Jackson Co. Lifestyle - Issue 1

Welcome. on the cover

dear readers.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Jackson Co. Lifestyle. Having grown up not far from the area, I am honored to highlight a community like the one where I grew up. Contrary to what some might think, rural communities do not run themselves. Instead, small towns like Holton are built by the working class—specifically those who don’t shy away from leadership, entrepreneurship and hard work. The people and organizations featured in this magazine are like the ones that raised me, and it’s been a full circle moment for me getting to come back and highlight this community.

In the department sections, learn about the creation of the Holton Community Theatre, the history of the Roebke House, the Honor Flight program hosted by USD 336 and discover new and annual events in Jackson County. The features highlight the mural movement in Jackson County, as well as Willcott Brewing Company—both of which have been expanding.

Special thanks to the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Jackson County Tourism Council, Shannon Wittmer, Ashlee York, Suzette McCord-Rogers, USD 336 and Willcott Brewing Company. Without the community’s collaboration and involvement, this issue would not be possible.

Kalli Jo Smith, Editor Sunflower Publishing

Willcott Brewing Company’s husband and wife duo, Sean and Jennifer Willcott, sit proudly in their flagship brewery.

Photo by Nick Krug

Willcott BrewingCompany

Editor Kalli Jo Smith

Designer/Art Director Alex Tatro

Copy Editor Leslie Clugston Andres

Advertising Angie Taylor ataylor@sunflowerpub.com

Contributing Photographers Nick Krug

Jason Dailey

Bill Stephens

Contributing Writers Amber Fraley

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Lucas Shivers

Ian Brannan

Debbie Leckron Miller

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Kari Williams

Publisher Bill Uhler

Director Bob Cucciniello

HOLTON/JACKSON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 104 W 5th St, Holton (785) 364-3963 chamber@exploreholton.com exploreholton.com

Executive Director Ashlee York

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Something Ever Since

The Holton Community Theatre is growing to fit the community

In 2010, Shannon Wittmer and her husband and children moved to Holton from Oswego, where Wittmer had been an English and reading teacher at Oswego Middle School.

“At my old school, I was in charge of the play or musical, which is always performed by the eighth grade class,” she explains. After a few years of settling into her new town, Wittmer chatted with her friend Carolyn McKee about how she missed directing plays and musicals. “Why don’t we do a dinner theater?” McKee suggested, and Wittmer was game.

They found an event space large enough to put on a play and hold several tables. They held community auditions and found a local caterer to provide the dinner. Since the event space didn’t have a stage, they performed on the floor. That first dinner theater was a huge success, with sold-out performances.

“We sort of put it together, and it’s been something ever since,” Wittmer says.

In summer 2015, Wittmer and friend Inga Kelly held a kids’ drama camp, during which they performed The Big Bad Musical. The summer camp was a way not only to get area kids interested in theater but also to raise funds for the dinner theater performances. In the fall of 2015, Wittmer and her growing group of theater enthusiasts put on the musical Nunsense.

“We really needed a space that had a stage, so we used the local Methodist church fellowship hall stage,” Wittmer says. It was the fall of 2017 when the Holton Community Theatre officially became a nonprofit with a board of directors.

Without a permanent home, the organization was often forced to rent space for theater performances and the summer camp. As they continued to put on performances, they built platforms to use in spaces that didn’t have a stage. “It was hard to find all the space we needed,” Wittmer recalls.

Story by Amber Fraley | Photography by Jason Dailey

Shannon Wittmer, HCT founder and creative director, stands in her elementary school turned community theatre.

“One summer when we did WillyWonka the musical, we had to bring in chairs—we had every chair we owned set out and had to borrow some from a local church—it was very full.”

It was Carolyn McKee who told Wittmer the local school district wanted to sell the old Central School as it had sat empty for a few years and was becoming burdensome for the district to maintain. But Wittmer was skeptical the space would fit the community theater’s needs. Once she got a look at it, however, she changed her mind. “I think this would be awesome,” she recalls saying.

The Holton Community Theatre board approached the school district about the idea of turning the old school into a theater, and the school board loved the idea so much that they wanted to donate the old school to the thespians— unfortunately, that plan wasn’t legal.

“They sold it to us for a dollar,” Wittmer says.

That was in 2020. Since then, the community theater has expanded the school stage, painted, and installed the necessary lighting and sound equipment. Volunteers have done much of the work, but the group has also hired professionals to make improvements. Along the way, audience and community engagement has continued to grow. The success of the community theater has also led to exciting changes in Wittmer’s teaching duties.

“Since starting this, I took my Praxis test and started a drama and theater department at the high school, too. I teach four different classes now at the high school, and one to two classes at the middle school, that relate to theater, forensics, and debate,” she says.

Wittmer says the plan is for the Holton Community Theatre to put on four major performances per year. Between the larger theater productions, the theater will host smaller performances such as comedians, improv groups, and small concerts. Wittmer says the theater will make sure their summer productions include parts for all ages. “Something that involves kids and adults so we can get a big part of the community involved.”

It was hard to find all the space we needed. One summer when we did Willy Wonka the musical, we had to bring in chairs—we had every chair we owned set out and had to borrow some from a local church—it was very full.

–Shannon Wittmer

Inside a former classroom, collections of costumes and props line the shelves.

Wittmer surrounded by props at the Holton Community Theatre.

Holton Community Theatre 2023 Schedule

THE BOB BROWN TALENT SHOW

The Nifty Fifties

May 28 at 2 p.m.

SUMMER MUSICAL

The Addams Family

July 21–23 and July 28–30

OCTOBER SHOW

Silent Sky

October 14, 15, 21 and 22

CHRISTMAS SHOW

Sorry! Wrong Chimney!

December 15–17

In addition to ticket sales, Wittmer says the Holton Community Theatre has received generous donations from the Jackson County Community Foundation’s Thoughtful Giving Day, held every November.

