rainy days and a promise...

We went camping this weekend down in the Minnesota River valley and since it was a rainy day on Saturday we toured the Harkin Store. The following information came from a area tourism site - "Harkins General Store was built in 1870 by Scottish immigrant, Alexander Harkin. At that time the town of West Newton was a more active town in the area. This was due to its location on the Minnesota River and the steamboat landing which served as a stopping point for much of the river traffic. Located in the town were a hotel, dance hall and brewery.

In the 1870's, the railroads began to replace riverboats and a line was run through nearby New Ulm. This had an adverse effect on the town but the store remained open and served as a hub for the farming community.

Eventually the town became less active and businesses began closing down. The owners of the Harkins store closed it down on Jan. 1, 1901. The building was reopened in 1938 as a museum with almost everything remaining where it had been in 1901."

All that remains of the former town site along Nicollet County RD 21 is the store and 2 houses that were owned by the Harkin family. The MN Historical Society now owns and operates the store museum.
The guides were clothed in 1870's era costumes and explained that 40% of the store's stock was left on the shelves when the store closed in 1901. The daughter's of the owner first opened it as a museum before it was bought by the historical society, which decided to focus on creating an 1870's store so the original items from later decades are housed in the state museum. During part of the stores history, the area farmers hit hard times when a grasshopper plague lasted 4 years so Mr. Harkin gave many of them supplies on a promise to pay. This definition of a promise was written by Mr. Harkin and posted on the wall. (dark photo because the interior is lit with one lamp and a gray day makes for a dark store)A Promise
A promise should be given with caution and kept with care
A promise should be made with the heart and remembered by the head
A promise is the offspring of intention and should be nurtured by recolection
A promise should be the result of thought and its fulfillment the result of reflection
A promise and its performance should like the scales of a true balance always present a mutual adjustment
A promise delayed is justice deferred
A promise neglected is an untruth told
A promise attended to is a debt settled

I liked this definition - whether he was reminding them of their intentions to pay or not it is still good advice.

Today, is another rainy day here at home - in a break from the showers I went out and admired the raindrop covered flowers.