Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

History of New Rockford: July 06, 2020

The May 15, 1903, “Transcript” said that Mrs. W.O. Baird had a sling on her arm for a sore hand. A note said that the title to the East Side Livery Barn had been settled, and the building belonged to Guss Gullicks. Another note said Mrs. J.W. Stoddard would spend most of June in her old home of Crawfordsville and other Indiana towns.

B.C. Larkin had planted “a nice bunch” of maple trees around his residences on Stimson Avenue East.

James Hobbs’s new 26x34, two-story farmhouse with a full basement was almost completed. Hobbs had already erected an elevator on his farm. Logan & Farley had refitted and refurbished their restaurant east of the tracks [on lot 10, block 18, on St. Paul St., which would be on 7th St. N. just north of the “new” Cities Service Station, 2020]. The new mill building was almost enclosed. Charles Culp was building a 24x30, two-story house for drayman O.W. Bauer on Stimson Avenue, east of New Haven Street.

The previous week W.O. Baird’s 200-by-400 foot barn burned down after a neighbor’s fire got away from him; Baird also lost 100 tons of hay and his range for cattle.

On May 15, Morris postmaster D.D. Dailey was in New Rockford. Robert O’Neill down from the Sheyenne Valley, Sidney Hewes from Tiffany, and W.G. Carter were all in on business.

That afternoon, Drs.

MacLachlan and Crawford performed an appendectomy on Mrs. B.W. Rantz.

That evening the American Yeomen Lodge sponsored an entertainment in the Masonic Hall. It included a Medley Overture “The Topliner” by the New Rockford Orchestra. This was followed by a piano duet “March of the Gypsies” by Mesdames Mitchell and Hudson; the song “The Kerry Dances” by Dr. Charles MacLachlan, with an encore, “Sweet Innascarra”; a Lou Smith cornet solo “Souvenir de la Suisse Polka”; an alto/soprano duet “O, That We Two Were Maying” by Mesdames Brown and Tomlinson; a contralto solo by Miss Eddys Cole “With You,” with an encore “Blooming Lize”; a brass quartet (Messrs. Fahrer, Buck, Erickson, and Smith) “Assault at Arms,” with an encore “Beethoven’s Choral #9”; D.Y. Stanton gave a reading on the benefits of the Yeomen Order; the New Rockford Orchestra closed the program with “Brook’s Chicago Marine Band March.” Attorney R.P. Allison was scheduled to speak on “Fraternity,” but was suddenly stricken ill and had to excuse himself. The ladies served lemonade, ice cream, and cake and then there was a dance until “a late morning hour.”

On May 16, Miss Effie Treffry of Denver arrived to spend the summer with her parents Mr. and Mrs. George Treffry southeast of town. The northbound train took Thomas and Katie Turner of Barlow to Grand Forks for the Grand Lodge of the A.O.U.W. (Workmen) and the Degree of Honor. Rev. J.R. Beebe went to Esmond, where on Sunday, May 17, he preached the dedicatory sermon in the new Congregational Church in that community. At 8:30 p.m. “The New Woman” was presented by the ladies of Crocus Lodge #27 of the Degree of Honor at Brown’s Opera House. Reserved seating was 35 cents; general admission was 25 cents. A large audience saw the play which was set in a future U.S. Senate and had a cast of Senators portrayed by Mesdames Baird (who had a hard time smoking her Havana cigar), Schwoebel, Fay, Bennett, Kinnaird and Lathrop. Mrs. Butler played the President. Newspaper reporters were Miss Eddys Cole for the “Transcript” and Miss Hattie Patch for the “Provost.”

On Sunday, May 17, Rev. Frank Sprague of Fargo preached in the Baptist Church. In the morning and evening Rev. J. Emerson Smith of Esmond preached in the Congregational Church in the absence of Rev. J.R. Beebe. At 8 p.m. Epworth League Anniversary Services were held in the Methodist Church; papers dealing with the League were read by Mrs. Charles Culp, Mrs. Hugh Carr, George Norton and D.Y. Stanton.

On May 18, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Finley of eastern Eddy County. Frank McCabe and F.S. Atkinson were in from eastern Eddy County on business. Mrs. John Neutzel, Mr. and Mrs. Burton Hulbert, and Mr. and Mrs. George M. Dodds were all in to shop. Mrs. Rogers arrived from Minneapolis to visit her parents Mr. and Mrs. John O’Connell. “Sheyenne Star” editor C.C. Manning was in town. Mrs. R.P. Allison went to Esmond to care for her ill daughter-in-law. Mrs. W.C. Beardsley and Mrs. W.O. Baird went to Grand Forks to represent Crocus Lodge #27 at the Degree of Honor Grand Lodge, while R.U. Austin did the same for the A.O.U.W. (Workmen) Lodge. Barber Lou Smith went to Minot for a meeting of the North Dakota Barbers’ Board. That afternoon, Mrs. W.J. Morris was driving a spirited team in the high wind when a shower of debris from the wind caused the team “to cut a few capers,” but the “excellent horsewoman” soon had them under her control. That evening a meeting was held in the Methodist Church for Sunday School workers and people interested in the work of the Sunday Schools to discuss plans for the Eddy County Sunday School Convention to be held June 23 to 24 in New Rockford; H.T. Kennedy, secretary.

On May 19, grain buyer John B. Arbogast was over from McHenry. J.W. Richter came down from Sheyenne on business. Veterinarian F.R. Patterson returned from Grand Rapids, Mich., where he had spent the winter. Mrs. W.J. Morris left for two months at Sedro Wooley, Wash., to visit her sister, whom she hadn’t seen in 16 years. That evening, Theodore Doyen was arrested on a complaint by Michael Pfau on charges of assault with a deadly weapon; a hearing was held the next afternoon before Judge J.R. Winslow and Doyen was bound over to District Court under a $500 bond. The dispute was over “some neighborhood quarrel” in southwest Eddy County, where the two men were neighbors. James A. Manly appeared for the State; P.M. Mattson represented Doyen.

On May 20 Mrs. Orrin Foster came in to shop and to visit. Ed Roach, Thomas Everson of Barlow, Tiffany blacksmith J.A. McCrum, James Hobbs of eastern Eddy County, and Hans Guler from southwest of town were in on business. Arthur Warren was in from Plainview. Miss Sadie Burnett of Centerville, S.D., arrived to visit a few weeks with her aunt Mrs. P.J. Lorig and family. Miss Harriet Turner visited New Rockford friends between trains.

On May 20 and 21, Miss Carrie Dutee was in town.