“We have more and more people who want to volunteer to help out for events,” she says. She also notes the community loves to come out to see the performances. Though the theater can seat up to 90 people for their dinner performances, Wittmer says they try to keep capacity to about 65 people, so the actors have plenty of room to move around. While most of their actors come from Holton, the Holton Community Theatre has begun to attract actors from surrounding towns.

Meanwhile, the theater continues to focus on how best to serve the community, trying out different combinations of performances, such as a Friday night dinner theater, a Saturday night performance with dessert, and perhaps a Sunday matinee with concessions.

“We’ve been trying different approaches to figure out the best fit for our community theater,” Wittmer says.

SUMMER

DRAMA CAMP

June 5–9

K–2: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Grades 3–5: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

HCT board members pictured from left: Justin Fluke, Shannon Wittmer, Jennifer Shaw, Carrie Holliday, Kim Bear, Betsy Gilliland and Casey Patterson.

Roebke House

Historical society preserves Victorian home with renovations

Story by Lucas Shivers | Photography by Bill Stephens

The Roebke House, constructed in 1876, sits at 216 New York Avenue on the southwest corner of Holton’s town square.

Major updates have provided a facelift to the exterior of the historic Roebke House Memorial Museum in downtown Holton, thanks to the leadership of the Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society.

“The overall outside appearance of the three-story Victorian-era home is just absolutely stunning now with the fiber-cement siding and brick-colored accent to bring out the brick in the porch with fish-scale scallops,” says Suzette McCord-Rogers, historical society president.

Along with new siding and paint, provided by a crew from Matthews Construction of Kansas City, contractors replaced more than 35 windows and all of the doors on the Roebke House, located at 216 New York Ave., on the southwest corner of Holton’s town square.

Anna Wilhelm, historical society treasurer, says replacing the windows was important for the overall functionality of the house.

“It will result in much more affordable heating and cooling levels with museum-quality temperature control,” says Wilhelm.

The society uses the original four-bedroom and home as a means to teach local school groups interpretations and common activities from the time period.

Ashlee York, Holton chamber of commerce director, shared the benefits of the investments of the project to the overall community.

“The recent renovations that the Roebke House has done will make a huge impact on our communities and beyond,” says York. “It will allow different avenues for special events and groups to come and experience history, while also spending their time in Jackson County.”

Roebke family background

The Roebke’s Victorian home was originally constructed in 1876 by Louis Roebke Sr. for his bride, Kate, and their five children. The house is one of three historical society buildings, which also include a research library and traditional museum.

“It serves as our ‘house museum’ to tell the story of German immigrants who started a furniture store business, built coffins and contributed to the community in so many ways,” says McCord-Rogers.

As the family expanded, the house grew with several renovations and additions through the early 1900s.

“We love to tell how the family had the first telephone in Holton,” says Wilhelm. “The story goes that Louis would call his home from the store downtown on the main square. He would use the telephone to listen to his children practice the piano each night from the store and let customers hear as well.”

Louis and Kate Roebke’s oldest daughter, Charlotte, also known as Lottie, became the first woman embalmer in the state.

From top: Pictured clockwise from left sits the Roebke family children known as Charlotte, Doris, Rose and Louis Roebke Jr.

Kate Sollner Roebke and Louis Roebke, the original owners of the home, stand together for a portrait.

Their middle daughter, Rose, married William Volker, who manufactured home furnishings. As Kansas City-based philanthropists, they dedicated the overwhelming majority of their fortune to charities.

The youngest daughter, Doris, who gifted the home to the Jackson County Historical & Genealogical Society in 1987, remained in the family home and played organ at the local Presbyterian church. She also gave lessons on the grand piano in the home to countless youth.

The Roebke’s first son, Karl, tragically died on the property as a child.

Louis Jr., their second son, grew up, moved to Seattle to run a business for the Volker family, and raised a family of his own. The team is currently in touch with the greatgrandson and descendants who still live out west.

“Since many of the family didn’t have their own kids, especially the daughters, their children were the entire Holton community, and they welcomed the community in,” says McCord-Rogers. “The family donated the house to the society and set up a maintenance fee to support ongoing programming.”

Project scope

Along with addressing some foundation issues, the process of completing the Roebke projects faced a few supply chain logistics problems.

“Everything costs more and takes longer,” says McCord-Rogers. “But it all had a great result. There’s still some fine-tuning, and we’ve moved on to work on the inside. We started the restoration project about a year ago after getting some key donations to get it done.”

Community members Elisabeth and George Mansfield recently gifted $35,000 of the $150,000 total project costs.

The team also secured $20,000 in grant funding from Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation and Kansas Tourism office for community enhancements.

“There are also many annual donations from community patrons,” says McCord-Rogers. “It’ll set the stage to bring in more groups and field trips.”

Updated vision

The new aesthetic of the Roebke House brightens up the entire neighborhood.

“It prepares us for reinterpreting more of the interior and turning the Roebke House into a showcase to not only have children programs but prepare the site for a larger history complex that we have in mind,” says McCord-Rogers.

Long term, the team plans to relocate the entire museum to a new building next to the Roebke House.

“We could also expand our research facility and storage for the collections with more kinds of exhibits available,” says McCord-Rogers. “We want to tie into territory and regional histories like the Battle of the Spurs, a pre-Civil War Underground Railroad location with John Brown and his men who liberated 11 slaves from Missouri.”

Holton is also positioned on the James Lane Trail, a path for abolitionists to bring in others to the area in a safe way from the dangerous, violent pockets along the Missouri border.

“We’re very much part of Bleeding Kansas and the frontier, and we still have researchers looking for more,” says McCord-Rogers. “We see our role as presenting humanities speakers and programs throughout the year to share our history through the Roebke House.”

Suzette McCordRogers, historical society president, stands in the Victorian home.

