History of New Rockford: Oct. 24, 2022

On June 13, 1905, Mrs. May M. Keime and Mrs. Walter Priest went to the WCTU Convention in Oberon. Alice (Mrs. J.W.) Rager and Mrs. H.G. Hudson were the New Rockford delegates. Miss Fena Carlson, Miss Mabel House, and Miss Mildred Keime were the New Rockford entries in the Gold Medal Oratorical Contest, with Miss Carlson winning the medal.

On June 14, Pat O’Connor was in on business from western Eddy County. Horace Courtemanche and S.P. Pisel came in on business. Burton Hulbert went to the G.A.R. encampment at Jamestown. L.C. Oefstedahl went to the Firemen’s Tournament in Jamestown. Lawrence Prader went to Jamestown to visit; he returned on July 17. Anton “Tony” Haas and Miss Anna departed for the Pacific Coast and the Lewis & Clark Exposition.

On June 15, John O’Keefe came in from western Eddy County on business and to visit. Mrs. J.C. Smith returned from the WCTU Convention in Oberon. Thomas Adam came back from his visit to Buffalo, N.D., and other towns in the Red River Valley. Mrs. G.W. McDonell and her niece were up from Valley City. F.E. Reed went to Fargo, where a specialist was going to treat his lung problem; he returned on June 30, improved in health. Mr. and Mrs. James Davidson and Miss Hattie went to the G.A.R. encampment at Jamestown. Merchant H.F. and Mrs. Rodenberg and family left to visit her parents at Casselton. Mrs. Peter J. Butler and Miss Bessie went to visit her sister Miss Winifred Canning in Valley City; they returned on June 17. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Prader; Mrs. Agnes Ewals and son Leonard (they returned on July 1); Gabriel Gussbacher; John T. West; and A.J. Ford, his father, and daughter left to visit the Pacific Coast and the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland; the Praders would also go to Yellowstone Park. Tim O’Connor went to Jamestown for the Firemen’s Tournament. Miss Nora Rager left for her home in Indiana. George F. Fahrer and G.A. Erickson went to Brinsmade; the next day they played with the Minnewaukan Band during Gopher Day and that evening played at a dance in Oberon. That evening a number of members from Congregational congregations in New Rockford, Carrington, and surrounding areas were at the dedication of the Barlow Congregational Church.

On June 15 and 16, T.E. Lahart was in Jamestown on business.

The June 16, 1905, “Transcript” stated that stone mason Peter Riggle had started the stone work on the new steel bridge. The new cement sidewalk along Chicago Street had reached the Bank of New Rockford. Elias Saad was having a basement excavated for a new building he was putting up along Lamborn Avenue west of the old location. His old building had been sold and a bakery would occupy it. [His new building might have been on the first vacant lot east and across the alley from the EMT building on 1st Ave. N.]

Mrs. May Wiltsie had a letter that stretched across four columns on Sunday baseball. She sided with Prof. L.J. Aldrich of the Phillips Academy in his clash with Jack Powers over the playing of baseball on Sunday. She ended her letter with the quote: “Remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy.”

Mrs. P.H. West had been ill for some time, but was finally improving.

George Pincott was building a new house on his Sheyenne Valley farm.

The previous week Sam Swanson’s $3,000 stallion Billy Bashaw died from pneumonia. During the latter part of that week, W.J. Morris’ brother arrived from New Munster, Wisconsin, for a visit; he was so impressed by the land that he bought some and was considering moving to Eddy County.

On June 16, County Superintendent Grace B. Putnam and her mother came home from Grand Forks, where she had attended the University the past winter. At 9 a.m. a group of New Rockford and area residents left on NP train #3 from Jamestown for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, with the possibility of stopping at Yellowstone National Park for a few days. The group included Mrs. Peter Michel, Walter Schmid, William Steinbach, Conrad Taverna, and John Von Almen (who would visit Rushford and Elizabeth, Minnesota, on his return trip). Miss Pearl Goss went to Carrington to visit. Jeweler F.W. House went to Lidgerwood on business; he came back on June 23. That evening the comedian Ed Andrews, supported by a good company, appeared at the Opera House in “Birds of a Feather.” They played to a “fairly good house.”

On June 17, Miss Elizabeth Ray returned from her winter’s visit to New York State. Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Shauers were in to shop. Fred H. Dutee came in from eastern Eddy County on business and to see his friends. Mrs. Viola Woodward returned from Troy, Idaho, where she had gone on February 3 because of the death of her daughter-in-law. She brought with her three of the five children of her son Karl. She was considering moving to Portland, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Radtke and son left for Wisconsin, where he was a delegate to the National Convention of the Modern Woodmen Lodge, which would begin on June 20 in Milwaukee; Mrs. Radtke and son would visit in Fountain City. After the convention Radtke joined them and they visited relatives in Sparta, Wisconsin. Radtke returned to New Rockford on August 9 and his family would soon follow.

On June 17, Homer Allison and Ben Krebsbach went to the circus (which “quite a number” of New Rockford residents attended) in Carrington, came up to New Rockford and visited Allison’s parents Mr. and Mrs. R.P Allison, and left for their Esmond homes on June 18. On June 17, Olof Lundquist went to Valley City and returned on June 21 with his family, who had been visiting relatives there.

On Sunday, June 18, Mrs. C.J. Maddux and children went on a visit to St. Paul.

On June 19, Paul Baeder began work at the Rodenberg & Schwoebel store. W.H. Wilder, who farmed the old Isaac “Ike” Walden farm east of New Rockford, was in town on business. Mrs. Frederick Skidmore came in from Tiffany with her young child who was very ill. Miss Ethel Atwood of Courtenay arrived to visit her friend Miss Blanche Brownell. Miss Anna Johnson returned from Minneapolis, where she had been for the winter and went to her Tiffany home for the summer. John McVey came back from South St. Paul, where he had delivered a carload of fat cattle. Lawrence Butler arrived from Minneapolis, where he had attended a business college during the winter; he would remain for several months and then go to Oregon. Miss Celestia Kellington went to Valley City to visit friends and relatives. Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Maddux and family went to the Twin Cities to visit; he returned on June 22. Miss Francis Thomson left to visit Ohio relatives; her mother accompanied her as far as Jamestown and returned the next day.