Just one bite and you’ll understand why this Kansas store remains a Route 66 landmark 101 years later
Nelson’s Old Riverton Store, 7109 SE Highway 66, has served customers along Route 66 for more than 100 years. Travelers consider it a must-see stop along this historic stretch of road—if not for the history, then for the sandwiches alone.
Leo and Lora Williams opened the shop in 1925, one year before Route 66 officially became a highway. The red-brick building featured a storefront and attached living quarters, where the Williamses lived with their daughter for a time. What was once their living room now displays Route 66 souvenirs and memorabilia.
The couple ran the store as both a gas station and a general store, carrying staples such as bread, milk and produce, plus meats and cheeses by the pound, along with general merchandise. Over time, they offered barbeque, burgers, hot dogs and Lora’s special homemade chili.
In 1945, the store changed hands when the Williamses leased it to Lloyd Paxson. Three years later, Leo died. When Paxson’s lease expired, Lora resumed operations and kept it going until 1970. It passed to Lora’s daughter Jane, then to a woman named Thelma Ball until Joe and Isabel Eisler purchased the grocery and deli in 1973. They hired their nephew, Scott Nelson, age 14, to help out around the store.
By the early 1980s, Nelson had risen to manager and then bought the store in 2011. Today, the store retains its old-fashioned charm and has gained a reputation for selling delicious sandwiches and beautiful flowers.
Kenny Felt
“One of the first tasks I learned at the store was how to take care of bedding plants and hanging baskets,” Nelson explains. “My aunt Isabel taught me the correct way.”
Upon arrival, check out the store’s selection of sandwiches—after all, it is called the “Home of the Handcrafted Sandwich.” Nelson’s Old Riverton Store offers more than a dozen sliced meats, including ham, salami, pickle loaf and turkey. Build your own with a wide selection of cheeses, sauces and other fixings. The sandwiches are simple but solid.
“The turkey sandwich is one of our top sellers,” Nelson says. “We only start slicing it once you order it, so it could not be any fresher.”
The store also offers fresh slices of homemade pie and a variety of old-fashioned sodas from a vintage 1939 Coca-Cola refrigerator.
“We are the only home [the refrigerator] has ever had,” he adds.
An enclosed porch seats 15 to 20 diners, with additional outdoor seating. Locals and travelers can also buy groceries, car fluids and other necessities. Travelers consider Nelson’s Old Riverton Store—placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003—one of the most authentic stops on the entire historic route.
“We carry a good line of groceries, meats and cheeses—basic staples that customers might need in their daily lives,” Nelson says. “Our quality and selection are better than [other small-town stores], too. Our folks in Riverton are actually spoiled, and most of our local customers are like family.”
oldrivertonstore.com / 620.848.3330
Franklin General Store
Shawnee
Route 66 is not the only place that still offers old-fashioned general stores. Franklin General Store has been open since June 2025 inside a renovated antique house more than 120 years old. The shop brings together more than 70 local vendors under one charming roof. Check out its selection of locally roasted coffee, small-batch honey, buffalo meat, greeting cards and handcrafted cutting boards.
facebook.com/franklingeneralstore 913.631.6593
Smith’s Market
Hutchinson
Family-owned for more than 90 years, this classic grocery store feels like stepping back in time. Check out the weekly specials on its fresh fruits and vegetables, then lose yourself among shelves packed with specialty toys and old-fashioned candies. A wall-spanning pastoral mural provides the perfect backdrop for this nostalgic market.
smithsmarketks.com 620.662.6761
