Walnut, Illinois 1872-1972 Centennial Book: Part 1
An Early View of Walnut Main Street
Much has been enacted in the pioneer life of this nation that has never been recorded, but we of Walnut, Illinois, have a rich heritage in the fact that early documents and records have been preserved through the years.
The territory now embraced in the village of Walnut, was once a state of wilderness, with roving bands of Indians and a few white hunters and traders comprising the inhabitants.
In May of 1828 when Henry Thomas and family built the first cabin in Bureau County, it is recorded that from 1500 to 2000 Indians lived in this county - more than in any other county in the state. In 1837 claims previously staked by settlers on the south side of "The Walnut Grove" were "jumped" by Greenburg Triplett and A. H. Janes and were later sold to Truman Culver. The years between 1840 and 1843 saw prairie schooners arriving in great numbers as the pioneers settled in the area; among them Richard Brewer who settled on the north side of what is now called "Walnut Creek." By 1845 seven families resided in the Walnut Grove settlement: the Brewers, Edward Tripletts, Culvers, Landers, Greenburg Triplett, and the Elijah and Peter McNitts. Other early settlers were the families of Richard Langford, E. Kelly, Tom Fisher, George Smith, J. & R. Van Arman, the Hodges, the Axtells, and the Wolfs.
The first store in the settlement was established by Mrs. Celestia Barns in 1852 on the south side of Walnut Creek. Other stores and a mill were soon erected in the area now known as "Hen Peck." Listed in old documents are a "Grog Shop," a blacksmith shop and the Winter's grocery store. The owner of the "Grog Shop" brought the mail from Princeton and located his post office in his shop on the site where the Baumgartner house now stands. People addressed their mail to "Walnut Grove" because of the great number of Walnut trees in the area.
The area was "government territory" and land could be purchased for $1.25 per acre. Captain Brewer's home stood on the site of the present high school and the present cemetery area was part of his acreage: (quote) "A hill where people could bury their dead for a small fee." Mrs. Eliza Rice is recorded as being the first person buried in what is now Walnut Cemetery.
In January of 1865, Richard Brewer, owning considerable land west of Walnut's present Main Street, plotted a town and called it "Brewersville." The town grew rapidly and soon three general stores, a grocery, and a drug store comprised the business area. Soon followed by an elevator, a mill, and a blacksmith and harness shop, "Brewersville" became a trading center for the area. However, mail continued to arrive addressed to the old post office "Walnut Grove." When a branch of the CB&Q railroad was completed to the new town in 1871, a depot was erected a half mile to the north and named "Brewersville." Later Truman Wolf, who owned land east and south, persuaded the railroad to build a new depot (on the present site) by granting the company three hundred foot of ground along the right of way. The new depot was called "Walnut," and although "Brewersville" tried hard to win, it soon adopted the new name and as such, the town of "Walnut" was incorporated in 1872.
The five Wolf brothers are credited with plotting the town at the present site of Main Street and the area east; Phennius Wolf being the first merchant in the new addition. The town grew rapidly and soon boasted 11 stores, nine shops, one bank, four hotels, four physicians, four attorneys, a grade school, and two churches. It is noteworthy that the town also had a "Temperance Society" of over 350 members. A lumber yard was opened in 1871 and a mill in the year 1873. In the year 1893, the Legg Poultry, Butter, and Egg Business became the largest of its kind in the state, daily shipping 5000 pounds of dressed poultry to Boston, Massachusetts.
The first newspaper, "The Walnut Motor," was established in 1876 by S. J. Townsend. In 1892 Wm. Wilson purchased the business and renamed the paper, "The Walnut Leader."
Walnut's first bank was started in 1876 by Reevs, Phillips and Company, who later sold it to Ferris and Knight, who continued running it as a private bank until it was made a national bank in 1882. The First State Bank of Walnut was started in 1885. On Nov. 1902, in connection with John R. Knight, Mr. B. F. Oakford organized the Citizens State Bank of Walnut. A merger of the banks occurred in 1959 and the merged banks became the Citizens First State Bank of Walnut.
The Great Winnebago Swamp, extending west of Amboy and including Greenville, Fairfield and Hamilton Townships inundated vast acreage north of Walnut. A bill passed in Congress in 1850 gave this swamp land to the state and in 1852 the land passed on to the counties in which it lay. This vast tract, lying so close to Walnut, was a great handicap for years. As settlers began crowding the edges of this rich swamp soil, they realized that by drainage they could reclaim some 200 square miles for agriculture.
