Former mayor of struggling Kansas town would like 'to bring people to town' with goats; not everyone agrees

David Criswell feeding his goats.
(Photo by Elise Kirk, The Wall Street Journal)

Wilson, Kansas, population 859, already has the world’s largest Czech egg — but its Chamber of Commerce is down to five members, and the former mayor has a gimmick for drawing tourists off Interstate 70, reports Shannon Najmabadi of The Wall Street Journal. "David Criswell, the former mayor of Wilson, became convinced he could milk a roadside attraction starring Nigerian dwarf goats clambering up and down a cluster of grain silos." Criswell told Najmabadi, "I’m going to bring people to town with these goats."

Famed for "trip trapping" over bridges, as in the tale "Billy Goats Gruff," Criswell decided another structure would offer more goat-frolicking space. "He paid all of $1 for more than a dozen 40-foot-high cement silos abandoned by former owners," Najmabadi writes. "He has since rounded up 12 Nigerian dwarf goats—two billy goats, Reo and Little Guy, and seven nanny goats. . . . He picked the breed for its compact size, around 24 inches tall, even temperament and relatively easy husbandry."

Not everyone in Wilson agrees on the goats. "The Wilson City Council on four occasions has rejected Criswell’s request to keep more than two goats within city limits," Najmabadi reports. "Some residents worry about goat smell: The silos aren’t far from the town’s only hotel, gas station and grocery store. Others have called the idea divisive and weird. . . . Susan Curtiss, who runs a local bed-and-breakfast, supports the goat project. Niki Mikulecky, one of the owners of Wilson’s gas station and convenience store, isn’t a fan. Mayor Mike Peschka considers the matter closed." Peschka told Najmabadi, “I’m really done talking about goats."

Wikipedia maps, adapted

Wilson is like a hundred or more non-county-seat towns in the Great Plains that are struggling to survive, and the town's economy could use a boost. "Wilson was once a bustling hub with four beer joints, two grocery stores and a bowling alley, Najmabadi writes. "The opera house, which had hosted movies and polka parties, burned down in 2009." Jerry Florian, who is head of the chamber of commerce and owner of Grandma’s Soda Shop, told Najmabadi, “That whole side of the street [Wilson's main drag] used to be full of businesses. There’s nothing over there now."

Najmabadi writes, "One-of-a-kind attractions are a competitive business in Kansas. There is a 24-by-32-foot reproduction of Van Gogh’s Three Sunflowers in a Vase in Goodland, Kan., the North Pole in WaKeeney, Kan., and "Truckhenge" in Topeka, Kan. . . . Criswell held up a T-shirt showing Reo the billy goat to illustrate his proprietary advantage. 'Why did I pick Nigerian dwarf goats?' Criswell asked. 'Nowhere else will have that.'”