The Lackmans: Builders of a Dream

The promise of opportunity and freedom brought many brave individuals to American shores in the late 1800s, including German immigrants Margaretha and William Lackman. They brought with them hope – to build a home, a fortune, and the future in a new and exciting land.

The Lackmans found the perfect place to start their new life in the Great Plains under the endless sky of Kansas. When they arrived in 1885, they began construction on an exquisite farmhouse that would showcase the talents of internationally renowned artisans and take more than two years to complete. No expense was spared. This was, after all, a visual statement of their quest for success in the New World.

Best described as a composite of Second Empire and Queen Anne architectural styles, the house featured custom plaster casting and hand painted ceiling designs. Fine woodworkers brought here from Germany crafted an extraordinary winding staircase using walnut grown on the Lackman’s own land.

Yet, while the Lackmans were building their homestead, they also were instrumental in establishing local trade opportunities through the development of an interurban electric railway, which, for the first time connected the area with Kansas City to the north and Olathe to the south. Unfortunately, at the height of this new business venture, two of Lackman’s workers ran off with the $40,000 company bankroll, causing the Lackmans to lose not only their share in the railway, but also their prized farm.