Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

History of New Rockford: July 27, 2020

During the week of May 24 to 30, 1903, plumbers were piping [underground?] the new acetylene gas lighting plant at Lamborn and Dakota on two corner lots, just west of the Baptist Church; the actual construction of the 25x30 building with a lean-to was set to begin the next week. Anyone wishing to use gas lights should have their piping done while the plumbers were in town to avoid paying more later. The plant would open about August 1. Many businessmen had already placed their buildings and residences on the waiting list. The cost was $2.25 for each opening where the pipe was concealed and a little less for each opening where the pipe was not concealed. That price included all the piping necessary; no work would be charged for until the system was up and running satisfactorily.

On May 29, Ensigns Mercer and Sauthland of the Jamestown Salvation Army were in town soliciting funds. H.P. Halverson was down from the Sheyenne Valley. Mrs. E.B. Thomson entertained the West Side Kindergarten Whist Club at her “elegant farm home” nine miles northeast of New Rockford. “Almost every carriage in the city was brought into requisition….” A special feature was entertainment by Mesdames Maxwell, Bucklin, Whiteman and Hyde. The New Rockford City Schools closed that day.

On May 30, Mr. and Mrs. John Olson’s five-year-old daughter was so ill with stomach trouble “her life has been despaired of,” but she was improving within a week. Young Tiffany farmer John Debildt was in on business. Iver Vick returned home to Sheyenne from Brainerd, Minn., where he had spent a couple weeks getting medical treatment; Vick was “much improved.” That evening the following attended a dance in Carrington: Miss Dora Yegen, Miss Lyle Yegen, Miss Nell Davidson, and Messrs. Walter Schmid and John VonAlmen.

On Sunday, May 31, at 11 a.m., Rev. Frank Sprague of Fargo preached in the Baptist Church. W.H. Neimeyer, cashier of the First State Bank of McHenry, was in New Rockford. Miss Hilda Johnson left for Tiffany after attending high school in New Rockford during the winter; she was going to teach in the Tiffany school that summer. Sgt. T.P. Morris was in Minnewaukan visiting his son John P. Morris. That afternoon Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Baird and family visited in Carrington. John Schmidt [Schmid?] of Carrington visited in New Rockford. At 8 p.m. at a service in the Methodist Church, R.P. Allison gave a Memorial Address; there was also patriotic music.

The residents on Villard Avenue West challenged the residents on Chicago Street from the James River on the north to the stockyards on the south to a game of baseball to be played at 3 p.m. that Sunday. However, the game did not take place. Around 2:27 the Villard Avenue team met in the basement of J.W. Rager’s harness shop and made out a lineup: Donald Niven, p; C.J. Maddux, c; J.W. Rager, 1b; Frank Parker, 2b; H.G. Hudson, 3b; John F. Goss, ss; John Swanson, rf; Peter Prader, cf; R.R. Woodward, lf. They also had “a big grist of substitutes.”

William Bucklin had already been selected as the umpire when a Chicago Street player got wind of the strength of their opponents and spread the word to his teammates, who “took to the woods” so there was no game. [This is based on the “Transcript’s” description of what happened; C.J. Maddux owned the paper.]

On the afternoon of June 1, the Cahill murder case went to trial. S.L. Glaspell was the judge; Ed S. Rose was the court reporter. C.J. Stickney sat at the clerk’s desk; P.M. Mattson was the deputy clerk. Lawyers for the State were State’s Attorney J.A. Manly and Judge John Knauf; C.J. Maddux and S.E. Ellsworth represented Cahill.

The Defense offered no objection to the information and entered a plea of “Not Guilty.” Twenty-six men were examined as possible jurors, with three being chosen. Judge Glaspell issued a special Venire [a writ from a judge directing a sheriff to summon prospective jurors] for forty new jurors and court adjourned.

At 9 a.m. June 2, court reconvened. Forty men were examined and six were chosen as jurors. Judge Glaspell ordered another 24 new men to appear.

At 9 a.m. June 3, 24 men were examined and the final three jurors were selected. The jury members (Martin Anderson, Thomas Hrach, Rudolph Indergaard, Alex Lawson, J.W. Myer, George Nunn, Ed Nystrom, O.H. Olson, A.F. Prouty, Fred Topp, John Topp, and C.A. Vaughn) were sworn in. Witnesses were then called and the trial continued until 6 p.m. Dr. J.W. Sifton of Jamestown was credited with giving expert testimony for the Defense.

The “Transcript” commented that the courtroom was crowded every day and sometimes ladies made up three-fourths of the spectators.

On June 1, W.A. Cornish of Tiffany attended the trial. Ed Nystrom of the Sheyenne Valley visited the court and was later placed on the jury. Sgt. T.P. Morris returned from Decoration Day activities in Minnnewaukan, including a parade in which he marched with the old veterans as adjutant. Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Hoffman were in shopping. Dr. Charles McNamara was up from Barlow a few hours. McHenry grain buyer A.C. Cross was over on business. Mrs. Annie Oliver and Miss Hazel went to McHenry. School principal Lydia Messerschmidt left for her St. Charles, Minn., home. Assistant school principal Miss Eleanor VanDozer left for her home in Decatur, Mich. That afternoon the NRFD was called out to a fire in the rear of the barn on the alley in back of May M. Keime’s residence, but by the time the firemen arrived, a bucket brigade had the flames under control. The cause of the fire was a bonfire some children had ignited.

On June 1 and 2, John T. West was in from eastern Eddy County.

On June 2, Frederick Skidmore of Tiffany and James Renfrew were in New Rockford. Mrs. Ed Roach was in shopping. W.J. Burnett from near McHenry, J.D. Carroll from Washington Lake, Charles Rosenberger, Jacob Allmaras, and Andrew Johnson, Sr., were in on business. John A. Wren came in from southeast of New Rockford on jury call. Bachelor farmer Horace Courtemanche was in town selling eggs and rhubarb. John Collins went to Jamestown on business. Veterinary surgeon F.R. Patterson went to the east end of the county on professional business. Albert West drove to McHenry to meet his sister coming home from a six-weeks’ visit with their sister in Cooperstown. That evening Mrs. William Starke joined the Eastern Star Lodge.

On June 2 and 3, R.R. Woodward was in Jamestown on business.