Kitchen (left) and the main living area of the Roebke family home.

Honor Flight

School program takes students and veterans to new heights

Brannan

Honor Flight, a program created to provide a free trip to Washington D.C. for veterans and Holton High School students, took off in 2022 and will occur again in June 2023.

During the trip, HHS student guardians are assigned to assist the traveling veterans as they explore historic memorials and sites throughout D.C. Some of the locations include the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, the World War II Memorial, the Capitol, the “Sea of White” ceremony and more. The overnight trip, which caters to World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans, includes a meal at a local Veterans of Foreign War post, as well as a “mail call”—where loved ones write the attendees letters as it were when the veterans were in service. Upon their return the following day, veterans and students are welcomed home with a parade of people cheering them on. It’s a much different experience from veterans’ return during the Vietnam War era, according to Air Force veteran Rick Bottle.

Bottle notes it was emotional to have all the people at the airport welcome him back and thanking him for his service. He joked that back in the day, “they only waved at GIs with one finger instead of all five.”

Bottle was slightly familiar with D.C., having been stationed there at the beginning of his service during the Vietnam War.

“I can’t express how thoughtful they [student guardians] were to us GIs,” Bottle says. “Most of the guys on there were going to be in their 70s, including myself. These were kids who, some of them were in high school. We’re talking about 17 to maybe 21, and they were very helpful, courteous—you just couldn’t ask for a better person to pick you up if you had to… ’cause some of the guys were in wheelchairs or needed wheelchairs, and those kids just pushed them right along. I don’t know if I could put it in enough eloquent words, but it was just a wonderful experience.”

Taygen Altenberg, who went on the 2022 Honor Flight as a student guardian, recounted her time on the trip with veteran Jack West. She met West at the rock-a-thon fundraiser prior to the pandemic. The two kept in touch as she went on to college.

Story by Ian

| Photos courtesy Holton High School

Once the pandemic ended, the two finally got the chance to go on the Honor Flight.

“When we were there, Jack was so excited to see everything, and I made him stop and take pictures in front of everything with me,” Altenberg says. “It was just really cool to experience it with someone who could really put purpose behind the monuments. I hadn’t been to Washington D.C. before. My dad travels there a lot, so I’ve seen pictures of it and learned about it in school, but it means a lot more when you go with someone who can tell you in-depth stories about the places that this monument is representing and the people [and] groups that it’s representing who went and served for our country.”

The student guardians helped the veterans with their bags, ensured they took their medication on time, and learned about the veterans and their experiences.

Holton High School teacher and student council sponsor Debbie Harshaw, who is serving as the school’s Honor Flight sponsor and coordinator, says filling spots for the program does not take a lot of time.

We’re lucky that the community supports us so well and really takes it seriously and provides help financially,” Harshaw says.

To pay for the program, students and the community fundraised; however, it was a $10,000 donation from Johnsonville that helped kickstart the program. Before the pandemic, Harshaw and students work to raise an additional $24,000 by hosting a “rock-a-thon” where students found a rocking chair and received pledges from local businesses and community members for rocking for 24 hours. Harshaw says that because

of the community’s support, they reached their financial goal. However, the program was halted by Covid-19, and HHS chose to wait for a safer time to go.

Fortunately, the school was able to go on its first Honor Flight in 2022. Students that had helped fundraise prior to the pandemic had graduated, but were called and offered a spot to participate in the summer event.

Originally, the program was set to have nine veterans attending, but the 2022 event included 16 veterans in order to catch up from the program’s hiatus during the pandemic. Due to the increased participation, the price for the trip rose to $32,000, however, the community came together again and raised the money and then some—with about $10,000 left over for the 2023 trip.

“We haven’t had trouble [raising money] at all,” Harshaw says. “When you’re asking for money for the Honor Flight, no one has any questions. They just really are very giving, so we are really lucky in that way.”

Bottle says Harshaw did a wonderful job in the planning and that being able to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was an emotional and memorable part of the trip.

The next Honor Flight will take place June 2023. Along with the nine veterans Holton will be taking, another three Kansas schools, Central Heights, Lyndon, and Prairie View, will also attend Honor Flight and take nine veterans each. Along with students and veterans, a medical adviser, an administrator, and Harshaw as the coordinator will also join in on the trip.

Veterans, paired with their student guardians, prepare to leave for the 2022 Honor Flight trip.

World II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans tour historic sites and memorials in D.C. such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, World War II Memorial, the Capitol and more.

Home for the Holidays

Learn about Jackson County’s iconic annual events

Story by Debbie Leckron Miller | Photos by Jason Dailey and Nick Krug

When summer winds down, Holton is just getting warmed up with its lineup of autumn and holiday festivities. October’s Fall Fest kicks off the fun, and Small Town Christmas heralds the holidays in December. The historic downtown square hosts both annual events, sponsored by the Holton and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Fall Fest

A savory chili contest and an array of craft and food vendors line the streets of downtown Holton at the annual Fall Fest. The highly anticipated annual event is set for Saturday, October 14, 2023.

On sidewalks around the square, nearly 20 cooks set up their creative chili booths and invite attendees to sample (and vote for) some of the five gallons of chili each contestant has prepared. At stake: the “People’s Choice,” “Judge’s Choice” and “Most Creative Site” awards. Individuals, families, businesses, organizations and school groups all compete for bragging rights.

Maps identify the location of each booth and the chamber sells $5 sampler bags that include enough cups, spoons and napkins to taste each entry. Still hungry? Booths also sell bowls of chili, which are anything but bland.

“This isn’t your common hamburger chili,” explains Laura Golden, president of the Holton and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and member of the Fall Fest committee. “It ranges from the spiciest to the sweetest chili, with everything from deer meat to bison meat. The cooks are very creative with what they mix in.”

