The Dragon's Lair was started in 1987 by Jackson Branum and Ron Van Scoyk as an outlet for Jackson's stained glass creations. They knocked out the front of a tiny little building at 160 Henry St. in Ukiah, CA, put in a window and opened up shop. About that time a neighbor of theirs wanted to liquidate her crystal business and they thought it would be cool to carry those items too. Because of the c
olorful and shiny nature of such a collection of treasures, Jackson thought it was like a dragon's lair, and hence the name: The Dragon's Lair. Around the spring of 1988 they moved The 'Lair to the old tree nursery owned by Roscoe Morris at 2144 S. where it enjoyed a magical setting that included a living tree growing right through the middle of the store! Ron and Jackson added a studio-workshop for the stained glass part of the business. They planned a trip to Bali and decided to borrow some money from friends to buy handcrafts to bring back to the store. To their surprise, the handcrafts from Bali sold out within 3 months and they knew they were on to something! location, Linda Grimshaw came on board to hold down the fort during more of Jackson's buying trips. A couple of years later, Melissa Wells joined the staff and by the end of 1992, they needed more space. That's when they moved the business to its long time and iconic location at the corner of Perkins & Main in downtown Ukiah. Some customers might still remember the large fountain that was featured in the center of that location. It had been given to the store by Ron's mother and contributed a lot of joy and wonder to everyone who came in for the 13 years it was in place. The outside of the building also showcased the two distinctive murals it was well known for: the trompe l'oeil columns on the east, painted by the late Neil Phillip Andersen, and the friendly reclining dragon on the north, artist unknown at this writing. Once at this location, Jackson, Linda and Melissa ran the shop for over 10 years, offering stained glass classes, putting on psychic fairs, housing The Billy Club, and bringing in the unique blend of imported goods and metaphysical items that it is still known for today. Together they created a place that is more than just somewhere to shop, it became a kind of base to touch to know that we're all in this together and there's more to life than meets the eye. Many people got to know and love Jackson through the store, he was a joyous and compassionate person. So it was a great loss to the community when he passed away unexpectedly in the spring of 2003. Linda and Melissa bravely 'held down the fort' until Ron and his partner Scott Love stepped back in to buy the shop and secure it again for the community. During the next couple of years, The Dragon's Lair experienced growing pains as one by one the original crew moved on to follow their own individual paths. Sadly, the stained glass studio proved to be unsustainable and had to be closed. Fortunately, Scott Love (and his mom, Liz!) were there to keep things rolling and to bring the shop to a new level of organization and efficiency, ready to meet the demands of a 21rst Century workplace. Linda passed her legacy of creativity, commitment and leadership on to Edith Lucas, a part time employee since 1998, who rose to the occasion with the dedication and willingness to sacrifice that it takes to do anything great. And in the Fall of 2006, Ron and Scott stepped back out of the story, selling the shop to Edith. Following that time, Edith had to navigate The Dragon's Lair through some very rough waters - the economic downturn of 2008, a change in the ownership of the building/property, Covid, and most recently, the decision by the City Council of Ukiah to grant the building/property owner permission to demolish the building in his desire to sell the property to a developer. So, after occupying the historic old building - which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022 - for 30 of those years, Edith chose to relocate the Dragon's Lair rather than to go out of business entirely. Which brought it to its new location at 1030 N State Street, still within the City Limits of Ukiah. During the Main Street years, customers got to know and love several of Edith's wonderful employees, most notably: the colorful Raven Houdek, resident Magpie and jewelry specialist, who work/played there for 15 years before moving on, and Edith's left handed right hand man, the illustrious Cal Jader, also known as Fred Bouthillier, local jade specialist, rock and mineral aficionado, and resident comedian, who work/played together with Edith for most of her 24 years at that location leading up to the big move. The mission Edith created for the store when she first took ownership still holds today:
To offer an inspiring, entertaining and rewarding shopping experience that enhances the quality of life for all of our customers. And while we may not make the stained glass on site anymore, we continue to have finished pieces that are handmade in Mexico as well as many other fun and beautiful things to celebrate with joy and meaning the many milestones of our lives. Thank you to all our beautiful and loyal customers without whom none of this would have been possible for all these many years. With gratitude and love,
Edith and any future staff that may come on board to serve you�
