livelincolncounty.com 41

Linco ln o ffers a w ide variety o f recrea tio n o p p o rtu nities available thro ugh the Linco ln Recreatio n Co m m issio n. The city park pro vides a sw im m ing p o o l, ba llfields, tennis co u rts and p la ygro u nds.

The L inco ln Recrea tio n D ep a rtm ent o ffers an abundance o f pro gram s fo r yo u th a nd a du lts alike. Our aim is fo r varied, enjo yable yea r-ro u nd p ro gra m s and interesting, fu n-filled a ctiv ities.

One o f the go a ls o f the Linco ln Recreatio n Departm ent is to instill the sa m e v a lu es o f o u r co m m u nity in o u r yo u ng a thletes and there is a fo cu s o n sp o rtsm a nship and sa fety in all o ur pro gram s.

V isitw w w .linco lnrec.o rg fo r a currentlisto fpro gram o fferings.