History, Scott County, Iowa...part of Genealogy Trails

Dan Nagle
Walnut Grove Pioneer Village
18817 290th St. Long Grove, IA 52756
563-328-3283

Walnut grove was a Scott County crossroads settlement and stagecoach stop of the 1860's.
The village includes several historic buildings, some relocated from rural Scott County.
Olde St. Ann's Church (est. 1852) was moved in 1985 and restored to the 1870 period.
Buffalo Bill once lived just North of here in a log cabin.
Buffalo Bill's Brother is buried in the Long Grove Cemetery.
The schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and house were original to the site.
At one time it also had a post office and grist mill.

Blacksmith Shop is an original building built in on the site in 1860.
It was operated by generations of the Karl Ehlers family until the mid-1950's.
In the South section, the forge is original, used by Alfred Ehlers and donated by Bob Marti.

The idea of the village blossomed with the purchase in 1969 of the old one room Butler Township #2 schoolhouse. It was built in 1870 and restored and furnished in the proper period as have all the buildings in the village.
From a class photo in the school- Butler #2 School now know as the Walnut Grove School. Photo was taken approximately in 1898. Nellie Moore, Margaret Sheridan, Regina Glynn, Cecelia Lillis, Mae Brophy, Leo Brophy, Frank Nagel, Earl Moors, Ambrose Nagle. Tow Parson boys, Mamie Moore, Nellie Nagle, Glynn's boy, Dick Nagel, Billie & Walter Maloney and three Ehlers. Teacher: Miss. Bessie Kelly.

Schaff Cabin Schaff Cabin
This cabin was moved in 1978 from Dixon, Iowa.
It was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Roger Schaff.
It was owned by Mrs. Schaff's mother, Anna Thede and before her the Peterson Family.

Inside Schaff cabin loft view.

This cabin has a loft and is furnished in a less primitive fashion than the other cabin which would indicate the family could afford better things. The cabin is intact except for the massive fireplace which was designed and built by George Endlich. It features a separate oven to heat up the stone and then the ashes are moved and bread, etc. is put in its place and baked from the heat generated by the hot stone.

Stove and Oven

Both cabins are built of hand hewn oak logs and the cracks were filled with mixture of clay and grass which is called "chinking". Both cabins are typical of how the early settlers built their homes in the early 1800's.

Donahue Depot

The Northwestern Railroad purchased land from A. Curtis. In 1868 the Davenport- St. Paul Railroad purchased it. Then sold it to the Davenport- Rock Island and Northwestern Railroad and they in turn sold it in 1879 to Chicago - Milwaukee- St. Paul.

The depot was built in 1870 and 100 years later in April of 1970 it closed. Old Eagle was the first engine to run and Phineas Curtis was the first depot agent. That was the last run for the "Dixon Bumblebee."

In 1971, Harlan Roelk purchased it and in 1977 he donated to be placed at the Walnut Grove Pioneer Village.

An authentic caboose was moved to the Village in 1977 from Galesburg, Illinois.
It is an old C B & Q unit that was donated by the Burlington Northern Railroad.

The "Ox" was actually a 22 ton unit manufactured by the Plymouth Locomotive Works. It has a 6 cylinder 91HP climax engine manufactured in Clinton, Iowa. The engine powered generators that in turn powered the wheels. Because of its deep throated horn and ability to move much weight it was dubbed the "Ox". It could be used as a switch engine, a pusher or the locomotive for a small number of cars.
It goes well with the Depot moved from Donahue, Iowa in 1971 which was on the Milwaukee railroad.

The Firehouse is from McClausland and it was dismantled and reconstructed by Scott County Park crews.
The building was donated by Nelda Litcher.

Olde St. Anns Church, stood as a landmark in Scott County just 3 miles west of the village, until August of 1985, when it moved here.
It was dubbed the "Crowning Jewel" of the Village with it graceful steeple and beautiful stained glass windows. The original rear section of the church was constructed in 1853 and the main portion was added in 1870.