The first house in Walnut was built at Red Oak Grove in 1828, by the Ament brothers. There was no other settlement in the township for about ten years. This old landmark was like an oasis in the dessert, for it furnished shelter food and rest for the weary traveler on the old Peoria and Galena stage road, when there was no other house within a radius of many miles. This property was afterwards owned by O. Denham and in 1831 by James Magby. In 1833 James Magby. In 1833 James Claypoll became the owner and in 1836 sold it to Luther Denham, who lived there for a term of years.
This is the history of that early claim, which was the sign of civilization in that part of the country until about 1837. In this last named year a claim was made just south of Walnut Grove and Greenbury Triplett and A. H. Jaynes "jumped" it. They afterwards sold it to Truman Culver. In 1843 Oliver Jaynes settled on the south side of the grove; Richard Brewer, on the north side and Peter McNitt on the east side. Soon after Richard Langford, (Page 114) Thomas Landers, E. Kelley, Thomas Fisher and other came.
The Village of Walnut
Phineas Wolfe started the first store in the village of Walnut. There were but six families in Walnut in 1845, Richard Brewer, E. Kelly, Edward Triplett, Truman Culver, Thomas Sanders, Greenbury Triplett and James Bartlett. The Fulton branch of the Burlington was completed in 1871. At that time there were three general stores, a grocery and a drug store. The town was platted by Richard Brewer and for a time it was called Brewerville, but was changed to Walnut. The village was incorporated October 26, 1876, and by the census of 1900 had a population of seven hundred and ninety-one.
On July 31, 1890, a very destructive fire swept over the village and a large part of the business portion was destroyed. Again in August, 1900, the flames spread over the fated village, both of the fires left Walnut in a desolate condition; the accumulations and improvements of years were swept away in a few short hours. People from the adjoining country flocked there to see the ruins and many predicted that Walnut would never recover from her misfortune. Not so with her citizens. While the loss was keenly felt, there was but one thought among the citizens and that thought was the slogan, "Walnut shall rise again, better, safer and fairer than before," and with this determination in mind they heroically went to work and Phoenix-like Walnut rose from her ashes and stood out before the world, newer and richer than ever before, and is today an example of what grit and push can do.
Walnut is one of the best business points in the. county. It is noted for its large shipments of grain and livestock. Her business enterprise is worthy of imitation. The population by the census of 1900, including the village of Walnut, was one thousand five hundred and one. Walnut village was seven hundred and ninety-one. The following named gentlemen have served as supervisors :
Greenbury Triplett, 1851.
Christopher Wolf, 1852.
Richard Brewer, 1853-1855.
Mark Shirk, 1856.
D. M. Reed, 1857.
William C. Willey, 1858.
O. E. Chapman, 1859.
D. M. Reed, 1860-1861.
Mark Shirk, 1862-1864.
D. M. Reed, 1865.
G. W. Garwood, 1866-1867.
D. M. Reed, 1868-1870.
O. E. Chapman, 1871.
O. L. Bearss, 1872-1881.
L. K. Thompson, 1882-1885
L. Bass, 1886-1889.
S. M. Oakford, 1890.
G. G. Murdock, 1891-1896
G. F. Clayton, 1897-1898.
John H. Knight, 1899.
J. M. Ennis, 1900-1905. (*Note: This is a misspell - should be J. M. Ennes (James Marland Ennes) - information provided by great-grandson James M. Ennes, Jr.)
E. A. Wooly, 1905.
Taken from the Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois. Chicago: Pioneer Publishing, 1906, Page 113-114 - Walnut Township