Walnut Items From the Avoca Delta, 1874

WALNUT ITEMS FROM THE AVOCA DELTA

Before Walnut Had Its Own Newspaper

EUREKA GRANGE, No. 1615, PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY, meet in Snyder’s Hall at Walnut Station, the first and third Saturdays at 2 o’clock, p. m., in each month.  All Patrons in good standing are invited to participate.  M. B. FRISBIE, W. M.

H. H. SNOW, Sec’y (Thursday, Feb. 12, 1874, p. 4)

There will be a meeting of the Catholics of this section at Walnut next Sabbath.  All are invited.  (Thursday, March 26, 1874, p. 3)

On Saturday last, Hon. B. F. Allen donated a lot to the Christian denomination at Walnut Station on which they propose to erect a church this season. 

W. H. WHITAKER,

Practicing Physician,

WALNUT, IOWA.

Will attend to all calls day or night.  Office

in Dalrymple & Bruce’s drug store.

(Thursday, April 2, 1874, p. 3)

The Grangers of this place are about to purchase Snyder’s Hall, to be converted into a Grange Store.  James Porter, our furniture man, has sold his property to the firm of Linfor & Naugle for $1,000; they intend to remodel the building into a large and spacious store room, where they intend to do a general merchandise business.  As A. G. Lodge and Wm. Coats were working on the building of Avery, Spangler & Co. the scaffold gave way and they fell about twelve feet, fortunately no one was hurt.  Our mill is about ready to commence work; think we have the best one in this section of the country and an A No. 1 miller to run it.  Avery, Spangler & Co. are going to enlarge their elevator and put in new machinery.

Several churches will be erected in this place the coming summer.  Some of our leading citizens got up a subscription for the purpose of buying a burying ground.  Up to last account they had raised $300.

Our school has opened for a term of four months under the charge of Miss Lizzie Wright, one of Layton townships best teachers.  Every train brings newcomers to this place.  It is astounding how they are settling up this section of country.  There is some talk of having a newspaper published at Walnut, which would be a great help to us, if our town and country will just help the cause there is nothing to hinder us from having a very good paper published at this place, for no other town in Western Iowa that is improving as fast as Walnut and vicinity.

Messrs. Lampman & Jackson have rented the room formerly occupied by Avery, Spangler & Co. for a law and real estate office.

Last week they had a fire in Walnut—one of Mr. Woodhouse’s tenement houses burned.  Loss not very heavy. 

Forty-four cars of emigrants were unloaded at Walnut last month—this looks like that section was going to build up.

Henry Ott of Walnut is now engaged in erecting a regular lunger of a barn—28 by 36. 

Avery, & Spangler & Co’s implement depot at Walnut is one of the finest on the line of this road.  Henry Orcutt of Walnut, has a hen that had an Easter egg that was seven inches long, five and one half inches in circumference and had three yolks.  In view of the holiday and the close of Lent, the old gal just spread herself.  (Thursday, April 9, 1874, p. 3)

LAMPMAN & JACKSON

Attorneys at Law

AVOCA, AND WALNUT, IOWA.

Collections and all business entrusted to

                                them promptly attended to

(Thursday, April 16, 1874, p. 1)

Last Saturday morning we heard a peculiar sound in the direction of the mill.  Inquiry disclosed the fact that they had steamed up and were trying their whistle and other machinery, all of which worked like a charm.  They commence grinding this week.  A party of young folks made a descent upon Mr. and Mrs. Henry Orcutt’s domicil[e] one evening last week. —Henry was prepared to give us a warm reception, and soon after our arrival, the carpet went out and the dance came on.  In an hour or two supper was announced, an elegant and toothsome repast, such as only Mrs. H. can furnish, to which the guests did ample justice; and then they “chased the glowing hours with flying feet,” until the dewy morn was ushered in.  All enjoyed themselves hugely.

While out duck shooting the other day, both barrels of Mr. A. Pritchard’s gun accidentally went off, the butt striking him above the left eye—it is feared he will lose his sight.  Three more good substantial buildings to be erected at this place this spring.  Our merchants and dealers are indulging in new signs over their places of business.  We venture to say that E. R. Hinckley sells more land than any other man in Pottawattamie Co.

