Main Street Lecompton

Lecompton’s history, businesses, community and family are at the heart of what makes this small town continue to thrive.

Elmore Street is the heart of downtown Lecompton.

Main Street Lecompton circa 1916 Courtesy Lecompton (Lane University & Territorial Capital Museum

Perhaps the most obvious window into the past is Bald Eagle Mercantile. This shop is a mixture of fabrics, sassy signs, puzzles, artifacts from times past and odds and ends that serve to create a full-fledged stuff store. Greeting everyone who comes in is owner Kathy Paslay, a connection to the past in her own right, as her ancestors helped start the town. “My sixth great-grandfather is Daniel Boone, and Albert Boone is the one who founded the spot. He originally named [the town]Bald Eagle, because there were so many bald eagles out here,” she explains.

Inside Bald Eagle Mercantile with Kathy Paslay tending to a customer

Paslay started the Mercantile 12 years ago, operating it as an antique store before expanding into other items. No clear organization to the store is apparent save the loosely connected rooms of stuff. Around the store sit random gnomes, which Paslay says were born from Christmas. “I tried to come up with a theme at Christmas, and I don’t like trolls, and gnomes are just fun. They’re not gonna change the world, but they do put smiles on everybody’s faces.” So Paslay started to make gnomes. She made 400 or 500 of them, and sold most at Christmastime. “Then I had people asking for Valentine’s Day gnomes, and then it was St. Patrick’s Day gnomes. And I’ve had a few come back wanting Easter gnomes,” she continues. It became a fun thing for Paslay, something she could do in the evenings when home by herself.

Empty Nester’s Winery and Windey Celebration

It Takes a Village

Keeping the history of Lecompton alive requires the cooperation of many people, shops and organizations. Vickie and Troy Clark opened Empty Nester’s Winery in January 2021 after a trip to Yellowstone National Park inspired them to open up the tasting room with untraditional fruit wines. They have since added local events, wine tastings and, recently, their outdoor Grand Opening Celebration, which took place in March. The Clarks chose to name the different wines after historical people and events of Lecompton. “For instance, Strawberry Lane,” Troy says. Strawberry Lane is named after the former Kansas U.S. Senator James Henry Lane, the namesake of the former Lane University. The university building in Lecompton now houses the Territorial Capital Museum.

The Clarks also run a podcast called Empty Nester’s Uncorked. With the help of local producer Robert Parker, a recent college graduate from Perry, they tell stories of the hardships of starting a winery in the middle of a pandemic. “Vickie’s a behind-the-scenes person, and I’m more of a talking head,” Troy explains. “She said, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this,’ and clearly, if you listen to the podcast, she’s the star of the show. It’s a lot of fun though.”

Claymama’s

In the winery, part of a building shared by other businesses, exposed old cobblestone from the 1800s can be found on the fermentation space wall—the building is as old as the town. In the building’s smallest space, Cindy Daniels and Sheris Messerly operate Claymama’s Art Workshop, an art store and workshop. Visitors can either sign up for one of many ceramics classes or buy jewelry, clothing and art pieces in the front of the shop. “It used to be an apartment, this portion of the building. And before that, we think it was part of a grocery store,” Daniels says. “When I first moved here 1000 years ago, the grocery store was still open.”

Daniels became interested in art early on. “In high school, I started in a basic art class. I had walked by the art room for a whole year before I was brave enough to go in and take a class. When I did, it was over for me. It’s my favorite subject,” she explains.

Messerly had a completely different path. “I had originally started at [Johnson County Community College] in fashion design. I had done that for a year, and I didn’t see myself going the places I wanted to go,” Messerly says. “And at KU, I was doing business, and I wasn’t passionate about it. I didn’t like it.” So, 30 hours of business classes later, she switched her major to early childhood education and intervention.

The two women opened the shop together, which, they agree, was a dream. “When we went to Taos, New Mexico, we went to a boutique … and we were like, ‘We really want to do this,’ ” Messerly says. “We’ve always really been passionate about clothing and all things like that.”

Jamin and Annette Nally in front of their Aunt Netter’s Café

The Town Gathering Place

Aunt Netter’s Cafe, owned and operated by Lecompton natives Jamin and Annette Nally, opened in 2017 and serves baked goods and regular café fare. It is open for breakfast and lunch, and always has several varieties of fresh pies. Jamin explains that traffic flow is a problem for businesses in Lecompton. “You have to come here on purpose. Every once in a while, we get random people that are like, ‘I just happened to find you.’ But you don’t accidentally drive to Lecompton.” Out-of-town groups that come from cities like Lawrence and Topeka are essential to keeping traffic and money flowing.

Annette started baking pies at a young age. “I have always made pies. I was in 4-H since I was 7, so I have been baking since I was little,” she says. Her first memory was with her grandma. “She showed me how to make piecrust and shared her recipe … so, whenever we would get together, I would just bake stuff.”

Aunt Netter’s Cafe is based in Lecompton’s family-friendly community. “Everyone knows each other. Everybody looks out for each other. The community has just been so incredibly supportive of our business,” Annette explains. “I have a huge family, and they all live really close. My parents have helped us here; my daughter works here now. Everyone just knows each other. … People will just sit down with each other and have a meal. It’s pretty awesome.”

Gary and Linda Kroeger and Robin Kofford with her son Dylan; above: Robin and her son work the meat counter while her parents work the cashier counter

A Family Affair

Preserving history is a community effort that takes the work of businesses and community members alike. Kroeger’s Country Meats is the first shop one encounters upon entering Lecompton from Lawrence. It is known for a small collection box set out asking for donations to local charities. “[The Lecompton Historical Society] is part of the history. They’re really not heavily government-funded,” says Robin Kofford, the main butcher at Kroeger’s. “And a lot of people do come here after they’ve visited the museum and so they can contribute. Over the times, we have changed [the box]. Last year, we had that delegated for the Lecompton Pride [Society]. That helps them buy new windows and contributes to the floors that they had redone.”

Gary Kroeger started the shop in 1984 and still mans the register at the front, striking up a conversation with anyone who passes. Robin Kofford, his daughter, now runs the business and does most of the butchering and sausage-making. The store is open every day except Sunday and serves sausages, hamburgers, steaks and hot sandwiches at the counter. “My dad opened up the shop … going on 37 years ago. … He worked all the way up through high school [and]through college in a meat store,” she explains. “It was kind of his dream come true after he retired from the school district.”

Kofford’s own path was quite different than her father’s. “When my parents got the store in ’84, I was basically, on the weekends, grounded by choice. After I got out of high school, I [went]into day care, and I became a nanny in Missouri and moved away,” she says. “When I wanted to go back to school and came back to Lawrence, I thought, ‘Ok, I’ll work for them in the Lawrence operation and get my HDFL [human development and family studies]degree.’ Well, shortly after that, my dad took sick. … Little did I know I would be at this place. It wasn’t a thought-out plan. It happened, and I guess for the right reasons.”

Still Going Strong

Lecompton, despite its quiet look, is a town that is vibrant and full of activities. Its businesses continue to make history. Kroeger’s Kofford says when the butchery decided to sell alcohol, the vote had the biggest per capita turnout in the country—they voted yes. The Bald Eagle Mercantile organizes community events, such as a flea market last October, where businesses like Claymama’s and Empty Nester’s Winery can sell their wares, and Aunt Netter’s and the local scout troop can feed everyone with pie and Indian Tacos. These thriving businesses show that the town has never stopped and will continue to make history.