The J.A. Lamy Manufacturing Co. in Sedalia, Missouri, is located across the street from the Amtrak Depot. After being mostly vacant for the last 20 years, the J.A. Lamy Manufacturing Co. building in downtown Sedalia has been revamped for new use.
History:
The building was constructed in the mid-1890s and was purchased by John and Stafford Swearingen’s great-grandfather – from the Lamy’s – in 1911 and has stayed in the family ever since. The company started by making coveralls, shop coats and other similar work items, plus military fatigues during both World Wars. After a meeting post-World War II between Swearingen’s family and Levi Strauss, which at the time was only manufacturing its products on the West Coast, Lamy’s began making Levis. For five decades, hundreds of workers produced the well-known brand until Lamy’s closed its doors in 1999.
Present-Day:
- It houses apartments on the third floor, office and event space on the second floor and three businesses on the first floor. Kemp’s Country Market is a specialty market.
- Josey’s Books and Records has 30,000 to 40,000 book titles and 10,000 records, with record players available to purchase or to use to test out a record before buying it.
- No. 5 Bistro and Bar owner John Swearingen said that name also comes from the Levis days. Lamy’s manufacturing company was the fifth facility to be brought into or developed by the Levi company and when a pair of Levis were made, on the backside of the button was stamped No. 5. So anywhere a pair went they knew where they were made.