While in the area of Walnut Grove, we discovered an original 1980's-1900's store and a sod house museum. We were able to visit the store but due to rain, we missed the sod house museum.
Harkin's store was located in West Newton, a river town on the Minnesota River. West Newton thrived as a river boat stop. Many of the people riding the boats would disembark at West Newton, visit Harkin's store before heading further north or west in wagons. When the railroads come through, they didn't follow the river in this location and West Newton begin to decline. For several years, the Harkin's continued to run the store before shutting the doors in the early 1900's. All items were left where they were and the remaining space became a family storeroom until the late 1930's when the store opened as a museum.
The lighting in the store is designed to be just like it would have been in the 1870's-1890's; two "kerosene" lanterns at each end of the store. The historical society presented a wonderful tour of the store and encouraged and answered all questions.
All the notices on the wall are original. There were notices about teacher tests and legal matters with the county, and my favorite - the Grasshopper notices - if you brought in so many grasshoppers, the county would pay you!
The shoes were for ladies and they were designed to fit either foot. There were supplies for traveling, supplies for setting up a house, supplies for sewing - including fabric and thread and buttons, supplies for gardening, and for heating.
The store also served at the post office until rural delivery of mail was established. All of the letters were letters that weren't picked up when the store closed.
Harkin's store was located in West Newton, a river town on the Minnesota River. West Newton thrived as a river boat stop. Many of the people riding the boats would disembark at West Newton, visit Harkin's store before heading further north or west in wagons. When the railroads come through, they didn't follow the river in this location and West Newton begin to decline. For several years, the Harkin's continued to run the store before shutting the doors in the early 1900's. All items were left where they were and the remaining space became a family storeroom until the late 1930's when the store opened as a museum.
The lighting in the store is designed to be just like it would have been in the 1870's-1890's; two "kerosene" lanterns at each end of the store. The historical society presented a wonderful tour of the store and encouraged and answered all questions.
All the notices on the wall are original. There were notices about teacher tests and legal matters with the county, and my favorite - the Grasshopper notices - if you brought in so many grasshoppers, the county would pay you!
The shoes were for ladies and they were designed to fit either foot. There were supplies for traveling, supplies for setting up a house, supplies for sewing - including fabric and thread and buttons, supplies for gardening, and for heating.
The store also served at the post office until rural delivery of mail was established. All of the letters were letters that weren't picked up when the store closed.
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