1869 Walnut Creek Station, a water stop on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRIP)
1869 Railroad agent E.R. Hinkley markets land
1869 The town plat is done by the Allen Company
1871 O.F. Lodge begins first general merchandise store
1872 Miss Jennie Hall teaches students in one room of old hotel
1872 John H. Phillips organizes the Union Sunday School which met initially in the railroad depot.
It later met in the Hinckley home, Snyder's Hall, and in the Presbyterian Church in 1878.
1872 Dr. Frank Hanna practices medicine in Walnut from 1873 until 1936
1873 Layton Township formed (previously part of Knox)
1873 Catholic Church built
1875 Walnut School built for $5,000
1876 Presbyterian Church built – still standing
1877 Town of Walnut incorporated
1877 J.B. Johannsen opens real estate and insurance business, later acquiring E.R. Hinkley interests
1878 Walnut News, later Walnut Bureau, first published
1880 City Water Works built; population reaches 1,000
1881 Fire destroys most buildings on west side of Main Street block
1887 Another major fire destroys 17 buildings, yet another later takes 8 more
1887 Underground water mains and standpipe installed
1897 24 gas burning street lights installed
1898 German Church (Peace Church) built
1910 Boy Scouts organized with sixteen members
1911 Hansen brothers build the River-to-River Garage
(Walnut was on the “River-to-River Road”, a “named highway”)
1915 Walnut brick street laid
1917 Wrestler Earl Caddock becomes world heavyweight champion
1920 Walnut Community Club organized by Walnut businessmen
Hugh Burmeister first temporary chairman
1926 Meyer Ruback and Abe Baker opened a grocery store
(this was to be the Baker of Omaha’s Baker’s Supermarkets)
1938 Railroad overpass (viaduct) built
1944 World War II made an impact on Walnut when a B-24 bomber crashed south of town
1951 Stan Olsen purchased the Drea Motor Co
(this was to be the Stan Olsen auto dealer of Omaha)
1953 Last train through Walnut
1957 Girls’ basketball team goes to State tournaments
1964 Peace Haven Retirement Home dedicated
1964 Interstate 80 construction
1984 Walnut Improvement Co. publishes tourism vision
1987 Walnut designated “Iowa’s Antique City”
1990 New Fire Station is completed
1991 Old-fashioned street lights are installed on Antique City Drive
2003 New water tower is erected
2009 New water plant is operational
2010 “Walk of Honor” Eagle Monument is completed
2011 Splash Pad is installed in Fireman’s Park
2016 Walnut I-80 Bridge Dedicated as the Detective Kerrie Orozco Memorial Bridge
2016 Classes end at Walnut Community Schools
2018 New well dug to a depth of 2,615 feet
2018 City takes possession of former school property
Facts Compiled by Bob Greenwall of Walnut, Iowa
For a CD containing accounts of the Walnut fires, the “River-to-River Road” and more, contact:
Walnut Genealogy Society at [email protected]