It’s hard to imagine how different life was in the 1800s. There were no cell phones, no laptops and no Word processor to write this article on — even the first typewriter was still in its infancy, developed in 1867 and eventually commercially available in 1874. Even the state of Kansas was in its infancy, becoming a state in 1861.

Only years later, in 1878, was Ness City in western Kansas founded and named after a Kansas cavalryman, Noah V. Ness, who died of war wounds in 1864.

In 1883, an organization of businessmen, who were mostly Civil War veterans, set to build an Opera House in Ness City out of nearby quarried limestone. The Ness City Opera House was completed in 1885 and remains the oldest standing building in Ness City.

Through the years, the Ness City Opera House, like many buildings on Main Streets across America, stopped being used. But in 2022, a local couple saw the potential to revive its limestone walls into an opportunity to build something new.

A dream taking stage

Ness City natives Addie and Morgan Flax own and renovated the historic Ness City Opera House, which now serves as the home of Sheepdog Brewing Co., a separate business they share with Morgan’s brother, Garrett, and his wife, Shelby. Together, the four have created an opportunity for economic and community growth. And it all started as many dreams do — as a hobby.

“Morgan has always had a dream in the back of his mind of opening a brewery,” Addie, Morgan’s wife, says. “After he returned from his service with the Marines, he was at K-State and was homebrewing in his apartment.”

Sheepdog Brewing Co. is different from most breweries in its offering of mead, a libation made with honey, water and yeast. With flavors like pineapple, peach and coffee, the flavor components are added after fermentation to avoid tannins and produce a smoother taste.

“I made one test batch in our kitchen, and I was like, ‘this is so different,’” Morgan says. “It really grew from there with me developing recipes. Then we decided to buy the Opera House.”

Renovations of the building took the family a few years — short of the anticipated slow approach Addie initially expected.

“We started out really slow, and I thought it would be probably around 10 years to be where we needed to get,” Addie says. “But when we got a time-based grant to help us with renovations, we put this into overdrive.”

In 2025, the entire family was all-hands-on-deck for the grand opening during the city’s beloved festival, Old Settlers Reunion — an event that happens every five years and features parades, live musical entertainment, special exhibits and more.

“We were so close to being open and knew that if we weren’t open for the 2025 Old Settlers Reunion, we’d be doing ourselves a disservice,” Addie remembers. “We opened one week prior to the celebration, so we had that short amount of time to work out any kinks. But it was great for us to be open — this place was packed.”

Bringing people together is Addie’s favorite part of owning the Opera House and operating Sheepdog Brewing Co. out of it. As a native to the area, her connection means more than simply owning a business — it’s a source of pride.

“I love a sense of community and just bringing people together,” Addie says. “I love being able to go out somewhere special and feel special, and so I hope to create that place for people. I feel like these past few years, this community has really been the backbone of the revitalization spirit we’ve secured here.”

To protect and serve mead

With Morgan’s military background, he likens owning Sheepdog Brewing Co. to the skills and attitudes he developed in the Marines. It takes persistence, integrity and discipline to be in the military and to own a business, and Morgan says it’s helped him keep a level head.

“Being in the Marines takes a lot of passion,” he says. “It’s really intense, and it’s really fulfilling. Owning Sheepdog Brewing Co. is similarly intense. With anything I do, whether it’s what I was doing in the military, what I do now as a Farm Bureau Financial Services agent or with our brewing business, I do it with integrity.”

“He’s also very levelheaded where I tend to not be as much,” Addie says with a laugh. “Things will happen and he’ll just say, ‘We’ll figure it out.’”

The name Sheepdog came from Morgan’s military experience and growing up on a sheep farm. Sheepdogs are protectors, many times watching over livestock to prevent predators. Like sheepdogs on farms, our military service men and women protect Americans from foreign and domestic threats.

“Our name honors the sheepdogs of our society,” Addie says. “Our military, yes, but also our first responders, the police force and fire departments. They’re the ones who protect society.”

Morgan and Addie’s business isn’t only named appropriately, but they also put their money on it. Through special events, they donate proceeds to sheepdog-related organizations.

Life was different in the 1800s. But surely Civil War veterans can be glad, posthumously, that another veteran is now taking care of their Opera House in Ness City by serving in a different way.

To learn more about Sheepdog Brewing Co., visit their Facebook page. They are open Friday and Saturday nights and serve tapas-style food with their mead. 

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