Fifty vendors, selling arts, crafts, clothing, jewelry and food, share the courthouse lawn with playful scarecrows.

“You’ll see up to 20 scarecrows, some scary and others whimsical, varying from life-size to tiny gnomes,” says chamber of commerce director Ashlee York. “There’s no limit to their creativity.” The favorite wins the “People’s Choice” award.

The various vendors sell their foods and wares from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“So many of our vendors are from Jackson County. It’s so nice to see so many people attending the festival, supporting one another and giving back to our own county,” Golden says.

Golden’s favorite booth is a local nursery called Country Greenhouse.

“I always watch for the mums,” Golden says. “[Country Greenhouse] pulls up with a huge trailer full of tons of beautiful mums.”

Food trucks line the east side of the courthouse, dishing up barbecue, fried fish, kettle corn, shaved ice and other fest fare. Inside the century-old courthouse, the Calico Garden Quilt Guild displays its quilt show. And, shops around the square stay busy all day with sales and special promotions.

“Fall fest is so special because everyone is looking forward to the new season and all of its beautiful fall colors,” Golden says. “You get to be outdoors, the weather is so nice and the trees on the square and all around town are putting on a show.”

Event-goers watch local school bands play at the Holton Fall Fest.

Visitors shop local during the annual Small Town Christmas event.

Small Town Christmas

The hub of Holton is the historic courthouse square, which shines its brightest during the town’s Small Town Christmas celebration. Buildings outlined in white lights, a beaming parade of lights, Santa’s arrival and shops that stay open late ignite the community’s holiday spirit.

Scheduled for December 9 this year, the day starts out with a meandering Christmas Tour of Homes throughout Jackson County. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can drive at their own pace to five homes that range from country and historic to lodging establishments.

Christmas décor that awakens the holiday spirit waits inside.

“Spread all across the county, homeowners open their doors and give tours of their beautifully decorated spaces,” says York. “When you walk inside, you might see family heirlooms, precious collections, décor from local shops, craftsman handiwork, beautifully decorated trees—some homes simplistic and some over the top!”

Golden echoes York’s sentiment. “It’s amazing how these owners decorate from top to bottom and invite the community inside. Visitors get great ideas for their own homes, plus the tour gives them a chance to get out and about through the countryside and smaller communities of Jackson County.”

Back in Holton, the chamber serves refreshments and sells homes tour tickets at its Hospitality Hall throughout the day. Downtown festivities get under way at 5 p.m. with a soup supper prepared by a local nonprofit. A performance on the courthouse lawn by a local dance studio leads up to the evening’s main event, the sparkling Parade of Lights at 5:30 p.m.

Area clubs, churches, businesses, school groups, families and law enforcement agencies light up their vehicles, floats and even farm machinery for this glowing procession around the town square. Santa brings up the rear, and afterward, makes his way to the Santa House on the square for visits and pictures with kids.

Small Town Christmas wraps up with shopping until 7 p.m. at Holton’s charming downtown stores.

“The day serves as a reminder that Christmas is near, and also inspires us to do our shopping locally in our unique and historic downtown,” concludes York.

Every plant and animal featured in the Eastern and Western Tallgrass Prairie murals can be found in Jackson County.

The

Story by Elizabeth Walters

|

Photos by Bill Stephens

Jackson County is celebrating its unique history and spirit through an ongoing series of murals.

This project was part of an effort sponsored by the Office of Rural Prosperity’s (ORP) Rural Mural and Public Art Grant Programming to encourage community art in towns with fewer than 10,000 residents. In 2022, the program saw 37 murals in 14 different rural communities, according to the Kansas Department of Commerce. Visit www. kansascommerce.gov to view the full list of murals.

Suzette McCord-Rogers, chair of the Jackson County Tourism Council, spearheaded the movement in Jackson County by organizing six murals in Holton. After visiting Clay Center’s mural walk, McCord-Rogers decided that public art was the answer to drawing more visitors into the communities.

“I was so excited by what I saw in what Clay Center had accomplished,” McCord-Rogers says. “And it just seems like murals as an art, public art, are really the way to go right now that that’s something that that people are interested in visiting and are requesting.”

After putting out a call for artists, the Tourism Council applied for an ORP grant and began discussing ideas for commission. The council chose the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Western Tallgrass Prairie murals to be the first pieces in the project. McCord-Rogers notes that every plant and animal featured in the murals can be found in Jackson County.

Wichita-based artist Lindsey Kernodle was commissioned to create the initial murals. A graphic artist at Sedgwick County Zoo, Kernodle has spent her career illustrating and interpreting wildlife. Kernodle says that her work in Holton was inspired by environmental activism.

“The goal of them [the murals] is to show the diversity that’s within the tallgrass prairie ecosystems, which, you know, are right in our backyard, but it’s one of the most endangered ecosystems in the entire North America,” Kernodle says.

Kernodle also created corresponding brochures and handouts for students to identify the different featured species, as per the ORP’s grant agreement that required the murals to have educational elements. Additionally, the council plans to partner with Holton Parks and Recreation, as well as the Banner Creek Reservoir and Banner Creek Science Center and Observatory, to organize local nature walk field trips that correspond with the murals.

ORP also wanted the murals to involve community participation, so the council worked with Parks and Recreation to create Sunflower Community Mural at the WPA pool.

Jackson Heights art teacher Katie Morris was commissioned as head artist of the pool’s mural. As a committee member for the Jackson County Art Walk, Morris included the mural as one of last year’s stops along the trail. Morris assisted in the outline, but the community did the rest.

“We had probably 50 people who came and helped on one morning and helped fill it in until we kind of ran out of paint,” Morris says.

The Danny Petersen Memorial Mural is a tribute to Holton native Petersen.