In 1891, the first mutual telephone company was organized in Bureau County and started operations at Walnut. The first switchboard was installed in a building owned by O. C. Nussle, of Walnut, a druggist. The phone company continued to expand until they had 328 subscribers by 1898. The wires were attached from roof top to roof top over the entire community, even to the steeple of the Methodist Church. Among the note-worthy names in the medical profession during Walnut's early history is that of Dr. James (father of Don) who built "The Walnut House," a hotel that stood at the site of the present "Professional Building." Dr. Marquis started practice in Walnut in 1878 just six years after Walnut was incorporated. Predating him by a few years was Dr. W. C. Mason, a practicing physician starting in Walnut in the year 1866. Dr. Albert Burress established dental office in the year 1883 and Dr. L. Georgia Mayhall Snader, Walnut's only lady physician, started her practice in the village around 1889.
Dr. A. P. Shearburn's private hospital was the first institution of its kind established in Bureau County. The building, on Walnut's Main Street, was erected in 1899 "for all cases of surgical and medical treatment, coming from Bureau, Lee, Whiteside, and LaSalle Counties and also from 'out of state.'" This historic landmark was torn down in March of 1972. Dr. Samuel W. Hopkins began the practice of medicine in Walnut in 1895 and Dr. Leroy Hopkins, his father, joined him in partnership in 1903. They built a large, and well established residence and office building at the south end of Main Street where rooms for patients were provided in the rear of the building. Later used for a hotel, it was demolished in 1963 to provide the site of the new Walnut Memorial Library.
Drug Store and Post Office, 1896
The "early" history of Walnut would not be complete without mention of the two devastating fires occurring but 10 years apart. By 1890 Walnut had grown to 60 businesses. These included a blacksmith shop (Mr. Kimmel), a harness shop (D. B. Meltzer), First State Bank (J. W. Ross), drug store (O. C. Nussle), photo gallery and the Walnut House. In the fire of 1890 four blocks were wiped out including all the buiness houses but three - The Walnut House, where the professional building now stands, the Ott and Hockenbury MilIs, and a paint store.
With determination, grit and lots of hard work the people began the task of cleaning up and rebuilding. Besides the usual necessary businesses we now find in 1892 the addition of the Bureau County Telephone and Telegraph Co., the first mutual in the county. The Walnut Leader began printing the news in 1892. It was owned and edited by WilIiam Wilson. Later his son Edwin C. Wilson was the editor and now it is edited by his grandson Edwin A. Wilson.
Another newspaper, "The Walnut Mail and Express," was in print for a few years also. Its editor was Fred Tucker.
The Walnut business area again bore the brunt of a major fire in 1900. The new bank building was among those leveled. Due to a change in the wind the greater part of the business district was spared.
According to a write-up by F. M. Herrick in a 1903 edition of the Bureau County Republican, Walnut had once again rebuilt and at that time there were at least 75 businesses. Among these were five general stores, two restaurants, one bakery, one meat market, one creamery, one hotel, two sample rooms (tavems), to handle the needs of food and drink for the local folk as well as the traveling people who came in on the CB&Q railroad, spent the night at the Walnut House, and were then transported by livery, buggies and carts to Normandy to meet the Northwestem train.
Tom Wilson's Harness Shop
There were three barbers, one dressmaker, two milliners, two druggists, two jewelers, one laundry and one photographer to meet the vanity and personal needs of the people. Walnut had two livery bams, two lumber yards, carpenters, mason, two hardware stores, one well driller, three blacksmiths, two painters, one electrician and steam engineer, four implement dealers, two elevators, one electric plant and one poultry house to take care of the needs of the homeowners and farmers and also to give employment. The George Legge Poultry House is said to have employed 30 chicken pluckers and the chickens were sent by rail to consumers in the East. Turkeys were dressed and sent to England for the holiday season.
L. O. Lewis Horseshoeing
A very good town band and bowling alley added to the pleasures of the people.
Legal problems were handled by three attorneys. Also the village had two newspapers, six real estate men and two banks. The spiritual needs were filled by three churches, Methodist, Baptist and Christian.
Contrary to the plight of small towns today, the health of Walnut citizens was amply cared for in 1903 by five doctors, Hopkins, Shearburn, Snader, Mason and Marquis; two hospitals, one osteopath, Dr. Craig, and one dentist, Dr. Buress. Two combination furniture and embalming businesses provided the final care needs.
This concludes a summary of the oldest businesses of the Village of Walnut. In 1968, according to the book, "Big Bureau and Bright Praries," Walnut had 102 businesses which included the four industries, G. B. H. Way Homes, Walnut Cheese Co., Avanti Pizza Factory and Peerless Tool and Die Co.
Mrs. Everett Ganschow
Mrs. Richard DeWaele
All Aboard!