History of New Rockford: October 2, 2023

Ads in the April 20, 1906, “Transcript”: Buster Brown boys’ and girls’ stockings, 25 cents a pair, Rodenberg & Schwoebel. M.M. Keime had a horse, buggy, harness, plow and mower for sale.

Early in the week Alec Austin had a bout of tonsillitis, but was better. Ray, the 13-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cornish, had been very ill for some time with blood poisoning. Len J. Olsen, the Linotype operator at the “Transcript,” had been confined to his bed for three weeks with rheumatic fever. A.J. Larkin was recovering from a back injury that had him confined to his bed for some time.

The Phillips Academy girls’ basketball team had divided into an A squad and a B squad, which had played each other several times in practice; players were Vera Keime, center; Olive Couch, center and captain; Pearl Beer and Minnie O’Neill, left forwards; Pearl Goss and Effie Dafoe, right forwards; Minnie McAuley and Lena Breck, left guards; Gertrude Buck and Stella Pike, right guards.

Joseph B. Hylton of Centralia, Wash., had been visiting his brother Silas Hylton for over a week.

On April 20 J.W. Richter, administrator of the Dennis Nunn Estate, offered for private sale to the highest bidder the Estate’s land in Grandfield Township. Nils Gunvaldson came in to order a set of band instruments for a twelve-man band that had been organized by some farmers west of town; he was a member. Bank president P.C. Remington of Bismarck was in town to visit his friend Orley Couch; he also purchased a fine pair of black pacers from A.J. Clure. Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Larkin and Mr. and Mrs. James G. Dailey were in to shop. That evening the members of the O.D.B.M. girls’ club were entertained by Miss Mame Tracy at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G.W. McDonell.

On April 20 and 21, George Piercy, the district deputy revenue collector from Pingree, was in New Rockford.

On April 21 a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Went Mcgee of the Tiffany area. Miss Agnes Morris came up from Carrington for a few days’ visit with Mrs. E.S. Severtson. That evening a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. D.D. Dailey of Morris.

On Sunday, April 22, Rev. F.M. McCoy of Carrington preached in the Methodist Church. That evening a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Matt Fautsch. That night a fire of unknown origin destroyed the large barn, sixteen horses, two cows, a number of pigs, all the harness, some farm machinery and a large amount of hay belonging to C.C. Lyford, who had purchased the former Clayton Hall farm northeast of New Rockford. There was some insurance on the structure and the horses.

On April 23 Albert Dix of Wells County entered Phillips Academy to review bookkeeping and typing. Miss Margaret VanScholach left for her home at Edmunds after attending the Academy. Erick Lindstrom returned from his ranch near Bowdon. R.M. Kennedy and F.D. Norton returned from Alberta, where they had gone the previous week with Otho Lathrop, real estate agent for the O.W. Kerr Co.; Kennedy bought some land. Frank Von Almen arrived from his home at Elizabeth, Minn., to spend the summer with his brothers. Mrs. L.A. Couch left for a visit to Iowa after visiting her children in New Rockford. A telegram called J.R. Winslow to Glenwood, Minn., where his father was dangerously ill; a later telegram informed the town that the father had died on the morning of April 25. Winslow returned on May 2.

On April 23 Ray M. Cornish, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cornish, died from an abscess of the middle ear; the funeral was in the Methodist Church by Rev. S.F. Beer, on the afternoon of April 25, after which the body was taken to the cemetery north of town for interment, followed by a large cortege of friends. [His large, polished gravestone in Prairie Home Cemetery reads, “RAY M. CORNISH OUR DEAR BOY Aug. 21, 1892-April 23, 1906.” Under the inscription stone is another stone with the name “CORNISH.”] That evening the Knights Templar, Zion Commandry #9, had an inspection by Inspector General T.A. Boyden of Jamestown and hosted a banquet; H.J. Mitchell received the Black Cross degrees. Messrs. Miller and Putnam and Miss Pearl Chaffee of Carrington, merchant C.F. Hansch of Barlow, and A.H. Johnson of Sheyenne attended.

From April 23 to 26, Miss Julia Shirley was in Fargo, where her father was quite ill.

On April 24 Mrs. A.H. Johnson (née Floy Richter) was down from Sheyenne to visit. Miss Mabel Sheehy arrived from Bottineau to visit her sister Miss Mame Sheehy. George Norton left for Heaton to supervise construction of a grain elevator for the J.W. Lahart Company; he returned on July 3. A Barlow team and the Phillips Academy team were supposed to play a game at the West End ball park, the property of the Eddy County Fair Association, but Barlow had to forfeit.

On April 25 Nelle E. McLean purchased the drugstore of F.L. Kermott in Sheyenne and took over the management the next day. Miss Gertrude O’Connell returned from Maddock, where she had been caring for an invalid. J.A. McCrum came in from the Tiffany area to do some business and to visit. Jacob Adam was in from west of town. John Rud brought his two-year old son in from his farm southeast of town; about a week before Dr. J.A. Carter had performed a delicate operation on the child for mastoiditis and the purpose of the trip was “to have the wound dressed.” W.O. Baird went to St. Paul for an appendectomy, which he had on April 30 after which he was “improving nicely.” That evening there was a soaking rain.

On April 26 F.L. Kermott of Sheyenne was in town. A.R. Johns returned from Jamestown. That evening Miss Ruby Hartson was the “victim” of a surprise party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Starks; progressive whist was played and the guests enjoyed “elegant refreshments.”

The April 27, 1906, “Transcript” said that Mrs. J.C. Smith had received a letter from her sister Mrs. Jean West, formerly Kate Henry, saying that the stock company in which she had a leading part had been in Oakland during the big San Francisco earthquake, but no one in the troop was injured.

Frank Van Heesch had for sale two boars and one sow, all black, at his farm 7½ miles southwest of New Rockford.

The Streeter & Cooling Company (real estate) had purchased a new Holzman auto-carriage; “… the way they spin around is a caution to snakes.”

William H. Foote of Nevis, Minn., had arrived that week and was living on the Rinker farm east of town.

George Barmore had been laid-up for two weeks with rheumatic fever. Jeweler J.N. Kunkle had been confined to his bed that week with a middle ear infection; Mrs. S.F. Beer ran his shop for him.

During the week Miss Bertha Hopper enjoyed a visit from her brother George, who was on his way to Esmond to play baseball for that team again.