In addition to the communal project, Morris also has two other murals to her Holton portfolio; one at the Banner Creek Science Center called MonarchButterflyLifecycle, and one at the Banner Creek Reservoir titled Eagle’sNest

After the initial murals were well received, the council brainstormed other ways they could incorporate aspects of Kansas through art. The movement decided to create The DannyPetersenMemorialMural, a tribute to Holton native Petersen who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War.

The memorial mural, which is located on Tarwater Farm & Home Supply, was created by Sandra Dawn Pemberton, a freelance artist and art teacher at Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Missouri. Pemberton says her work has encompassed a wide range of subjects, but she has recently been specializing in patriotic pieces.

“I had wanted to specifically [do] something with the Vietnam War because I’ve done a lot of kind of similar projects that I feel like, with Vietnam in particular, they weren’t received very well whenever they came home,” Pemberton says. “I wanted to kind of give back to them a little bit, and in some ways, maybe help them feel some sort of positivity.”

Pemberton’s collage-style mural features an image of Petersen stationed on top of a tank alongside motifs of his experiences in war. Pemberton says she plans to work with the council on a Dwight D. Eisenhower mural in the spring.

Mayetta

Jackson County has a history of murals in Mayetta. Originally painted by Lester Arnold in the 1990s, the piece (below) pays homage to early trains, depicting the historic steam engine of the Rock Island Railroad that ran through town from 1887 to 1961. The mural stands next to the old railroad tracks. Arnold, who was a member of the Citizen Band Potawatomi, also included railroad motifs in his indoor murals at Mayetta’s 1886 Café.

From top: Sunflower Community Mural by Lindsey Kernodle. Western Tallgrass Prairie mural by Lindsey Kernodle.

Hoyt

Hoyt is also home to mural art. Hoyt City Park displays a cottage surrounded by flowers on the wall of the bathroom building (above). The piece was a collaborative effort between local artists; Christina Frederick Munsell painted the flowers and the people, and Sharon Gabriel and Kellie Bryan painted the bricks and the background on the restroom.

But Holton is just the beginning. McCord-Rogers says the council plans to initiate murals in other Jackson County communities.

Delia has secured funding from the council to embark on two art projects that will honor its Indigenous community. The mural, which will be inspired by tribal dance and music traditions, will correspond with a 15-foot buffalo sculpture. Both pieces will be located on the wall of the former Delia High School gym.

Linda Dohrman, the president of Delia Community Pride, says she believes the town will embrace the project.

“I think if the enthusiasm continues that was present at the meeting that we had, I don’t think these will be the last murals that we’ll do,” Dohrman says.

April Lemon, the vice chair of the council, was also a driving force in the movement. As the owner of local hot glass studio More than Lemons, Lemon spoke to her passion about public art, emphasizing its importance in every community.

“I think it creates pride in your community,” Lemon says. “If people aren’t proud of the community they live in, they’re not going to promote it to people from outside.”

Lemon also contributed to the project by donating her in-studio Airbnb. An artist herself, Lemon emphasized her passion for accessible art.

“I think a lot of good can come from art,” Lemon says. “I think that that’s why I’m an artist. I think it touches people’s souls, I think it can educate people, I think it has so many purposes. And that it beautifies areas that might have been overlooked.”

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

Holton Community Hospital is partnering with Integrative Health Centers to provide behavioral, mental, and counseling psychiatric services for both children and adults.

Areas of focus include:

• psychiatric

• medication management

• individual and family care

All visits will be conducted via telemedicine.

WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT

Dr. Lee Schnee, specializing in obesity medicine, now offers weight management and counseling services at Holton Family Medicine.

Areas of focus include:

• nutrition

• exercise

• behavioral changes

• medication management

Call Holton Family Medicine today at 785-364-2126 to schedule an appointment with our behavioral health specialists or Dr. Schnee!

Local couple turns brewery dream into reality

Story by Kari Williams | Photos by Nick Krug

When Sean Willcott walked into the decrepit building at 219 West Fourth Street in Holton, he had a vision—despite the holes in the ceiling, pigeon droppings on the floor and the walls, and caved-in floors.

“I could see where the tanks were going to sit as soon as I walked in,” says Sean, who owns Willcott Brewing Company on that very site with his wife, Jennifer.

Jennifer, president of the company, notes toilets were quite literally “hanging off the walls.”

“I had no visual at all,” she says regarding the building that had previously housed an armory and a mechanic shop.

But since that day in 2015, the Willcotts have gone from holding full-time jobs while renovating the building and perfecting brews to ushering in changes to local laws to allow them to operate within Holton—eventually making the brewery a full-time venture.

That journey, according to Jennifer, “felt like a hundred years.”

Willcott Brewing’s first commercial batch for packaging was available on Valentine’s Day 2021, but the process began several years prior with the gift of a Mr. Beer Kit.

“Sean’s always wanted to own a business, but when we first got married, we were just kind of figuring out what that would look like,” Jennifer says. “[And] he started doing that [the Mr. Beer Kit] and realized at that moment that was really fun and he loved the science behind it.”

Liquor by the drink

The Willcotts started the business with the intent of packaging and distributing, primarily because Jackson County still had “liquor by the drink” laws and their sales would have had to be 30% food. But Sean says that he and Jennifer have been involved with “multiple law changes over the years,” including allowing a brewery to operate in Holton.

In April 2020, Sean approached county commissioners in what would become a successful effort to remove the requirement for a percentage of sales to be food.

“We didn’t even know that was on the horizon,” he says. “We just knew we wanted to have the opportunity to sell our beer out of our brewery.”

Later that year, commissioners approved putting a measure on the ballot that would remove the requirement that “any portion of their gross receipts be from sales of food,” according to ballot language. In November 2020, the measure was approved by voters— allowing the brewery to operate without food sales.

Left to right: See page 36 for menu highlights. Brewery owners Sean Willcott, and wife, Jennifer, recently expanded their brewing business to Leavenworth.

