WILSON — While much of rural America, especially some areas of Kansas, have seen population declines in the last eight years, there are those like David Criswell, who believe in the promise of small towns.

The former mayor and town advocate thumbs his nose at reports these burgs and hamlets are dying. Instead of giving up and moving out, Criswell is investing in his community by buying up older buildings downtown. His hope is to restore and repurpose the crumbling structures into something viable.

And he isn’t alone.

Melinda Merrill breathed new life into the local Midland Railroad Hotel, a historic three-story limestone she bought four years ago last October.

It’s her way of protecting a slice of rural America, and a history that could be easily lost without local stewards like herself.

As a little girl, Merrill spent her summers visiting her grandparents’ wheat farm near Wilson Lake. The farm was settled years earlier by her greatgreat-grandparents, who immigrated from Czechoslovakia during the early 1870s.

Some of her fondest memories, she says, were made during those Kansas summers.

Eventually, Merrill bought a small house in Wilson around 2011. Once she settled in, she couldn’t help but notice the building across the street. The former grade school was repurposed into an assisted-living facility, but the business didn’t last. She purchased the property in 2013 and turned it into the Czech Apartments.

It wasn’t long until a group of local residents approached Merrill about buying the hotel. Despite her inexperience, Merrill took a chance. Today, the hotel attracts overnight guests from across the country, as well as customers wishing to rent space for meetings and weddings. The hotel also has a gift shop across the street. The Midland Mercantile and Art Gallery is another one of Merrill’s ideas, offering highend gifts, jewelry and art. The shop, which was originally built in 1887, opened in May 2018.

Inside the mercantile is the Wilson Czech Tourism Hub, an interactive kiosk featuring up-to-date information on various topics, including local history, tourism and events.

Merrill and Criswell are just two in a collection of local individuals working hard to keep Wilson on the map instead of becoming a memory and eventually fading away.

“I’m a big believer in Wilson’s potential,” Criswell said.“There are so many positives to capitalize on. It’s a great place to live and raise a family, and there are so many great people trying to make that happen.”

While the Smoky Hill River is credited with Wilson’s existence, historians claim it was the stagecoach and later, the railroad, that prompted its settlement in the 1870s. Once established, it wasn’t long before Bohemian immigrants arrived by train, and later, by wagon, hoping to make a fresh start in a region rich with cheap, fertile land. It was those Bohemian settlers who helped influence Wilson’s rich Czech culture that ultimately led to the town being named the Czech Capital of the World.

As the community grew, homes and businesses began to spring up. One of those earlier buildings, which was later home to Olds Motor Co., was purchased in 2003 by Criswell. Built in 1885, the building is currently under renovation. It is just one of several buildings in the town’s downtown historic district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I still have a lot to do,” he said.“But recently, the work has become more visible, and so I think people are probably noticing. I think when I get the building done, it will be attractive again as it was in its heyday.”

"I’m a big believer in Wilson’s potential. There are so many positives to capitalize on."
David Criswell
Former Wilson mayor

Criswell admits there’s been a lot of work put into the structure. A new roof was installed two summers ago, replacing a leaky, sagging one. Old plate-glass windows on the front and back of the building were swapped out for 20 new ones. He also restored the plate glass on the door. While much of the progress he’s made inside hasn’t been as visible, Criswell said he’s spent much of the last two years working on a second-floor two-bedroom, twobath apartment. Most of the electrical and plumbing work are installed, and he’s almost ready to install sheetrock.

“It’s really starting to come together.”

While the second-floor will house apartments, Criswell isn’t sure what’s in store for the ground floor. He’s also done a lot of work there, too, but is unsure whether he’ll use the space for an apartment or his business.

“There are definitely some positives with these buildings, but there’s also a challenge with these buildings,” he said.“It’s very difficult to have the retail today that used to be there. But repurposing them is also a challenge for Wilson or any other small town. You still have the buildings, but the way we do business today is so much different than it used to be.”

He’s also installed a new roof on another one of his properties, the former hardware building — Somer Hardware — at 2411 Main St. It was built in 1890. He also purchased the Vocasek Barber Shop at 418 26th St. Known as Peppy Jo’s barber shop, the building is believed to be the longest, continuous-use barber shop in Kansas – from 1910-2002.

Criswell completely gutted it and remodeled several rooms so he, his wife and their four children could live there. Not wanting to diminish its historical significance, he installed a plaque marking the former barber shop.

“We also restored it in a way where it could be used as a business again,” he said.

Throughout town, efforts are underway to improve the community. One of those is dedicated to rebuilding the historic Wilson Opera House, which was destroyed by fire in 2009. But locals are hoping to see the structure rise from the ashes and turned into an open-air pavilion, featuring limestones salvaged from the 1901 opera house.

The effort gained a new resurgence this year as volunteers prepare to roll up their sleeves and move on to the next phase. Officials said they hope to raise $145,000 to cover the cost of a Gunnite application. Other plans include footings and beams/ murals.

Mike Peschka, president of the Wilson Economic Development Corp., said his group’s mission is to promote population and economic growth by making more housing available, supporting local businesses and participating in projects aimed at enhancing the lives of Wilson residents.

Some of those projects include Smoky View Villa, which consists of 12 low-income apartments owned and operated by Wilson Economic Development, and Prairie Estates, a small housing subdivision, offering free residential lots, also owned by economic development officials.

Through partnerships with organizations like the Smoky Hill Development Corp., local economic development officials are able to do more, Peschka said.

“We’re trying to partner with other organizations in Wilson and with city officials,” he said. “We have always tried to be a good partner.”

Stacie Schmidt, Smoky Hill Development Corp. executive director, said the partnership gives Wilson access to all of the resources and services they offer.

“Our resources, such as facade improvement loans, revolving loans, succession planning and retention efforts, extend past the city lines of Ellsworth, and as an ex-officio member of Wilson Economic Development Corp., I have been able to have a more direct pipeline to the needs of the Wilson community,” Schmidt said.

“Wilson continues to be a prideful and progressive community, particularly in destination marketing efforts, and the work they are doing to capture tourists is admirable and forward-thinking. As we look toward downtown, Smoky Hill Development Corp. would like to continue to hear from property owners in the community of Wilson, to look for opportunities to repurpose or revitalize their spaces and bring more revenue and opportunity to the community.”

“I think we’re one of those communities that are doing what they can to promote our community, so we don’t just fade away,” Peschka said.