In 1854 Paul N. Rupert opened a store in Kappa in a building erected in that year by Wm. Jones. This old building was afterwards moved by John C. Jaynes up onto the railroad right-of-way, opposite the widow Trotter's, and accidently burned. In 1855 the firm was Rupert & Jones. In 1856 Jones went out and Asa E. Sparks (now of El Paso) became one of the firm. In '57 Sparks & Pellitt started a store, about this time, or before, Stephen Reed and Chas Shuster opened a store. Shuster shortly afterwards died and Reed continued the store alone.
In '59 Ira C. Stone (Eugene Stone's father) succeeded F. Niergarth and continued in business until Jan. 1, 1876, when he sold out to George Lallmann, who had been in the mercantile business in Kappa for five years previous to this. In 1862 Sherman and Colligan opened a store in the old Wm. Jones building, but continued in business less than a year, and were succeeded by Fred Collins, he by McClure and he, by Geo. Lallmann. About '69 or '70 J. C. Jaynes commenced in the store business, but afterwards sold to Jacob Zanies. Zanies was burned out and moved to El Paso in 1877.
David J. Horn opened a general store in this place but soon moved away. In 1876 B. K. Ore became a storekeeper, and about 1881, Shoemaker and Stahl opened the store they are presently running.
The business men now are: George Lallmann, who has a large two-story brick building filled with a general assortment of goods from a paper of pins to a carload of salt. Mr. Lallmann is a gentlemanly and polite person, who keeps a large stock of goods and is well patronized by the community generally. He is also Postmaster, Village Treasurer, and School Director. He is in partnership with John B. Drake and under the firm name of Lallman & Drake. They run a lumber yard, a large coal yard, keeping
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