For traders on the Santa Fe Trail, the Conn Store in Council Grove was a welcome stop where those headed from Santa Fe to "the States" could buy a meal or perhaps sleep in a bed after crossing 625 miles of prairie, and Council Grove was the last major place for supplies and amenities before travelers continued to New Mexico. Malcolm Conn's stone store, built in 1858, rivaled Seth Hays's outfitting firm across the street, and business was brisk, with Conn selling $24,000 in merchandise in one month in 1864. He traded with freighters, the government, locals, and Kaw (Kansa) Indians, on whose reservation Council Grove was located. Conn became a community leader, later serving as county clerk and treasurer of the Town Company, which plotted and sold town lots. One of the oldest buildings still standing in Council Grove, the store provided accommodations, meals, and stables for freighters in addition to retail trade, and in 1866 Conn sold it to Shamleffer & James.