History of New Rockford: November 6: 2023

On May 31, 1906, Horace Courtemanche was in town. Mrs. M.E. Arbogast left on a visit to Fargo. Mrs. John Olson and children left for Minneapolis, where a relative would join them on a trip to the “old country,” Sweden. That afternoon, the ladies of St. John’s Catholic Church hosted a reception for Father VandenBergh, who had been assigned to the parish, after he arrived from Minnewaukan on the noon train. That evening, a Populist meeting took place in the court house with ex-Congressman B.F. Spalding as the speaker. Being a Republican newspaper, the “Transcript” was not impressed.

The June 1, 1906, “Transcript” mentioned the “LaMoure Chronicle” and the “Goodrich Citizen.”

A.M. Greely had a Letter to the Editor: Thinking the gathering in the court house on Decoration Day was a public one, he had attended and even asked any veterans in attendance to stand so they could be recognized; some people in the audience cheered his action. He had no intention of embarrassing the sponsors of the event. The next day he was accosted on the street by a man who castigated him for interrupting a purely private gathering and said a public apology was in order. Greely said in his apology that he regretted not saying more about the service of the veterans, but admitted he was perhaps “to [sic] zealous.” He blamed that on the enthusiasm he had gained in his early life when he was told of the service of his relatives in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Mrs. H.C. Tarbell was the agent for the Carrington Steam Laundry; the laundry basket left for that town at noon every Tuesday. George Lake on the Fertig farm had a second-hand buggy, pole and shafts for sale.

The new uniforms for the New Rockford Band had arrived.

Mrs. L.J. Bleecker and her two children were in from Hankinson to visit her sister Mrs. Charles MacLachlan and family.

On June 1, the New Rockford City Schools closed for the summer vacation. Dr. and Mrs. G.D. Murphy came in from Minneapolis and the doctor would practice medicine in town again [they had left on March 31]. Miss Julia Shirley left for Fargo, where her father was very ill; she returned on June 4.

On June 2, H.H. Miller shipped a carload of hogs to the South St. Paul market. Isidor West came in from Seattle, where his parents were living. Frank Sorenson of Regina, Saskatchewan, was in for a visit. At 3 p.m., the Phillips Academy girls’ basketball team had a game with Fessenden on the fairgrounds; they played ten-minute quarters. That was followed by the Academy team playing Fessenden in baseball. Tickets were 25 cents. No scores are available.

On Sunday, June 3, Rev. Robert Paton of Carrington gave the baccalaureate sermon at a service for the Phillips Academy graduates.

On the morning of June 4, Frank Hawthorne began excavating the site for the 25x50 brick Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank, which would also have a full basement. The building is the same one that is occupied by the Vorland Land Co. [2023] and was known as the “old Saad corner.” Mrs. James E. Hyde received a fruit basket from Mountain Home, Idaho, picked on a ranch near the farm the Hydes owned; it consisted of young apples, pears, peaches, plums, currents and tame grasses. Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Baird came in from St. Paul, where he had an appendectomy [April 30] and remained there to recuperate; he looked a little “peaked,” but felt fine. Miss Marguerite Casper returned from a visit with relatives in western North Dakota. Miss Mame Tracy returned from Valley City and a visit with friends. Barney Engberg came up from his farm near the Foster County line. A.J. Clure went to the Twin Cities and other Minnesota towns on business. Miss Lillian Lund, the assistant principal of the New Rockford School, left for her home in Kindred; from there she would go to Minneapolis to take a course in science at the University for the summer. Miss Anna Weiss, the 2nd and 3rd grade teacher, left for her home at Crystal, N.D.; she would attend the University of Minnesota that summer and teach at Cavalier, N.D., as the First Primary teacher in the fall. Sealed bids were accepted at the County Auditor’s office for grading roads in Eddy County until 3 p.m.

On June 4 and 5, William Mattison, S.J. Strande and Ole Hegna were in from eastern Eddy County on business. Miss Nelle McLean was down from Sheyenne to visit. Erick T. Moe, candidate for clerk of court, was in town meeting voters.

The Eddy County Commissioners (Dafoe, Dailey, Gunvaldson) met on June 4 and 5. They voted to pay the following: $188, Powers Elevator Co., bridge plank; $9, New Rockford Light and Water Improvement Co., May lights; $7.20, Dr. W.M. Bartley, Insanity Board work on Ole Pehrson case; $6, H.W. Wilson, telephone rent for April-June.

The following bids for county road grading were accepted: $65, Randolph Bros., Heinmark grade; $145, Randolph Bros., Randolph grade; $124.90, E.M. Stitzel, A.J. Richter grade; $649.50, E.M. Stitzel, Tiffany grade; $135, E.M. Stitzel, Larkin grade; $238, E.M. Stitzel, Hanson grade; $95, E.M. Stitzel, Nystrom grade.

On June 5, the Commissioners voted to accept the following petitions for county highways: Anton Jensen, et al., from nw corner of section 13, west on section line to ne corner of section 16, T149, 62 [Colvin]; T.J. Bakstad, et al., from se corner of section 1 and ne corner of section 12, then west six miles to sw corner of section 6 and nw corner of section 7, T149, R63 [Lake Washington]; Herman Olson, et al., from se corner of section 33 and se corner of section 34, then north on section line to nw corner of section 3 and ne corner of section 4, T149 R 67 [Munster]. They voted to pay the following: $40.30, Rodenberg & Schwoebel, merchandise for county poor.

On June 5, in the school election W.C. Dresser was re-elected as a director for three years, and E.S. Severtson was re-elected as clerk over A.R. Johns, 112-47. Miss Eleanor VanDuzer came down from Rolla for a visit with Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Egbert. James E. Hyde went to Cass County to look over his farm. That evening, the Phillips Academy Board of Trustees met. G.W. Brownell resigned and W.C. Dresser was named as his replacement. At 8 p.m., Rev. E.W. Burleson held Episcopal services at the Methodist Church. That night, a Roosevelt Club was formed in Sheyenne. Officers were Donald Niven, president; A.H. Johnson, secretary; Halver P. Halverson, treasurer; and an executive committee made up of F.S. Dunham, Peter Hanson, Ole Hegna, F.L. Kermott and G.W. Streeter.

On June 6, Mrs. Kate Samson returned from West Baden, Ind., where she had undergone treatment for rheumatism; she felt much better. There was a thunder shower that afternoon. John B. Edinger and his small son were driving past the race track when lightning struck some telephone poles, knocking the two to the bottom of the wagon box, but they were not injured. Two of the poles were demolished.