History of New Rockford: Nov. 18, 2019

At 10 a.m. Oct. 28, 1902, Ira Studebaker held an auction at the old Swain farm 4 miles west of town. Up for bids were 16 work horses, 13 cows, five heifers, four two-year-old steers, four yearling cattle, eight spring calves, 10 shoats, two Deering binders, one McCormick reaper, one Deere gang plow, three Dutchman gang plows, one disc harrow, one Dowagiac drill, one Van Brunt drill, one five-section steel harrow, two corn plows, one truck wagon, one single buggy, one Empire cream separator, five sets of work harness, one cook stove, one hard coal stove, one soft coal stove, one iron kettle, one caldron, one bedroom set, two beds with springs, and other household utensils.

That day, Ed Seastrand and Knudt O. Vick came down from Sheyenne. Miss Elvina Lindstrom was up from Jamestown for a few days. J.D. Carroll was in town.

On Oct. 28 to 29, F.N. Chaffee was up from Carrington.

On Oct. 29, Frank Sorenson shot “a fine swan.” C.H. Babcock, A.J. Clure, Dr. G.D. Murphy, and J.C. Whiteman went goose hunting in eastern Eddy County; they returned with six. Mr. and Mrs. Alva Tomlinson and son came down from Bottineau to spend the winter on the Tomlinson homestead. B.F. Onstott was in town. Mr. and Mrs. John Weipert were in shopping. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Larsen and family left for their new home in Anoka, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Larsen were among the early settlers of the county. Little Sylvia Marriage, who had been accidentally shot on Oct. 17, had recovered so much she went home that day. That evening the Rockford Lodge #46 of the AOUW (Workmen) elected officers. Also that evening there was a large crowd at a dance at the home of Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Butler west of town.

Hardware dealer J.M. Mulvey put up several “white elephants” on the roads near New Rockford with his advertisements on them. On Oct. 30, Mrs. John Hitz was driving into town in an open buggy when her horse shied away from an “elephant.” She was dumped out of the buggy, and the horse got loose and headed for home. There was no damage to the buggy, slight damage to the harness, and a scare for Mrs. Hitz.

On Oct. 30, P.J. Shanahan sold his quarter section northeast of New Rockford to Lafayette Parkill of Fairmount, N.D., for $2,700. W.G. Carter and his father were in New Rockford. Pat O’Connor came in from his farm west of town. Eli Prescott and Frank McCabe were in from their east Eddy County farms. Frank Parker returned from a business trip to Minneapolis. E.M. Myhra returned from Davenport and Fargo. J.W. Lahart arrived on the train to look after his elevator business; Col. Barton was also in on elevator matters. Miss Nell Sheehy came up from Carrington for the dance that evening which “…was well-attended.” McHenry lawyer W.O. Lowden was over on legal business. Sheyenne liveryman H.O. Holstein was down on business. Ira Studebaker left for an eastern trip.

From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., the school students put on a Halloween “Colonial” supper and program in Brown’s Hall [Opera House]. Admission was 15 cents and 25 cents, with proceeds ($85) going to the school library. The event was characterized as “…a brilliant success both socially and financially.” The tables stretched the entire length of the hall and were filled with food, including pumpkin pies and cakes. Meals were served for three hours, followed by the program of songs and recitations. The fancy sofa pillows were then raffled off; winners were Miss Winifred Canning, Walter Immel, and R.F. Rinker.

The Oct. 31, 1902, “New Rockford Transcript” carried an ad for Walter Priest, who had an Art Garland Hard Coal heater for sale.

A notice: G.D. Murphy, M.D., Physician and Surgeon, office and residence above Babcock & Bucklin’s Drug Store, telephone 26a.

That edition listed residents who had gone to San Diego or who were going there: last week— Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Flater and Harry, and Jacob Chamberlain; on Oct. 27, John Williams and his daughter left for San Diego via San Jose and several other cities; this week— Samuel McDowell and family; next week— Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Wiltsie and family; about Nov. 15— Joseph Maxwell and family. In addition, J.W. and Alice Rager would leave for that city around “holiday time.”

James Thomas had taken up a sorrel horse, 1,100 lbs., with a star in his forehead; no brands.

“The new telephone line is working fine.” To test your phone, call cashier E.S. Severtson.

A note said that W.C. Dresser’s new house would be the largest in New Rockford when completed.

Another note said geese were plentiful.

On the reservation, it was Indian agent F.O. Getchell vs. Postmaster Court, whom Getchell had removed from office because he was spending too much time on facilitating sales of Indian lands and none on his duties in the post office.

Sometime during the week, W.W. Overton bought the Studebaker farm, formerly the Swain farm, west of New Rockford. Samuel McDowell bought a farm five miles southwest of town that had been managed by Jake Valer for years; Valer, his wife Anna, and young Jake would spend the winter in the east. George Angliss sold his 160 acre farm seven miles east of New Rockford for $10 an acre.

Josiah Hoffman was in New Rockford early in the week; recently J.W. Young was in from Tiffany.

The previous week J.M. Mulvey and E.S. Severtson went hunting geese up north; they shot a few, but nothing to compare with “the old time bags.” Mrs. O.E. Couch went to Sibley Butte to visit her parents.

Also the previous week the wrestler Carl Brown returned from Granville, N.D., and other points and denied the rumor that he had lost a match to George Hart of Granville while he was away. Brown said the one match he did have was on Oct. 4, and in it he had beaten 310 lb. O.M. Olson in two hours and 18 minutes.

A note said that a hunting party in New Rockford rode out to hunt in a buggy once owned by the Marquis de Morés.

A note said that recently New Rockford butcher James Hamilton and Helen Mar Davis were married in the First Congregational Church in Fargo by Rev. Dickinson; the newlyweds arrived in New Rockford on Oct. 29 and planned to live in the Niven Block.

On Oct. 31, William Steinbach and Hans E. Anderson were in town. Ed Wright came in from Tiffany, and John Geiger was up from Barlow. The two Burnett boys were in from the central part of the county. L.G. Arbogast was in from Duluth on elevator business. P.J. Walsh returned from Anamoose, where he had been a grain buyer. Vera Keime returned home after a year visiting relatives in Boston. Mrs. O.H. West left for her Ward County home.