From the Journal of Clara Whitmore — September 5th, 1895
It has been a long day, yet a most satisfying one…in my new home of…Walnut, Iowa. Yesterday, I visited the little one‑room schoolhouse where I shall soon begin my duties. The scent of aged wood and well worn books stirred something hopeful within me. I could almost see the children seated before me as I take my place beside the flag at the front of the room, ready to instruct young minds in the history and promise of our great nation.
The town itself boasts a lively Main Street, lined with mercantiles, general stores, a druggist’s shop, sundries, a blacksmith, and many other establishments. Walnut is spoken of far and wide for the fine flour produced here at the Walnut Milling Company…so fine, they say, it is shipped clear to Europe! Mrs. Harrow used some of that very flour in the supper she prepared for us boarders this evening. A lovely chowder with roasted vegetables and a delicious apple cobbler. The meal was simple but delicious, and she herself is a woman of uncommon kindness.
I enjoyed pleasant conversation with several of the other boarders at the table tonight. Though strangers still, there is a warmth in shared bread and shared stories. There is a young widower here. Josiah Montgomery. He has come to work for the railroad since the passing of his wife and infant daughter. There is a gentleness in his eyes and a quiet warmth in his words. He spoke little during supper, but I imagine losing both wife and child at the age of thirty must weigh heavily upon a man’s spirit. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” the Psalmist wrote, and I pray this young man may feel that nearness.
Tragedy is often where God meets us. I remember when our preacher at the small Baptist church in Beaty Creek lost his dear wife. He stood in the pulpit the very Sunday after she had gone home to be with Jesus. Oh my, how he preached…with such emotion and compassion…telling the congregation of the loving and merciful God who never leaves us, who knows all that shall come to pass before it unfolds. I was deeply moved that he could speak with such gratitude only days after losing his companion of forty years. A true testimony of his faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,” he said through tears, and I shall never forget it.
My Great Grandma Esther Mae always said God is ever near, as close as the breeze that blows. Her life was not always easy, yet like Noah, she walked with God. She may not have built an ark, but she trusted His plans through every trial and season. She often reminded me of the promise, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”
I have added the boarders here to my prayer list. My Great Grandmother would be pleased to know I am following in her footsteps, keeping a small list beside my bed and lifting each name heavenward. “Pray without ceasing,” she would say, tapping her worn Bible with a knowing smile.
So much has changed for me in just forty‑eight hours.
How different Walnut is from my dear little Beaty Creek. Few businesses remain there now, while here the town seems almost a metropolis by comparison—full of movement and ambition. The train whistle sounds often, a reminder of the wider world passing through. From the window of my boarding room I can see the platform, lanterns glowing as travelers come and go.
My room at the Hinkley Boarding Rooms is small but comfortable. A washbasin stands in one corner, and several sturdy hooks hold my garments. My narrow bed faces the window so that I may look upon the moon as I settle beneath the quilts. I find comfort in the soft glow of lamplight as night gathers around the boarding house.
New adventures await me here—welcome ones, though they bring with them a quiet ache of homesickness. Yet I hear Great‑Grandmother Esther Mae’s voice in my memory reminding my heart…there is no adventure so fine as one taken with God. I trust He has a purpose in leading me from sweet Beaty Creek to these rolling prairies and the bustling Main Street of Walnut, Iowa. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
A fine town indeed.
Thank you, Lord, for Your promise to always be with us. Watch over the people in this sweet town…especially those with whom I dwell here in the Hinckley Boarding Rooms. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee.”
— Clara Whitmore
(As imagined by Shelly Thompson)
*Interesting Fact*
In 1874, a steam-powered flouring mill was constructed in Walnut on West Pearl Street. This would have been down the street from where the bank building we own would have been. Over the years, the mill passed through numerous owners and operated under several different names, eventually becoming known as the Walnut Milling Company.
The mill produced its well-regarded “Fancy Patent Flour,” turning out roughly 100 bags per day. Its reputation reached far beyond the region, attracting customers as distant as England and Scotland. This can be seen at the Walnut Museum.
It has been a long day, yet a most satisfying one…in my new home of…Walnut, Iowa. Yesterday, I visited the little one‑room schoolhouse where I shall soon begin my duties. The scent of aged wood and well worn books stirred something hopeful within me. I could almost see the children seated before me as I take my place beside the flag at the front of the room, ready to instruct young minds in the history and promise of our great nation.