The cemetery meeting on last Friday evening was largely attended, and officers were elected and instructed to purchase a choice bit of ground for that purpose.  Some of our sporting men are talking of getting up a race course—just the article we need, for Walnut has some pretty high steppers.  Avery & Spangler are going to put a band iron fence around their lots on Main street.  Our school is in a flourishing condition.  Mrs. E. O. Naugle has gone to Chicago to lay in a stock of millinery goods.  Linfor & Naugle will immediately fill up their new store with a large stock of general merchandise. (Thursday, April 16, 1874, p. 3)

See card of W. H. Templeton, painter and grainer, at Walnut Station.  Those wanting work in his line should give him a call.

W. H. TEMPLEMAN,

Painter and Grainer.

WALNUT STATION, IOWA.

I am prepared to do painting in the

neatest and most durable style of the art.

Give me a call.

(Thursday, April 23, 1874, p. 3)

WALNUT Station has got the forest tree mania, and almost every citizen of the village is setting out trees in front of their residences. 

The Steam mill of Shinn & Co. at Walnut Station is now in active operation and is turning out a grade of flour that for superiority in quality is not surpassed by any mill in Western Iowa.  We got a sack of it and know whereof we affirm.  These gentlemen propose to do a red hot milling business.  They do no custom work, but buy your wheat and pay you for it in cash or in flour.  Read their advertisement in another column.  [It was called Eureka Steam Flouring Mills.] 

Last Friday we paid the village of Walnut Station, six miles east of this place, a visit, and were astonished at the improvement made both in and around the town.  There are now about three hundred inhabitants in the town, and it is the scene of a lively trade.  Several new buildings have been and are now in process of erection and the work of improvement is going forward rapidly.  Messrs. Avery, Spangler & Co. are putting up a fine office and agricultural ware house that adds much to the appearance of the business portion of town.  The new steam mill is a big improvement and is destined to work a great benefit to the town.  Several residences are also being erected.  Linfor & Naugle are actively pushing forward their business house and in a week or two will occupy it with a large stock of Miscellaneous goods.  The town is emphatically wide awake.  A church is to be erected there in a short time.  The country around the town is filling up with astonishing rapidity and, where one year ago, only here and there could be seen a farm house, now they dot the prairie in all directions.  We counted thirteen houses from the top of the rise just north of town, within a radius of two miles.  Hundreds of acres of land has been broken, and we were informed that about forty new farms would be opened within a radius of three miles around the village during the coming season.  We glory in our spunky little sister town, and say “go in gentlemen, we’ll hold your hats.”  Mr. Packard of the firm of Packard & Spangler will please accept our thanks for courtesies—this firm by the way is one of the most enterprising and prosperous ones in the place, and they deserve to be, since they are as clever and accommodating gentlemen as you will meet with, in a day’s travel.  Walnut is a screamer and no mistake. 

JOHN W. SNYDER,

Dealer in

Furniture and Coffins,

Walnut, IOWA.

Will keep on hand a complete stock of

furniture, and attend to the Undertaking

business whenever his services are required.

He invites all to call and see his

goods.

(Thursday, April 30, 1874, p. 3)

H. T. CLARK got the contract for building the bridge across Walnut Creek at Walnut station, advertised in the Delta not long since.  It is a fifty-foot span, set on bur oak piles, and he signs it in for only $400.  Cheap as dirt.  (Thursday, May 14, 1874, p. 4)

We call attention to the advertisement of Linfor & Naugle, at Walnut.  Messrs. L. & N. have opened a first class store, and will keep in store at all times everything wanting in general merchandising, and will sell at the lowest possible figure.  Go and see them.

E. R. Hinckley is going to put an addition to his barn 20 x 28.  He now has a new board fence around his dwelling beautifying his yard, and so forth.  John C. Stevens had a runaway on Monday; his lines broke, and the mules ran like fury, throwing John out, a wheel running over his head and bruised him up considerable.  He put a little Elixir on his wound and is now convalescent.  A. S. Avery’s new dwelling 28 x 30 will be completed in a few days.  It will be a very fine one.  A. McDaniel has sold his improved farm of 80 acres to M. Francisco at 25 dollars per acre.  Linfor & Naugle are putting an addition to their store.  Their business is increasing.        G. [?] A. Dalrymple is erecting a dwelling 20 x 24—is going to commit matrimony before long.  Avery, Spangler & Co., have a separator that takes the rag off the bush in anything in this country.  It works finely.  The sale of lands has been very brisk the past week.

One hundred and fifty breaking teams are operating in this vicinity.  E. R. Hinckley has 18 teams running.  The firm of Lampman & Jackson are doing a flourishing business in land and law. 

Doc. Hanna leaves for Iowa City next week on a short visit to his friends.  T. Johnson caught twelve wolves last week on his farm north of town.  (Thursday, May 28, 1874, p. 3)

KH