History of New Rockford: May 17, 2021

On Feb. 2, 1904, Julius Ponto of rural Sheyenne was in Devils Lake at the U.S. Land Office. He had recently been discharged from a Fargo hospital, where he had been confined for a year after a serious head operation. During his absence someone had contested his homestead land, so Ponto was in Devils Lake to prove his claim.

That evening, the Commercial Association met in the law offices of C.J. Maddux. Prof. Vernon P. Squires of UND, lectured in the Opera House on “American War Songs and Ballads.” A chorus of school students sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Many in the audience were school students, but not many of the townspeople attended. Proceeds went to benefit the New Rockford schools.

On Feb. 3, A.A. Morse was in on business. Emma Anderson came in from southwest of town. Clarence Kennedy came home from Oakes, where he had worked in a hardware store, to spend some time with his parents.

On Feb. 4, Edgar Wilson returned from a visit with his brother in Jamestown. Gus Larson was in from the Twist neighborhood on business; he had recently filed on a tract of land in Alberta, Canada, and expected to move there in April. John Haley came in from Tiffany. O.R. Pomranke from northwest of town, and John and Ed Nystrom of the Sheyenne Valley, were down on business. Walter Immel left for a visit with his parents and other relatives at his old home in Dawson, N.D.; he returned on Feb. 15. That afternoon, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. G.M. Carlson, west of Barlow. That evening, the fifth of the Pioneer Dancing Club’s dancing parties was held in the Opera House. “All present enjoyed themselves thoroughly.” At 7:30 p.m., the MWA (Woodmen) Lodge met.

On Feb. 4 and 5, H.P. Halverson was down from his large Sheyenne Valley farm on business. Peter P. Hallquist was in town. J.W. Perry was down from Esmond on business and to visit.

The Feb. 5, 1904, “Transcript” mentioned the “Kensal State Journal” and the “Kulm Messenger.”

In School Notes: “Several students were detained Monday on account of the storm.” Examinations were held on Feb. 2 and 5. Clarence Kennedy visited the Grammar and High School room on Feb. 4. May Young was ill all week and unable to teach. Mr. Kellington had given the magazine “Scientific American” to the school.

“I will pay the highest market price for rye, and I want a lot.—R.M. Kennedy, at the Monarch elevator.”

Nathan Stanton was looking for an apprentice to learn blacksmithing.

The trains had been noticeably irregular and mostly late that week.

John Welsh had been in on business from northwest of New Rockford.

D. Labhardt had been suffering from catarrh of the bile duct for some time, but was on the mend. A.D. Tomlinson was better after being ill for several days.

On the morning of Feb. 5, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ben Fay. J.T. Shauers was in on business. Frank Fahrer returned from Lancaster, Ohio, and resumed his position in George Fahrer’s meat market. That afternoon, the West Side Kindergarten Whist Club met at the home of Mrs. W.O. Baird on Stimson Avenue West. In an attempt to defeat the blustery weather, the ladies chartered all the closed carriages of the local dray lines to transport them to the Baird home; the only casualty was Mrs. Sarah Bacon, who caught a bad cold.

On Feb. 6, jeweler J.N. Kunkel moved his family from Fessenden to New Rockford, where they took up residence in the Hotel Brown until a house could be acquired. P.B. Anderson left Sheyenne for Minot, where he would manage a lumberyard.

On Feb. 8, Nils Gunvaldson from northwest of town, Horace Courtemanche, and George W. Johnston were in on business. James Hackney took the train south on a business trip to Jamestown. Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Lake left for a lengthy visit with relatives near Steele, N.D. and A.C. Jones left for a winter in Minneapolis. Dr. Charles MacLachlan began his trip to Washington, D.C., and a meeting of the auxiliary legislative committee of the American Medical Association as the North Dakota representative; he returned on Feb. 17. That day, the Russo-Japanese War broke out with a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur; it would end with a Japanese victory on Sept. 5, 1905.

A new time card went into effect that day on the Devils Lake branch of the Northern Pacific Railway: Northbound passenger train—arrival in New Rockford, 1:36 p.m.; Southbound passenger train—arrival in New Rockford, 3:06 p.m. The change was made so the northbound train could pick up passengers from the mainline train coming up from St. Paul to Jamestown, and the southbound train would get into Jamestown with thirty minutes to spare before the westbound train came in on the mainline. That evening, B.W. Hersey of Tiffany and A.H. Johnson of Sheyenne became Third Degree Masons.

On Feb. 8 and 9, editor Walter Schmid of the “Barlow Recorder” was in New Rockford on business and to visit. Ben Fay was in Carrington on business.

On Feb. 9, W.G. Carter braved the cold and came in from eastern Eddy County on business, as did A.O. Nelson from northwest of town, and Toller M. Huff and his brother from Barlow. Assessor John Schaefer, of near Tiffany, came in on business and to visit. Henry B. Johnson left to visit his relatives at his former home near Rio, Wisc. May M. Keime, and daughter Wanda, returned from a visit with relatives at Steele. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Barney Engberg down Barlow way. That evening, the Eastern Star Lodge met; Mrs. David Henry was initiated. Mesdames S.G. Severtson, L.G. Lundin, and F.L. Kermott attended.

On Feb. 9 and 10, J.R. Winslow was in Carrington on business.

On Feb. 10, the Eddy County Commission (P.J. Braman, J.G. Dailey, J.B. Dafoe) met. They voted to pay the following: $2, Noxon & Oglesby; January telephone; $12.30, New Rockford Light and Water Improvement Co.; January lights for court house; $10, Prader & Goss, merchandise for Mrs. Cahill, county poor; $45, Mrs. A.G. Gardner, register of deeds’ clerk, January; $40, W.C. Hayes, courthouse janitor, January; $8.95, Powers Elevator Co., coal for Mrs. Cahill and Mrs. Lewis, county poor; $8.20, Dutee Grain Co., coal for county poor.

On Feb. 10, the temperature finally went up to zero, but then plunged 12 degrees in two hours; the average temperature over the previous three weeks was 20 below. M. Cler came in from the Tiffany Flats on business and to visit. James Hobbs also braved the cold weather to come into town from the southeast. G.W. Brownell left for “very urgent business” in Washington, D.C. That evening the Meistersingers, a male quartet, appeared in the Opera House before a large audience.