Kansas Liquor by the Drink Map (Wet and Dry Counties)

Success feels like happiness

Brewery aside, Sean that he always felt “part of the [Holton] community,” having lived in town for several years before becoming a business owner. But one weekend night shortly after opening—after a long week at his full-time job and at the brewery—he had a realization.

“I could hear the laughter that was coming out of the taproom,” Sean says, “and all of the noise and laughter ... It was one of those moments where I took a real deep breath and put a smile on my face … [We’re] really creating an environment where people can have a lot of fun and socialize, and that’s very rewarding for me.”

Jennifer agrees.

“Every time I think about that moment, because I walked in and we had that moment together … to us, that is what feels like success,” she said.

The brewery also hosts anniversary, retirement and birthday parties.

“It’s very, to me, a comforting place to come and hang out,” Jennifer says. “You feel safe because it’s a very safe environment and the establishment is clean, and I would just say you have a collaboration of all these great things.”

‘We are who we are’

The brewing industry, according to Sean, is “more of a fraternity.”

““Everybody kind of has their own personality, but everybody helps everybody,” Sean says. “I wouldn’t say we’re so unique in that aspect from a production standpoint. We are who we are, and they are who they are.”

Jennifer says they’re always looking for ways to get the community involved.

“We don’t have the restaurant-style base to go with the beer that a lot of people have,” Jennifer says. “We really try to find ways to bring people together with live music, special events like Oktoberfest. We like to collaborate with other entities and other businesses … We like to provide a space and environment where people can collaborate.”

Part of that environment includes the option for patrons to join their “Mug Club,” which provides a chance to taste new brews before they go to market. Club members also receive a customized shirt, create a customized pint glass at Holton’s More than Lemons and more.

Menu Highlights

BREWS

HOPPY & BITTER

Four Brothers IPA

Four Sisters IPA

Hyzerflip

CRISP & BRIGHT

Two-Feet Wheat

1874 Turkey Red Wit

Josee’s Ale

MALTY & DARK

Texakan Sweet Stout

Whiskey Barrel Texakan

Bourbon Barrel Winter Spiced Ale

Hamartia

FRESH & FRUITY

Machine Gun “Kiwi”

*As of Feb. 1, 2023

WINES

MEAD

Elderberry Mead

Wyldewood Cellars

SWEET WHITE

Winter WhiteStone Pillar

BLUSH

Shady Betty

BlueJacket Crossing

OFF-DRY RED BLEND

Corky’s Barrel

Holy-Field

Moving to Jackson County?

Upcoming Events

Oktoberfest will be held the last Saturday in September. Visit Willcott Brewing Company’s Facebook page for additional details and more information about other upcoming events.

Jennifer says they added a head brewer in early 2023 and are “in the process of continuously adding new brews and taps.”

The brewery began with Jennifer and two other women—all three teachers—working in the Holton taproom. The hours initially were only Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Holton brewery is now fully staffed and open Wednesday through Saturday.

The Willcotts opened their second location, 600 Cherokee Street in Leavenworth, in January. It operates Tuesday through Saturday.

“We now have two full-time employees,” Jennifer says. “All three of us have quit our teaching jobs. One of them came on full-time as a manager.”

Between both locations, the Willcotts employ 25 people. The brewery expanded to Leavenworth, according to Sean, because of the success in Holton and their decision to “make a career out of our business.”

“We would never be as successful as we are thus far without the team that we have,” Sean says.

For more information, visit www.willcottbrewing.com

Whether you are a new arrival here, or just seeking something better, you can �ind the very best at Denison State Bank.

DSB is an anchor in the community, serving generations since 1901. Find us at 5 branches and ATMs in the 35-mile radius, plus have 24/7 access on DSBconnect digital banking.

We can get a new checking account opened for you, along with direct deposits and direct payments. For housing, DSB makes more mortgage loans in Jackson County than any other company. Equal Housing Lender. Visit:

We really try to find ways to bring people together with live music, special events like Oktoberfest.

From your Chamber.

Welcome to the launch of our annual edition of Jackson Co. Lifestyle magazine!

The Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Jackson County Tourism Council’s joint mission is to support our business community and enhance our citizens’ quality of life. Jackson County is an excellent place to live, work and grow your business. We encourage you to be active in our communities. Let’s work together to make Jackson County a place where businesses and people succeed and grow.

Shopping locally, supporting our businesses and organizations, and attending community events and functions are critical to our rural communities. When we shop, eat, stay and play local, we establish and maintain thriving communities.

With the support of communities, we will be able to fulfill our mission. We look forward to partnering together in the future. Let’s continue to support and invest in our communities.

Suzette McCord-Rogers, Chair Jackson County Tourism Council

Ashlee York, Executive Chamber Director Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

Top row (left to right): Samantha Riley, Laura Golden (president), Lisa Moore, Chris Abernathy. Middle row (left to right): Lindsay Alley, Constance Fox, Kristel Bontrager, Mandy Bontrager. Bottom row (left to right): Joni White (vice-president), Kay Andler (treasurer), Ashlee York (executive director), Janette Hammack (assistant director). Not pictured: Jake Spalding.

2023 Calendar of Events

May

May 6

Whiting and Netawaka

Great White Way

Enjoy scenic views and small-town charm as you travel along Highway 9, once known as the Great White Way because of the original white limestone gravel that made it an all-weather road.

May 27

Holton Glory Days

An event for all ages, Jackson County’s high school reunions, vendors and a car show will bring everyone together on Memorial Day weekend.

May 27

Circleville Ranch Rodeo

Enjoy a traditional rodeo in which teams of cowboys or cowgirls from different ranches compete against in events based on the type of work they do every day.

July

July 1

Holton

July Jubilee

Our Independence Day celebration! An evening filled with entertainment, family activities, vendors, shopping and a spectacular fireworks show. This event will take place at Banner Creek Lake with camping, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boating available.

