Brothers Allyn and Eric Weddle have announced their purchase of the historic Dröm Sött Inn, formerly (and in the future will be) known as the Swedish Country Inn, in downtown Lindsborg, Kansas. The acquisition represents more than a business investment for the brothers--it is a return to a community that has played an important role in their family's history for more than a century.
Allyn Weddle, CEO of Weddle and Sons Roofing, and Eric, the company's Chief Financial Officer, have worked together in their family business for more than 25 years. Their company, headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas, serves customers throughout Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and other states. The brothers see the Inn as an opportunity to combine their experience in business with their affection for Lindsborg and their desire to contribute to its future.
"For us, this is much more than purchasing a building," said Allyn Weddle. "Lindsborg has always been a special place for our family. We grew up visiting our grandparents here, celebrating Christmas, Midsummer's, Messiah Festival, and Hyllningsfest. Some of our best childhood memories were made with our siblings here in this community. We're excited about the opportunity to invest in a place that means so much to us and to so many others."
The Weddle family's connection to Lindsborg dates back generations and includes a remarkable history in the town's hospitality industry.
From 1897 until 1946, the brothers' great-great uncle, E.M. Weddle, and his wife, Cora, managed the Brunswick Hotel at the corner of Grant and Main Streets. Their daughter, Ramona, was born at the hotel in 1909 and later married renowned Lindsborg artist Lester Raymer. In the 1950s, after the American Legion acquired the Brunswick building, the brothers' grandparents, Carl and Kathryn Frantz, operated it as a boarding house for veterans while Carl recovered from wounds suffered in World War II.
Their grandfather, Don Weddle, was also a longtime Lindsborg artist who studied under Raymer and represented Lindsborg as the Tomte for many years. Generations of Weddle and Frantz relatives have maintained deep connections to the community through family, art, business, and local traditions.
The Swedish Country Inn itself holds particularly fond memories for the brothers. During family visits to Lindsborg, both stayed at the Inn and recalled riding the tandem bicycle that once stood in its hallway, staying in the suite, and gathering for breakfast with extended family members.
"We are incredibly grateful for the outstanding restoration of the Hotel that Mark and Marty Schupbach completed," said Eric Weddle. "They are handing off a property in prime condition and fully outfitted and professionally staffed to deliver and elevated guest experience." The full staff, led by innkeeper Stacey Lott, will continue in their roles. Their intention is to preserve the Inn's distinctive character and heritage while exploring thoughtful improvements that will ensure it remains a welcoming destination for visitors to Lindsborg for years to come.
"Lindsborg is a community with a remarkable identity, and we have great respect for the people who have worked to preserve it," Allyn added. "We want the Inn to continue contributing to the vitality of downtown, supporting local businesses, and giving visitors another reason to fall in love with this town. Our hope is that this becomes something our family can steward for generations."
Allyn and Eric Weddle are brothers and longtime business partners at Weddle and Sons Roofing, a family-owned company headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas. The brothers share deep family roots in Lindsborg through the Weddle, Frantz, Achenbach, Pilewski, and Ahlstedt families and are committed to preserving the community's unique character while investing in its future.