Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Sometimes working through the archives at the Eddy County Museum is a bit like putting together a puzzle. Just as it is with puzzles, sometimes an answer seems to pop out. This week in particular, something interesting happened- I finally started to put faces with the names and places of long ago. This story began when I took an extra moment to pause before leaving the Dodd's School House, and admired the collection of shoes dating back a century or more. One pair of women's hunting boo...
The arrival of the pasque flower (pulsatilla vulgari) is one of the most telling signs that spring has arrived on the prairie. But why stop there? Signs are all around us! Just look at the new growth on trees, the greening grass on the lawn, and dandelions bringing a splash of color to our lives. The song birds get busy well before dawn. From the rhubarb shoots to the lilac bushes, new growth is all around. Soon the grass on the prairie will be thick, and so will the ticks. May we continue to...
We humans need a break from time to time. The constant barrage of information and emotion can be difficult. In the 21st century, we often equate a leisurely break with a dose of Netflix. A century prior however, people were finding exciting entertainment options through print media. This week, I share two printed games that people of the early 20th century enjoyed. Both of these 'games' were donated by early Eddy County Museum board member Elsie Kerr. Elsie's collection includes over 50 media...
Hat pins were once a commonly used tool that was both beautiful in design and strategic in function. The pins usually measured eight inches in length or more, and fulfilled one purpose- to secure a hat onto a woman's head. It was a useful and necessary tool, especially as hats increased in size, weight and texture. The way they worked was simple, passing through the hat and catching in a bun of hair underneath. Their practicality could not be overstated, as no one wanted their beautiful hat to...
Pictured at right is a light and sheer blouse with intricate lace work. It is one of several similar blouses housed at the Eddy County Museum. Known as the shirtwaist, or sometimes simply a "waist," this blouse was designed much like a man's shirt with a collar and a button-down top. Notable differences in this more feminine design included a series of pleats at the waist (hence the name.) The result was a blooming bust and shoulders and a cinched waist. Shirtwaists were lightweight, breathable...
It never fails. Every time I step into one of the buildings at the Eddy County Museum, I notice something for the very first time. Not long ago, I stopped into the Dodd's schoolhouse, like I often do. For whatever reason, I took note of a blue suitcase just inside the closet. I had never noticed it before, and I was sure I had never seen the contents. In fact, it has never been listed in the growing catalog of nearly 3,000 objects, photos and book regarding Eddy County's peoples and history. I...
If popular culture has taught us anything about the early days of the teenage dating scene, it is that girls were often using an excuse similar to, "I'm busy that night. I'll be washing my hair." To be honest, I never really understood. I was always kind of a wash and go kind of gal. But as we know, life (and style) hasn't always been so simple. The actual process of washing the hair might not have taken that much longer than what you and I are accustomed. The real chore came in styling and dryi...
Some might argue that the most important invention in human history was soap. Indeed, soaps made for fewer infections and greatly improved personal hygiene. Soap also had great potential when it came to marketing. If nothing else, we can assume people liked the idea of cleanliness. From 1827 to 1950, Soapine trading cards made their way across the country. There are several worth noting at the Eddy County Museum- nearly all of them in brilliant color. In 1881, a Boston trade journal published...
In one of my earliest memories I was sharing a page of my writing with my mother. It was nothing more than a piece of newsprint with a smattering of l's and o's, but she told me to keep it up. Little did I know that 35 years later I'd be a small town journalist working amid a pandemic. The road to becoming a writer is strange. For me it began with an innate interest in hearing other people's stories paired with the desire to imbue those stories with life by placing them on the page. As a child I...
Sometimes I wonder what percentage of the American population has had the privilege of pressing down a typewriter key. For the past 30 years, the public has been accustomed primarily to computers and even phones for their word processing needs. Today typing a letter can be a smooth and efficient process, especially thanks to features such as ergonomic keyboards and spellcheck, not to mention a delete button. The modern computer keyboard is command central with an array of options and controls....
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the lack of smiles in photographs from the earliest parts of the 20th century. It turns out the smiles that we expect in photos didn't come into fashion until the late 1930s. While much of this had to do with changing cultural norms and improved dentistry, there is one theory about photogenic smiles that makes perfect sense. People could buy a box camera from the drugstore for a dollar. Soon everyday folks were taking snapshots of the people in their lives, ef...
The 1920s are known as being a revolutionary time of growth and modernization, but to be honest I never really understand why. (This is when I note that I am trained as an anthropologist, not a historian.) I was somewhat surprised to find the answer was both simple and complex: war. World War I was an unprecedented event, no one had every seen anything like it. In an effort to articulate the vast impact this global war had on their lives, folks called it The Great War. Worldwide, traditioaanal...
The Eddy County Museum has an impressive collection of hats. In fact more than two dozen different hat styles are represented in the archives. For those of us who live in the 21st century, it can be hard to understand why hats were all the rage- and such an important part of every day life. In the early 1900s, it was just simply good manners to keep your head covered. Sometimes it made practical sense, like wearing a bonnet on the open prairie. Such precautions prevented dirt and debris from...