July 8

Soldier Soldier Community Fair

Enjoy our small-town fair with homemade ice cream, shaved ice, face painting, balloon makers, street games, inflatables, carnival games, bingo and food.

July 22

Holton Golf Tournament

The annual golf tournament at the Holton Country Club is the most anticipated networking event of the year, with approximately 100 golfers in attendance, raffles, games and major prize giveaways.

August

August 4

Holton Cruise Night

Visit downtown Holton and enjoy Cruise Night. Antique and unique cars, trucks and motorcycles are invited to fill up the lawn while community businesses and organizations serve dinner and root beer floats. Event open to all ages.

August 19

Hoyt

Pride of Hoyt

This event, organized and run by community members, will provide fun activities for all ages, including a parade, craft and food vendors, silent auction, chicken dinner and tractor pull.

September

September 9

Delia

Delia Days

This charming festival includes kids’ games and arts and crafts, horse and train rides, a quilt and textile show, breakfast, lunch, dinner, car show and a dance.

October

October 7

Mayetta

Mayetta Pioneer Days

Come out to Mayetta where we celebrate the founding of the Mayetta community in 1886. Enjoy a fun run, children’s games, music and vendors.

October14

Holton Fall Fest

Don’t miss this family-friendly festival on our beautiful courthouse lawn! The annual event features a chili cook-off; vendors selling arts, crafts, clothing, and jewelry; food trucks and more.

December

December 9

Holton

Small Town Christmas

Get into the holiday spirit with the Small Town Christmas event! The annual festival includes a lighted parade, shopping, food and visits with Santa Claus.

February

February 3, 2024

Holton Hall of Fame

The annual Hall of Fame is a Jackson County tradition. With hundreds in attendance each year, the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce gathers to recognize outstanding businesses and individuals in the community.

Second Saturday Events

April 8

Land of the Sweets

May 13

Downtown Vegas

June 10

Funky Photo Night

July 8

Talent on Parade

August 12

Summer Wine Down

September 9

Rhythm and Brews

October 14

Fall Fest

November 11

Town Trivia

December 9

Small Town Christmas

Bringing the community together to shop, dine and enjoy the arts in downtown Holton

membership listings

Listings highlighted in blue are Jackson Co. Lifestyle advertisers.

Accounting and Bookkeeping

Harshaw Accounting and Tax Services harshawtax.com

785-364-2387

Holton Tax Services Holtontax.net

785-362-6450

Agritourism

Crown B Bison, LLC crownbbison.com

785-275-3015

Agriculture - Supply

Jackson Farmers jacksonfarmers.com

785-364-3161

Tarwater Farm and Home Supply tarwaters.com

785-364-2162

Wege’s Feed Service, Inc

785-364-4761

Ambulance Services

Jackson County EMS

785-364-1911

Animal Shelter

Heart of Jackson Humane Society heartofjacksonhumanesociety.org

785-364-5156

Auto Dealers

Foster Ford fosterford.com

785-364-4646

Auto Repair

Ron Kirks Body Shop

785-364-2931

Wilson Tire wilsontireks.com

785-364-8473

Wilson’s Direct Motors and Tires wilsonsdirecttires.com 785-364-1915

Bakery/Coffee Shops

KaBoom Nutrition 785-285-1761

Mad Eliza’s madelizas.com

785-478-0880

Penny’s Coffee pennyscoffee.net 785-362-6043

Banks

Denison State Bank dsbks.com

785-364-3131

GNBank gn-bank.com 785-364-2166

The Farmers State Bank fsbks.bank

785-364-4691

Brewery

Willcott Brewing Company willcottbrewing.com 314-740-6457

Broadcasting

KNZA, Inc. knzafm.com

785-547-3461

Casinos

Prairie Band Casino and Resort prairieband.com

785-966-7742

Sac and Fox Casino sacandfoxcasino.com

785-467-8000

Chambers of Commerce

Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce chamber@exploreholton.com exploreholton.com

785-364-3963

Child Care

Lollipop Lane Preschool preschoolisfun.com

785-741-0899

NEK-CAP, Inc. nekcap.org

785-742-2222

City Office

City of Holton holtonkansas.org

785-364-2721

City of Mayetta mayetta.org

785-966-2435

Civic Organizations

Charitable Vending/Glacial Hills

785-364-0925

Friends of Beck Bookman Library joinfobbl@gmail.com joinfobbl.com

913-544-4790

Heartland Area Land Owners heartlandowners.farm 316-648-5613

Holton VFW Post 1367 holtonvfw.org

785-554-5790

Jackson County Democratic Central Committee

785-364-4991

Jackson County Fair Association nekhc.org

785-580-3796

Jackson County Farm Bureau Jacksoncountyfb.org

785-364-2111

Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society sites.google.com/site/jchsks/ 785-364-2087

Cleaning Services

Basel Cleaning Services, Inc (Steam Power Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning) steampower.squarespace.com 785-364-5021