The town itself boasts a lively Main Street, lined with mercantiles, general stores, a druggist’s shop, sundries, a blacksmith, and many other establishments. Walnut is spoken of far and wide for the fine flour produced here at the Walnut Milling Company…so fine, they say, it is shipped clear to Europe! Mrs. Harrow used some of that very flour in the supper she prepared for us boarders this evening. A lovely chowder with roasted vegetables and a delicious apple cobbler. The meal was simple but delicious, and she herself is a woman of uncommon kindness.
I enjoyed pleasant conversation with several of the other boarders at the table tonight. Though strangers still, there is a warmth in shared bread and shared stories. There is a young widower here. Josiah Montgomery. He has come to work for the railroad since the passing of his wife and infant daughter. There is a gentleness in his eyes and a quiet warmth in his words. He spoke little during supper, but I imagine losing both wife and child at the age of thirty must weigh heavily upon a man’s spirit. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” the Psalmist wrote, and I pray this young man may feel that nearness.
Tragedy is often where God meets us. I remember when our preacher at the small Baptist church in Beaty Creek lost his dear wife. He stood in the pulpit the very Sunday after she had gone home to be with Jesus. Oh my, how he preached…with such emotion and compassion…telling the congregation of the loving and merciful God who never leaves us, who knows all that shall come to pass before it unfolds. I was deeply moved that he could speak with such gratitude only days after losing his companion of forty years. A true testimony of his faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,” he said through tears, and I shall never forget it.
My Great Grandma Esther Mae always said God is ever near, as close as the breeze that blows. Her life was not always easy, yet like Noah, she walked with God. She may not have built an ark, but she trusted His plans through every trial and season. She often reminded me of the promise, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”
I have added the boarders here to my prayer list. My Great Grandmother would be pleased to know I am following in her footsteps, keeping a small list beside my bed and lifting each name heavenward. “Pray without ceasing,” she would say, tapping her worn Bible with a knowing smile.
So much has changed for me in just forty‑eight hours.
How different Walnut is from my dear little Beaty Creek. Few businesses remain there now, while here the town seems almost a metropolis by comparison—full of movement and ambition. The train whistle sounds often, a reminder of the wider world passing through. From the window of my boarding room I can see the platform, lanterns glowing as travelers come and go.
My room at the Hinkley Boarding Rooms is small but comfortable. A washbasin stands in one corner, and several sturdy hooks hold my garments. My narrow bed faces the window so that I may look upon the moon as I settle beneath the quilts. I find comfort in the soft glow of lamplight as night gathers around the boarding house.
New adventures await me here—welcome ones, though they bring with them a quiet ache of homesickness. Yet I hear Great‑Grandmother Esther Mae’s voice in my memory reminding my heart…there is no adventure so fine as one taken with God. I trust He has a purpose in leading me from sweet Beaty Creek to these rolling prairies and the bustling Main Street of Walnut, Iowa. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
A fine town indeed.
Thank you, Lord, for Your promise to always be with us. Watch over the people in this sweet town…especially those with whom I dwell here in the Hinckley Boarding Rooms. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee.”
— Clara Whitmore
(As imagined by Shelly Thompson)
*Interesting Fact*
In 1874, a steam-powered flouring mill was constructed in Walnut on West Pearl Street. This would have been down the street from where the bank building we own would have been. Over the years, the mill passed through numerous owners and operated under several different names, eventually becoming known as the Walnut Milling Company.
The mill produced its well-regarded “Fancy Patent Flour,” turning out roughly 100 bags per day. Its reputation reached far beyond the region, attracting customers as distant as England and Scotland. This can be seen at the Walnut Museum.
Shelly Thompson, Owner of an 1875 historic Bank Building in Walnut, Iowa, that housed the Boarding Rooms in the late 1800's.
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Shelly Thompson is the Publisher for The Notebook Cafe -- Inspired Words for the Journey, and owner of Millie McKeever's Vintage & Home Decor and Coffee Bar located in the quaint historic town of Walnut, Iowa. 'The Gathering Room' offers a place where women gather to share a time of fellowship, devotion, and a tour the circa 1875 historical bank building restored by Shelly and her husband. Shelly is the author of two books. Entwined; now in its fourth printing; and Heart of a Warrior - A Legacy of Faith; in its sixth printing. Her current writing project is 'The Boarding Room Journals'. Taking a giant leap of faith Shelly left the corporate world in 2015 to pursue a dream God gave her of developing a monthly inspirational faith based online reading café of words and encouragement. Today, The Notebook Café reaches over one million people each month. Shelly has also developed The Notebook Cafe Annual Woman's Conference and women's retreat. In addition to operating The Notebook Cafe shop, Millie McKeever's Vintage & Home Decor, Shelly and her husband, Dave, spend time with their family and many weekends working on home renovation projects…that thankfully never seem to end.
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