History of New Rockford: May 20, 2024

On Dec. 5, 1906, after selling his interest in the New Rockford Roller Mills to his partner T.G. Kellington, G.W. McDonell left for Valley City, where he and his wife would remain for a while before leaving for their future home, California. Mrs. McDonell’s poor health was the reason for their leaving. Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Fowler and family left for a winter at their former Ontario home; they planned on stopping in New Rockford in the spring when they would be moving to their new home in Idaho.

On December 6, G.W. Brownell, George M. Pike, and John McAuley went to Fargo for a meeting of the Shrine. Henry Ewald [Ewals?] returned from a visit to the Twin Cities. That afternoon, the Ladies’ Aid of the German Reformed Church met at the home of Mrs. D. Labhardt, who also served a lunch. That evening, the Modern Woodmen of America Lodge elected the following: George M. Pike, Venerable Consul; Peter Prader, Worthy Adviser; Frank Hays, Banker; E.R. Davidson, Clerk; Granville Egbert, Escort; Marcus Medved, Sentry; G.W. Johnson, Watchman; W.E. Radke, Manager, three years.

From December 6 to 8, H. Arveskaug was in Duluth and the Twin Cities on business; he returned on December 11.

The Dec. 7, 1906, “Transcript” stated that the Great Northern surveying crew had finished their work. The new Great Northern line would cross over the Devils Lake branch line a little south of the NP section house in New Rockford and head northwest, passing through the yard of Walter Priest and just south of the Joseph Maxwell yard.

An ad stated that the stock of the New York Salvage Co. [a clothing store that dealt in clothes obtained from bankrupt businesses], in the Kinnaird building, Chicago Street North, had been traded to the Canada Land Co., Harry Ratmore, local manager, and had to be sold in ten days. Mrs. Eugene Corey advertised that she would do clothes washing at her home.

Frank Treffry and Verne Norton had renamed their Treffry & Norton Confectionary the Midgets’ Confectionary.

The 18-piece New Rockford Band, under the direction of Claude Comer, planned on practicing all winter.

Mildred Keime had left the Phillips Academy dormitory to live with her mother May Keime, who had just moved back to New Rockford from Jamestown.

Madame LeMay, “The Renowned Clairvoyant and Trance Medium,” was still at the Hotel Davies and supposedly “drawing immense crowds.”

Due to the death of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ellen Blakely had resigned as Matron at Phillips Academy and Mrs. Elna A. Shean of Voltaire had replaced her. Mrs. Blakely’s son had arrived in New Rockford from Wisconsin with his little son and they would live with his mother in rented rooms in the Prader house.

Rev. J.C. Burkholder was holding a series of religious meetings in the Baptist Church each evening at 7:30 and would continue them for some time.

Early in the week, the Phillips Academy Boarding Club sponsored a sleighing party. During the week the following entered Phillips Academy: Maud Linderman, Fred Anderson and Anton VaLear [Valer?] of Barlow; Manuel Kraus, Frank Dietz and William Martin of Fessenden; Adam Gibbs of Anamoose; and Harry Ford of New Rockford. All except Miss Linderman and Anton VaLear were members of the Boarding Club.

Recently John Killian had gone to his old home in Independence, Wisc., for a visit.

The previous week, Miss Parker of Merom, Ind., a house guest of Mrs. L.J. Aldrich, visited Phillips Academy. Dr. J.A. Carter and family left for their new home in Warwick [they had arrived from Knox on March 26]. During the latter part of the previous week, the Great Northern surveying crew was in New Rockford and the vicinity laying out the final survey of the proposed new line; the expectation was that it would run through New Rockford.

Also the previous week, the Ancient Order of United Workmen Lodge installed their new officers: R.U. Austin, Master Workman; W.C. Beardsley, Recorder; A.R. Johns, Financier; P.J. Braman, Receiver; Nathan Stanton, Foreman; M.R. Fritz, Overseer; William Bucklin, Inside Watch; Henry Schuster, Outside Watch; Henry Wilson, Guide. R.U. Austin was chosen as the delegate to the Grand Lodge, with W.C. Beardsley as the alternate. John Dodds acted as the installing officer, assisted by James Hamilton as a Grand Guide.

The ladies of the Degree of Honor and a few friends of the Workmen were guests at a social session afterward. The program was interrupted when the head of the entertainment committee Charles Campbell [section foreman] was called away to help get an NP locomotive back on the track and forgot to leave any information on the program. After a couple of minutes R.U. Austin called on Dr. Charles MacLachlan to sing a solo, but the doctor said a duet would be better, so he and Austin sang “When You Gane Awa’, Jinnie?” Campbell soon returned and the program went on, leading into a dance that went until 2 a.m. with the Walsh Bros. Orchestra. Refreshments were served.

On December 7, Albert Vaughn of McHenry entered the eighth grade in the New Rockford School. George F. Fahrer, Dr. Charles MacLachlan and Donald Niven returned from a meeting of the El Zagel Shrine in Fargo. The Lowell Literary Society presented the following program at the school: Essay, Merrille Pike; Vocal Solo, Hazel Healy; Recitation, Eva Walselie [Wakelie]; Debate, “Resolved, That the Right of Suffrage be Extended to Women,” Affirmative: Mathilda Kuhlmeier and Sadie Clark, Negative: Clifford Carroll and Lynn Radke; Piano Solo, Pearl Aldrich. The Ladies’ Social Union of the Congregational Church served dinner and supper in the Opera House (25 cents a meal) and sold aprons, handkerchiefs and fancy articles. That evening, impersonator Miss E. Janet Little of Huron, S.D., did a show for the benefit of the Union. Tickets were 15, 25 and 35 cents.

On the evening of December 8, the Phillips Academy Literary Club presented the following program: Selection by the Orchestra; Recitation, Rose Geiger; Reading, Walter Tellner; Newspaper, James Chambers; Comical Stories, Albert Dix; Violin Solo, Prof. Johnson; Debate: “Resolved, That inventions improve the condition of the laboring man,” Affirmative: Monroe Wilder, Amy Evans; Negative: Mont Biggs, Mildred Keime; Piano Solo, Zoa Bartholomew; Recitation, Albert Jansen; Selection, Orchestra. There was a large audience despite the very cold weather. That evening, the Marie Young Company was scheduled to appear in “The Burglar and the Wolf,” a drama interspersed with vaudeville routines, at the Opera House, but missed connections and the program was cancelled.

On Sunday, Dec. 9, Phillips Academy student Harry Ford visited with his parents a few miles west of town. At 3 p.m., Rev. J.C. Burkholder conducted special services at the Methodist Church and at the Baptist Church at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.