Articles written by Rachel Brazil
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 259
Archival Anecdotes: Packed Away
It never fails. Every time I step into one of the buildings at the Eddy County Museum, I notice something for the very first time. Not long ago, I stopped into the Dodd's schoolhouse, like I often...
Archival Anecdotes: April 5, 2021
If popular culture has taught us anything about the early days of the teenage dating scene, it is that girls were often using an excuse similar to, "I'm busy that night. I'll be washing my hair." To b...
Archival Anecdotes: Good Clean Fun
Some might argue that the most important invention in human history was soap. Indeed, soaps made for fewer infections and greatly improved personal hygiene. Soap also had great potential when it came...
A year into the pandemic, I'm still stressed
In one of my earliest memories I was sharing a page of my writing with my mother. It was nothing more than a piece of newsprint with a smattering of l's and o's, but she told me to keep it up. Little...
Archival Anecdotes: March 22, 2021
Sometimes I wonder what percentage of the American population has had the privilege of pressing down a typewriter key. For the past 30 years, the public has been accustomed primarily to computers and...
Archival Anecdotes: Smiles all around
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the lack of smiles in photographs from the earliest parts of the 20th century. It turns out the smiles that we expect in photos didn't come into fashion until the late...
Archival Anecdotes: Hear the 1920s roar
The 1920s are known as being a revolutionary time of growth and modernization, but to be honest I never really understand why. (This is when I note that I am trained as an anthropologist, not a...
Archival Anecdotes: Hats of a different color
The Eddy County Museum has an impressive collection of hats. In fact more than two dozen different hat styles are represented in the archives. For those of us who live in the 21st century, it can be...
Archival Anecdotes: "There is No Danger"
By now, it must be apparent to readers that the Eddy County Museum has a hearty collection of artifacts dating to the early 1900s. This era - fondly known as Eddy County's Early Years - marked a time...
Beware of ice phantoms
Persistent cold temperatures can sometimes yield unworldly ice formations. New Rockford water plant manager Rick Swenson stopped in the Transcript on Thursday, Feb. 11 to inform us that an ice...
Heskin and Risovi to retire, Seward to leave NR-S district
As the 2020-21 academic year approaches the midterm of the third quarter, the NR-S school board responded to several personnel changes as well as the upcoming school board election. At the Feb. 8 regular meeting, the board accepted the retirement of...
NR-S welcomes Stevenson as Dean of Students
If life was a merry-go-round, then it has brought Rhonda Stevenson full circle to serve as the Dean of Students at New Rockford-Sheyenne School. Born and raised in Eddy County, Rhonda graduated from...
Archival Anecdotes: So many photographs, so few smiles
In the early 1900s, having your portrait captured on film was a rare occurrence. Posing for a picture was an all out event, complete with dramatic staging and bright lights. With all the excitement,...
Archival Anecdotes: Don't forget your coat!
Rumor has it that by the time this newspaper reaches its readers, most of North Dakota will be in the midst of a cold snap. If that happens, we might be forced to actually put on a coat and find...
Deputy Roberts joins Eddy County force
Eddy County's newest deputy hails from rural Georgia, but has had many stops along the way. Four years in the Marine Corps took Deputy Jake Roberts to North Carolina, New York, South Korea and Japan....
Archival Anecdotes: In the mean time
Waiting can be a trying thing. The gentleman pictured below appears to be waiting for his to train to arrive. How many of you can relate? Maybe you're waiting for your chance to getaway, or land a...
Open Season Lodge & Event Center to host vendor show
The Open Season Lodge, located in the former Sheyenne School, will open its doors to more than 20 vendors on Saturday, Feb. 6. The event will take place from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Event organizer Alyson Myhre says she is pleasantly surprised at the amount...
Archival Anecdotes: What's in a name
Archives are only as complete as the information within. In fact, there is one particular topic lacking information that bothers me. Many of the women who resided in Eddy County during the early...
Restoration of Stavanger Church ceiling compete
The Eddy County Museum and Historical Society is happy to announce that the renovations to the Stavanger Church ceiling and walls are complete. This milestone comes after more than two years of...
Interstate Engineering to provide technical assistance for second gym project
On January 11, at a regular school board meeting, the New Rockford-Sheyenne Board of Education made the decision to hire Interstate Engineering to provide assistance in the second gym project. The engineering firm has been utilized before not only...
Archival Anecdotes: Where do the artifacts come from?
In 1966, twelve residents of Eddy County came together with a mission to create and maintain the Eddy County Museum. Pictured above, early board members make the entry into the Dodd's Schoolhouse,...
2020: It wasn't all that bad
We reconvene our review of 2020 at the beginning of summer. Despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic, dynamic events and dedicated people were the hallmarks of the second half. Fair food in...
Local library offers new titles for young readers
Eddy-New Rockford Librarian Susie Sharp has been busy shopping, thanks to a $2,000 grant from the North Dakota State Library Coordinating Council. "Our young adult section was becoming a bit...
Archival Anecdotes: Arts & Crafts
Long ago many things were made by hand. There are a wide range of handmade items on display in the Eddy County Museum from breadboxes and bloomers to cowbells and cleavers. But are such items art? Or...
2020: It wasn't all that bad
Boy oh boy, 2020 was a doozie. It seems we can agree on that. But before you write off the whole year as fodder, take some time over the next couple of weeks to review the top stories of 2020 with us. Perhaps you’ll come across something worth...