T-Rex Cleaning LLC TRexCleaningks@gmail.com 785-851-4241

Computer Repair

The Computer Doctors 785-364-9300

Construction Contractors

Aeschliman Construction 785-207-0416

Capitol View Masonry capitolviewmasonry.com 785-845-1412

Chris Gross Construction chrisgrossconstruction.com 785-364-5600

Haug Construction 785-364-3375

JT Roofing 785-408-3593

County Offices

Jackson County 785-364-2826

Dance Studio

Studio 1 Dance Center 785-364-4660

Dentists

Holton Dental holtondental.org 785-364-3038

Electrical Contractor

Riley Electric, Inc. rileyelectricks.com 785-364-2821

FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE

423 Arizona Ave. Holton, KS (785) 362-7997

HOURS: Mon-Fri 10:00-7:00

Sat 8:00-6:00

Sun 10:00-4:00

order online at www.cecilk.com

membership listings

Engineering

CFS Engineers cfse.com

785-272-4706

Entertainment & Attractions

Banner Creek Science Center Bcscience.org

785-364-2641

Event Venues

The Courtyard

785-250-7048

785-250-7988

Financial Services

Edward Jones edwardjones.com

785-364-4662

Farm Bureau Financial Services 785-364-2111

Fitness Center

Netawaka Family Fitness Center netawakafc.com

785-933-2616

Food Manufacturing Johnsonville johnsonville.com

785-305-2010

Schlaegel’s Popcorn popcorngifts.net

785-873-3414

Funeral Home

Chapel Oaks Funeral Home chapeloaksfuneralhome.com

785-364-2141

Mercer Funeral Home mercerfuneralhomes.com

785-364-2626

Gas - Propane

B & P Propane/Knotty Pine Oil 785-364-3711

Grocery Store

Cecil K’s Hometown Market cecilk.com 785-362-7997

Health Care

Community HealthCare System chcsks.org 785-889-5133

Holton Direct Care holtondirectcare.com 785-362-8677

Hospitals

Holton Community Hospital Holtonhospital.com 785-364-2116

Insurance Agencies

Aflac - Kristel Bontrager 785-991-1041

Brad Noller Agency - American Family Insurance 785-364-3302

Kellerman Insurance 785-364-2921

Shelter Insurance - Don Fate Agency 785-364-9090

Gus Suarez - State Farm Insurance gussuarez.com 785-364-3890

Lawn Care/Pest Control

Champion Pest and Lawn 785-364-2233

Grass Roots Lawn Care

785-872-0118

Topeka Landscape topekalandscape.com 785-232-8873

Legal Services

White Law Office 785-364-3971

Libraries

Beck Bookman Library Beckbookmanlibrary.org 785-364-3532

Liquor Stores

Arcada Liquor

785-364-2361

Livestock Exchange and Auctions

Holton Livestock Exchange Inc. holtonlivestock.com

785-364-4114

Lodging

Lemon Lofts

785-383-2849

Red Rock Guest Ranch theredrockguestranch.com

785-834-2552

Super 8 by Wyndham wyndhamhotels.com

785-282-0526

Manufacturers

Hammersmith Mfg & Sales hammersmithmfg.com

785-486-2121

Meat Processing

Holton Meat Processing

785-364-2331

Monuments

Quality Monuments - Holton quality-monuments.com

785-364-4454

Mortgage Lending

Luminate Home Loans reneeloans.com

785-410-4157

Newspaper

The Holton Recorder holtonrecorder.net

785-364-3141

NonProfit

Developmental Services of Jackosn County dsjcks.com

785-364-3534

Homestead Affordable Housing

785-364-0110

Jackson County Community Foundation

785-364-3711

Optometrist

Lifetime Eye Care lifetimeholton.com

785-364-5000

Pharmacy

Medical Pharmacy

785-364-2114

Physical Therapy

RehabVisions kansas.rehabvisions.com

785-933-2086

Places of Worship

First Baptist Church fbcholton.com

785-364-3423

Plumbers/Plumbing

Bell Plumbing

785-364-4434

Diamond S Solutions

913-205-4402

Printing/Promotional Items

Lasting Impressions lastingimpressionsofks.com

785-364-4900

Real Estate

BEOUTDOORS Real Estate beoutdoors.com

800-599-5263

Kellerman Real Estate kellermanrealestate.com

785-364-2921

membership listings

Sunflower Association of Realtors Sunflowerrealtors.com 785-267-3215

Rehabilitation Center

Hope for Life 785-305-0549

Repair Services

John’s Repair 785-969-6800

Sam’s Equipment Service & Sales LLC 785-363-8880

Restaurants

Boomers’ Steakhouse 785-364-2468

The Cockeyed Pig Dive Bar and Grille thecockeyedpig.com 785-364-3400

Dairy Queen 785-364-3110

Holton Pizza Hut 785-364-4168

Trails Cafe and Catering toasttab.com/trailscafe 785-364-2786

Retail/Boutiques

Asgards Gate asgardsgategames.com 785-362-6346

Beverley Brown Boutique Beverleybrownboutique.com 785-362-2382

Cafe CO-OP at Trails Cafe 785-364-2786

The Gossip, LLC thegossipholton.com 785-305-0605

Heart to Home Hearttohome.com 785-362-7111

Holton Mercantile 785-364-3321

J & M Market 785-851-1646

Jayhawk TV & Appliance jayhawk.net 785-364-2241

Midwest Dixie Boutique midwestdixie.com 785-260-5298

More than Lemons morethanlemons.com 785-383-2849

Novel Goods mynovelgoods.com 785-362-2665

Uptown Treasures 785-640-2519

WalMart Holton walmart.com/store/378 785-364-4148

Salons

Title Company

Kansas Secured Title kstitle.com 785-217-9020

Title Abstract Co. 785-364-2040

Transportation Services

TayJay Transport 785-362-7990

Tribal Government Prairie Band, LLC prairiebandllc.com 785-364-2328

Utilities

Rural Water District #3 jacksonrwd3.com 785-364-3056

Veterinarians

DIRECTORY/LISTINGS

Head 2 Toe Salon and Spa 785-364-4342

Senior Living

The Pines of Holton thepinesofholton.com 785-364-3314

Spa

Benevolence Total Wellness 785-294-2725

Telecommunications

Giant Communications giantcomm.net 785-362-9331

JBN Telephone Co. jbntelco.com 785-362-9331

Theaters

Holton Community Theatre holtoncommunitytheatre.org 785-364-7685

Banner Creek Animal Hospital bannercreekanimalhospital.net 785-364-4560

Heartland Veterinary Health Center heartlandvetholton.com 785-364-4495

Yoga Studio

Farmgirl Yoga Faith farmgirlcoaching.com 785-364-0984