By now, it must be apparent to readers that the Eddy County Museum has a hearty collection of artifacts dating to the early 1900s. This era - fondly known as Eddy County's Early Years - marked a time of rapid expansion and development. Newcomers from various backgrounds settled into homes. In time many contributed to an entrepreneurial spirit that fostered remarkable downtown shopping opportunities for townsfolk and farmers alike. New Rockford wasn't the only locale bearing witness to newfound...
Persistent cold temperatures can sometimes yield unworldly ice formations. New Rockford water plant manager Rick Swenson stopped in the Transcript on Thursday, Feb. 11 to inform us that an ice stalagmite had formed in the back of the Transcript office building. You better believe that the whole staff battled subzero temperatures to take a look. A seven-foot-tall ghost-like ice formation had formed on a small volunteer tree as a result of exhaust from a heating vent. In good fun we coined the...
As the 2020-21 academic year approaches the midterm of the third quarter, the NR-S school board responded to several personnel changes as well as the upcoming school board election. At the Feb. 8 regular meeting, the board accepted the retirement of Jamie Risovi. After 32 years of instruction, Risovi will be missed but says he’ll have more time for fishing. The board also accepted the resignation of Tara Seward, who will be moving to Minot to pursue new opportunities. Seward has worked with NR-S for 10 years instructing both elementary and midd...
If life was a merry-go-round, then it has brought Rhonda Stevenson full circle to serve as the Dean of Students at New Rockford-Sheyenne School. Born and raised in Eddy County, Rhonda graduated from New Rockford High School. She went on to Mayville State University where she earned her degree in education and became a licensed teacher. Rhonda moved on to live in Nevada with her husband, where they had two daughters and she enjoyed a 29-year career in education. But life is full of surprises....
In the early 1900s, having your portrait captured on film was a rare occurrence. Posing for a picture was an all out event, complete with dramatic staging and bright lights. With all the excitement, you'd think people might smile once in a while. Aside from the occasional smirk, portraits of this era seem undeniably stoic. And there was good reason. Many assume this is because the exposure time during this era was too long to capture bright, smiling faces. Others surmise that maybe poor dental...
Rumor has it that by the time this newspaper reaches its readers, most of North Dakota will be in the midst of a cold snap. If that happens, we might be forced to actually put on a coat and find those gloves. I know, I know. But failing to protect ourselves from freezing temperatures can have serious implications. Those of us who are parents have added fingers, toesies and nosies to worry about. Even worse, little bodies are often stubborn when it comes to wearing appropriate winter attire. But...
Eddy County's newest deputy hails from rural Georgia, but has had many stops along the way. Four years in the Marine Corps took Deputy Jake Roberts to North Carolina, New York, South Korea and Japan. "I'm not used to living in a town this small," Deputy Roberts confessed during our interview. Roberts arrived in town late in December, a time of year that usually deters newcomers away from the Northern Plains. As it turns out, cold weather isn't too much of a concern for Roberts, as his time in Ne...
Waiting can be a trying thing. The gentleman pictured below appears to be waiting for his to train to arrive. How many of you can relate? Maybe you're waiting for your chance to getaway, or land a promotion, or simply find the right time to do something you love. In the meantime, we continue to dream the dreams of what it will be like when the wait is over. I often think about how difficult the lives of Eddy County's early settlers must have been. It could have been all too easy to get stuck in...
The Open Season Lodge, located in the former Sheyenne School, will open its doors to more than 20 vendors on Saturday, Feb. 6. The event will take place from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Event organizer Alyson Myhre says she is pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest vendors have expressed. Even more impressive is the diversity of products that will be available as a result. Myhre says, “The usual vendors will be there, like Tupperware and Pampered Chef. But we’ll also have products from clothing boutiques, handmade soaps, home decor creators lik...
Archives are only as complete as the information within. In fact, there is one particular topic lacking information that bothers me. Many of the women who resided in Eddy County during the early years remain unknown in the museum archives. You see somewhere along the line cultural etiquette got in the way of cultural preservation. Addressing a married woman as Mrs. has been the proper rule for generations. So when folks named the faces in the photograph below, it was perfectly natural to list...
The Eddy County Museum and Historical Society is happy to announce that the renovations to the Stavanger Church ceiling and walls are complete. This milestone comes after more than two years of planning, fundraising and coordination on the part of museum volunteers and board members. Today the Stavanger Church building serves as a gathering space for events and meetings and houses collections of books, documents, religious artifacts and military items. The museum hired local contractor Dean...
On January 11, at a regular school board meeting, the New Rockford-Sheyenne Board of Education made the decision to hire Interstate Engineering to provide assistance in the second gym project. The engineering firm has been utilized before not only by the school but by city and county entities as well. Over a period of 45 days, the firm will provide the school technical assistance in identifying and selecting an architectural firm to render drawings for the proposed second gym. The assistance is estimated to cost $3,000. This step comes after...
