History of New Rockford: May 04, 2020

On March 17, 1903, Carl P. Bye of Sargent County came in with a carload of horses and began selling them at the Hotel Davies stables. Mrs. Andrew Johnson, Sr., and daughter were in from Tiffany to visit for the rest of the week. J.W. Walters came up from his Barlow farm and J.F. Clure was in from his farm northeast of town on business; J.G. Daley was also in on business. Pat Byron was up from Barlow and Philip Ackerman came in from west of town. At 2:30 p.m. the WCTU met at Mrs. W.E. Biggs’s.

That evening at the Columbia School, there was a debate on the question, “Resolved, that America will decay as all other great nations have decayed.” The Affirmative was upheld by the Tiffany Debating Society, headed by Freeman Shoemaker, while the Negative was argued by the Columbia Debating Society, led by Col. Seth Bailey. The Affirmative won. The new Woodmen Lodge held a dance in Barlow that evening which was gauged to be “…a financial and social success.” Around 75 couples danced into the early morning with music by Ira Shroyer, Andrew Johnson, and George Tyner, all of New Rockford. Messrs. Reed and Kennedy of New Rockford attended. At midnight a supper was served at the Hotel Barlow.

On March 17 and 18, Miss Harriet Turner visited in Barlow.

On the morning of March 18, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Bauer. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Fay were in from eastern Eddy County to visit. Roy Treffry and Clifford Larkin were in on business, as was William West from Barlow. Carrington baker Ed Beaty was up on business. Dan O’Connell arrived from Minneapolis, where he had attended business college during the winter. Mr. and Mrs. VanDorn Gilchrist returned from a visit with Minnesota relatives. Robert O’Neill was home from Minneapolis, where his wife had a large tumor removed; she was doing well and hoped to be home in a few weeks. A.D. Tomlinson returned from a winter in San Diego, California. C.J. Maddux returned from a winter in California; his young son Charles was improving in health, and he said that “Old Man Hanson” was doing well. That evening cashier A.E. Swanson and Dr. C.J. McNamara were up from Barlow for the concert and dance. Also that evening a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. John Swanson.

On March 19, a heavy snow required two locomotives to pull the express train. H. Peoples returned from southern California via the Twin Cities.

The March 20, 1903, “Transcript” mentioned the “Griggs County Sentinel.” The City Dray and Express Line, owned by P.H. West, had the telephone number 40a. There was a new ad for the Lou Smith Barber Shop, replacing the old D.Y. Stanton Barber Shop ad.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph LaPierre had a Card of Thanks to the many friends and neighbors who assisted them during the illness and death “of our beloved daughter” [Alice (Mrs. Arthur) Clute] with a special thank you to Mrs. A.H. Crawford for her “many services.”

There had been some snow during the week. The previous week’s thaw had put the river ice in good shape, and many young people were skating on it almost every night.

Barlow druggist O.A. Burger was growing sideburns.

Mrs. William Wilson was recovering from typhoid fever.

A large warehouse was being built at the rear of the Thomas Ose hardware store. H.G. Hudson was getting his fruit and confectionary building just west of the “Transcript” block ready and would soon move in. Charles O’Connell had purchased a half-interest in the F.L. Kermott & Co. drug store in Sheyenne.

The previous week Walter Immel’s mother came arrived from Dawson, ND, for a visit.

On March 20, Miss Etta MacLachlan of Seattle stopped in New Rockford on her way from the old MacLachlan home in Chatham, Ontario, back to Seattle to visit her uncle Dr. Charles MacLachlan and his wife for a couple weeks. On that day New Rockford merchant R.R. Woodward was adjudged a bankrupt.

Around March 20, C.F. Clure sold 2,500 bushels of White Russian seed oats; one 20-shoe, five-foot Dowagiac Drill; one 4-horse Boss harrow; one Acme harrow; one 7-foot Champion Binder; two sets of work harness; one set of double driving harness; and numerous household goods.

On March 21, in on business were Morris postmaster D.D. Dailey, John Lunak from eastern Eddy County, Freeman Shoemaker of Tiffany, and A.O. Nelson from north of town. Martin Walsh was in from Tiffany. John Wren came in for spring supplies; his injured hand was “healing nicely.” Mrs. E.A. Gammell arrived to visit her daughter and son-in-law Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Allison. That evening the debate topic at the meeting of the Tiffany Literary Society was “Resolved, that education has done more for humanity than the sword.” At 7:30 p.m. the Degree of Honor Lodge met.

On Sunday, March 22, elevator man H.G. Gage returned from Winnipeg, via Carrington; he had decided to move to Winnipeg and to that end left New Rockford the next day. [But on Feb. 16 Mr. and Mrs. H.G. Gage left New Rockford for their new home in Minnesota.]

On the afternoon of Sunday, March 22, the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Wenz died; she had been born on Feb. 24. Her funeral was on the morning of March 24. At 5 p.m. Peter Ewalds [Ewals], 63, died from erysipelas which set in after an operation for an abdominal tumor on March 10. He had lived in Eddy County for 18 years, southeast of New Rockford. He left a wife and two young sons. His Funeral Mass was on March 25, Father Gallahue, with interment in the Catholic cemetery north of town. [His small, flat gravestone in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery reads “Peter June 8, 1841 Mar. 22, 1903”; the lot is marked by a large gravestone carved with a cross and with the name “EWALS.” His wife rests beside him and has a similar gravestone: “Agnes June 26, 1848 May 26, 1911”; her full name was Agnes Huberta Janssen Ewals.]

On Sunday March 22 and March 23, “Esmond Bee” editor Homer P. Allison was down to visit his parents.

On the morning of March 23, Gladys Winifred Magee, the infant daughter of Wintworth and Ida Magee died; her funeral was on the morning of March 25 at the Magee home, Rev. C.F. Sewrey, with interment in the cemetery north of New Rockford. The lichen-covered white gravestone with a lamb on top in Prairie Home Cemetery is hard to read, but it has her name and “Born Feb. 21, 1903 Died Mar. 23, 1903.” She is buried near her father Wintworth Magee (1872-1945) and her mother Ida Magee (1877-1949).