History of New Rockford: August 3, 2020

On June 3, 1903, Bank of Sheyenne cashier S.G. Severtson was in town on business. Peter Nelson of the Sheyenne Valley attended court. F.B. Ewald [Ewals?], Jr., was in from his farm “down south” on business. Miss Gertrude O’Connell arrived from Minneapolis to visit her parents west of town; she returned to her nursing duties in the St. Paul City Hospital on June 15. That evening a large chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling onto the sleeping infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Dresser; she was not hurt.

On June 4, Mrs. William R. Brueske and her son went to Jamestown to visit for a couple weeks; they returned on June 15. J.M. Patch and Miss Harriet left for their home in Indianapolis.

On June 4 and 5, Euphemia (Mrs. Frederick) Skidmore of Tiffany attended the Second District WCTU meeting in Fessenden. New officers were elected; those from Eddy County were Mrs. Skidmore, president; Mrs. Laura Rantz of New Rockford, one of four vice presidents; and Mrs. W.E. Biggs of New Rockford, corresponding secretary.

The June 5, 1903, “Transcript” said that the previous week Mr. and Mrs. Jens Christianson and Miss Jennie, Signa Walen, and Arnt Tueson arrived from Frederickshall, Norway, to make their home in Eddy County. Mr. and Mrs. Christianson were the parents of Mrs. Charles Dinnetz of Wells County.

A note said the gas company begged pardon for any inconvenience the digging of ditches and laying of pipe may cause New Rockford residents; the work should be completed by early July. The plumbers for the piping had arrived on May 28.

F.B. Ewald [Ewals?], Jr., had taken up at his farm four miles southwest of New Rockford a black steer, four years old, and a black heifer, two years old. “Prove property, pay charges and take them away.”

“Went Magee was among the number called out by the special Venire Monday evening to attend court.”

Charles McMillan had suffered a painful wound to his left eye when a small piece of steel lodged in it. Mrs. B.W. Rantz was feeling better every day after her operation for appendicitis. Dr. G.D. Murphy had sufficiently recovered from typhoid to be outside. During the week Mrs. D.Y. Stanton came down with measles.

W.F. Steinweg, for the previous five years the head clerk at Rodenberg & Schwoebel’s, had resigned his position, would visit some friends in Denhoff, and then return to his former home near Leonard, N.D.

Mr. and Mrs. H.F. Rodenberg’s new house would be ready in a few weeks. John Anderson was painting dentist F.D. Norton’s house on Stimson Avenue West.

Undertaker J.L. Kinnaird had a new hearse.

During the week K.K. Moe and Rev. E.T. Quam visited the court. Rudolph Indergaard was in on jury duty. Dr. William Bartley of Sheyenne was a witness in the Cahill murder case. O.L. Reed of Ft. Dodge, Iowa, was looking over his property in eastern Eddy County.

During the previous week, Mrs. W.C. Hayes went to McHenry and Mrs. Henry Lorig went to Wadena, Minnesota, to visit for a few weeks.

On June 5, Prof. Myer, eye specialist, was at F. Howard’s jewelry. G.A. Erickson, a clerk at H. Peoples & Co., returned from Grand Forks, where he had attended the Grand Lodge of the Odd Fellows as a representative of Courtenay, his home town. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Dutee came in to shop and visit. Gus Larson of Twist was over on business. Charles Goss returned from the Twin Cities. J.C. Smith was over from McHenry. Alec Pottner returned from a long visit to the Twin Cities and Wisconsin. Mrs. Frank Dodge came up from Melville to see her sister Mrs. Guss Gullicks between trains; Mrs. Gullicks accompanied her sister back to Melville and stayed until June 8. Bank cashier J.E. Hyde left for the Shriners’ Convention in Fargo; he returned on June 8. That day Sheyenne School Principal Ellen M. Mattson came down for the graduation ceremonies that evening.

At 8 p.m. the Eighth Grade Graduation was held in the Baptist Church with Prof. George A. McFarland of Valley City Normal as the speaker. On the program were a vocal duet by Miss Jet Richter and Miss Alma Seby, both of Sheyenne; Invocation, Rev. J.R. Beebe; solo “Free as a Bird,” H.R. Campbell; song “The Sailor’s Dream” by a male quartet: Messrs. Gardner, Woodward, Kennedy, and Norton; presentation of Common School Diplomas by Grace B. Putnam. There were nine graduates: Marguerite Ford, Mary Goodrich, Anna Haas, Dora Hass, Evelyn Mattson, Mary Nunn, Myrtle Seastrand, Willie Shanahan, and Minnie Syftestad. There was a solo by Miss Lulu Arnold and a few closing remarks by R.P. Allison. Miss Floy Richter of Sheyenne also attended the event.

On June 5-6 and 8, F.W. Soule, eye specialist, was at Babcock & Bucklin’s Drug Store.

On the morning of June 6, a daughter was born to restaurant owner and Mrs. Charles Larson. Jerry Carroll from west of town, Fred Zimmerman, Jr., from southwest of town, G.B. Hall from northeast of town, and Mr. and Mrs. O.H. Foster were on the streets of New Rockford. Stephen Walsh, Thomas Adam, William Thorn, W.G. Carter, George Fields of Tiffany, Ole Johnson of Plainview, and John Welsh from northeast of town came in on business. Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Thomson were in shopping and visiting. Miss Harriet Davidson returned from Hamline University, which she had attended during the winter and spring. Mrs. J.R. Beebe and son Ralph left for Aberdeen and other South Dakota cities. Mrs. Olof Lundquist left for Valley City to visit her parents. Mrs. William Wilson left for her old home, Grafton, N.D., after learning of her niece’s death there. Miss Katie Allmaras went to Minneapolis for an extended visit.

From June 6 to June 9, Walter Schmid was on his Portal, N.D., claim.

At noon on June 6, testimony in the William Cahill murder case ended. After the lunch hour at 2 p.m., the case was submitted to the jury on the evidence and the instructions of the judge. Six hours later a verdict of guilty was returned with ten years of hard labor as the sentence. It “…was a great surprise to the defendant, his counsel, and defendant’s friends.” Cahill’s wife and four children seemed “heart-broken over the result….”

The Defense immediately gave notice of a motion for a new trial, and Judge Glaspell granted a 70-day stay of execution. For the first time ever in Eddy County during the trial, ladies made up more than half of the spectators.