Saturday Business Spotlight: Prairie Threads
[October 18, 2025] In
Lincoln, finding clothing is not always the easiest thing to do. Walmart
might be the simplest option to find, but it is not the only one. On the
corner of Pulaski and Kickapoo Streets sits a men's clothing store
called Prairie Threads. While the various clothes they carry are their
best-selling items, they are far from the only things you can find
there.
Owner David Welch, along with his sons Liam and Davis Welch, run Prairie
Threads. David is the principal of Carroll Catholic School and is in his
15th year in that role. While David runs his school during the week,
Liam and Davis manage the store. David is a Lincoln native, having been
born and raised in the town.
Prairie Threads is currently located at 429 Pulaski Street, but this
location was not their first. Their previous location was 514 Pekin
Street, with their business moving in after The Bee moved out. This
ended up being an easy transition, as Melanie Welch, owner of The Bee,
is David's wife. David moved Prairie Threads out of that location and to
their current one in October of 2024.
When someone is
first walking up to Prairie Threads, they will notice the large picture
windows that give people a view of the inside before they even step in.
Once inside, the main counter is immediately to the left and one can see
the entire store. There is a large mirror on the right side that makes
the store feel spacious. While it is not a terribly large space, David
keeps the room he does have very well stocked with all manner of items
for sale.
David describes
the clothing his store carries and sells as “lifestyle clothing,”
stating that they are “semi-dressy.” He also stated that his clothing is
perfect for everyday wear on the weekends. Some of the other clothes
they sell are geared more toward the outdoors. They also carry seasonal
clothing and are getting ready to transition the clothing to “flannels,
quarter zips, and the basics for the [winter] season.”
In addition to
the clothing, there are plenty of other items that can be purchased at
Prairie Threads. They have history books, many of them on the topic of
Abraham Lincoln. There are several beard care items such as beard washes
and oils. Several bar items are sold, like glassware and cocktail
equipment. There are too many items to list here, but you really should
check them out for yourself.
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One of the things
that David enjoys most about owning Prairie Threads is being able to
offer something in Lincoln that has not been readily available in a
while. David recounted growing up in Lincoln in 1970’s and 80’s, sharing
that he remembers the good number of clothing and retail stores that
were in town. “You didn’t have to go out of town as much for things,”
David shared. Over the years, though, things have started to leave, with
clothing and retail stores not being as readily available as in the
past. “It’s nice to be able to offer something again that was a staple
for a long time in a town this size.”
Prairie Threads is also a part of the Downtown Business Group. This is a
group that many of the business owners on the Courthouse Square are a
part of. David said that this group has been very beneficial. It is a
good group for networking and learning what can be done for some of the
other businesses on the Square.
David also had some advice for anyone looking to open their own business
in Lincoln. His first piece of advice was to “find your niche.” He
advised to find something that is both beneficial to the community and
something that you would like to do. David also advised trying to find
something that is unique. “Too much repetition of an idea starts to
dilute things… there is only so much of a customer base you are pulling
from.” David also said that a unique idea is one more thing to make the
town appealing to people from out of town, increasing the chance people
are going to come and visit Lincoln.
There were also a
couple of things that David wanted people to know. They are always
willing to hear from people if they do not have items that their
customers are looking to buy. They also try very hard to make sure that
they get small and large sizes to cater to people of all sizes.
If you are interested in visiting Prairie Threads for the first time, or
if you are looking to return, they can be found at 429 Pulaski Street in
Lincoln. They are open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays,
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on
Saturdays, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays. They are closed on
Mondays. They can be followed on
Facebook and
Instagram.
You can also visit their
website where they have a link to their online store as well.
[Matt Boutcher]
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