History of New Rockford: January 1, 2018

The May 17, 1901, "Transcript" said the paper was in receipt of the first issue of the "Litchville Bulletin," published by Hugh Wells.

 The "Transcript" was of the opinion that the Eddy County Commission should order a few hundred trees for the court house yard.

 Valentine Fertig was spading up his garden. J.W. Stoddard was working on his lawn. R.R. Woodward was planting trees along his sidewalk, and Peter Prader had been adding more trees to his property. Hugh Peoples had planted over 10,000 trees on his farms that spring. The trees in the city park had all leafed out. Based on foliage and flowers, New Rockford boasted of two of the "nicest yards in North Dakota": Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Dresser's and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fay's. H. Arveskaug had re-sided the former Hoy residence and set the fence back off the street; he and his mother would soon move in. Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Davidson had moved into their new home on Lamborn Avenue West. H.J. Mitchell had built a windmill, pump, and tank on his two-acre farm adjoining his residence. Blacksmith John Olson's anvil was "very busy. John Wenz was also busy in his shoe repair shop. J.W. Lahart was dividing his time between New Rockford and Jamestown.

 The newly extended NP depot platform stretched from Villard Ave. on the south to Lamborn Ave. to the north. Ole Hendrickson was building a new home on the east side of the tracks; his daughter would do the housekeeping. The Flater & Sons Foundry & Machine Shop used a gasoline engine. Thomas Turner was painting the Peoples' warehouse roof.

 H.L. Rood was seeding his farm land. F.C. Davies was planting on his farm nine miles northeast of New Rockford. Donald Niven and John Voight had been spending a lot of time on their farms. Deputy county auditor F.G. Haver was in charge of the office since auditor James Hackney was out on his farm.

 J.W. Rager, harness maker, had been spending a lot of time at his farm eight miles east of town. Mrs. B.M. Leonard had reopened the old bakery east of the tracks and was doing a good business. An ad-East Side Bakery has fresh bread, pies and cakes.

 Mrs. Charles Pake was over from Bowdon to visit her husband, a wheat buyer. Material for the Charles Pake & Co. 40,000 bushel elevator was on the ground.

An unnamed person was challenging Mrs. George Brown's ownership of a homestead.

 Matie Bennett had started school. Sumner Stitzel and Olive Bennett had re-entered the Primary Department. Maud and Effie Weeks had been absent, and Katie and Emma Wenz had been absent for two weeks. Several members of the Botany class had collected the required number of thirty-five specimens. The members of the tenth grade Algebra class had finished their advanced work and were reviewing for the final exam. The school had recently received eighteen volumes of reports from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Miss Mae Tobler of Perham, MN, had been hired to teach the fourth and fifth graders the coming fall. Miss Blanche A. Burleigh of the Intermediate Department would spend the summer at her home in Luverne, MN.

 Tardies for the week included Hazel Kennedy, Jay Mulvey, Ernest Ohrner, and Fred Davies in the Intermediate Department and Harlan Mitchell in the Primary Department.

 The following final exams had been scheduled: 8th grade Geography, May 21; 8th grade Grammar and 9th grade Grammar, May 22; 8th grade Arithmetic and 10th grade Rhetoric, May 23; 8th grade History, 9th grade Arithmetic, 10thgrade Algebra, and Botany, May 24; Mental Arithmetic and General History, May 27; Spelling, May 28.

 Kids had been catching suckers in the James River "riffles."

 Rev. J.N. Loach had moved to Oakes, where he was the new Methodist pastor; he had been in New Rockford since April of 1899.

 H.L. Rodenberg was already planning on spending the winter in California with his wife and daughter.

 Scores in the Greenfield School #1 [later may have been Grandfield #13] after tests were given included  

 Grade 1: Henry Hendrickson 83; Arthur Seastrand 81; Hilda Johnson 81;

 Grade 2: Mary Kvale 91; Anna Rue 91; Ida Hendrickson 90; Agnes Seastrand 90; Paul Rud 77; Fred Rud, 74; Willie Johnson 73; Gena Hendrickson 71;

 Grade 3: Julius Kvale 84; Robert Johnson 83; Jennie Sween 82; Otto Sween 80;

 Grade 4: Mary Niedecken 89; Genevieve Seastrand 89; Signe Benson 87; Anna Hendrickson 86;

 Grade 5: Ester [Esther?] Johnson 90; Einer Seastrand 85; Ole Rud 84;

 Grade 6: Clara Hendrickson 93;

 Grade 8: Myrtle Seastrand 96; Ida Kvale 95; Marlon Mattson 94; Sina Rue 91.

 Greenfield students neither absent nor tardy in April were Anna Hendrickson, Gena Hendrickson, Ida Hendrickson, Hilda Johnson, Ida Kvale, Julius Kvale, Mary Niedecken, Agnes Seastrand, Arthur Seastrand, Einer Seastrand, and Myrtle Seastrand. Sara L. Rude was the teacher.

 The previous week J.F. Clure had fifty acres of flax up, but on the night of May 11, frost damaged the crop so badly he had to re-seed. A.D. Tomlinson had 1200 acres planted in crops. B.G. Arbogast of the Dakota Elevator Co. had been in town a few days. Banker P.J Hester had taken a trip "up the Soo Line." W.O. Baird was at his Kidder County ranch, looking over the start of herding. County Commissioners Braman and Schwoebel spent a lot of time looking over county roads; they spent one night at Mr. and Mrs. John J. Anderson's farm. The Hotel Mattson had been thoroughly cleaned and then the wind and dust storm hit and the entire job had to be done again.

 For the previous two weeks Andrew Ohrner had been working on his farm. J.R. Arbogast had been "putting out" seed grain.

 The previous winter Mrs. Benjamin G. Rantz had suffered a severe head cold that settled in the left side of her head. She was dangerously ill for several weeks, but then made a very slow recovery. The previous week she went to Dr. MacLachlan for her left ear which had been adversely affected. The doctor examined her and discovered that the ear drum had been completely destroyed.

 The time card for the Devils Lake branch of the Northern Pacific showed the southbound Freight #150 arrived in New Rockford at 11:20 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, while the northbound Freight #149 arrived at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

 On May 17 general merchant Ewald of Ewald & Yale of Barlow was in New Rockford on business. David Carlton was in on business. B.W. Hersey was in from his Tiffany farm. That afternoon the WCTU ladies held an ice cream social in the park. That evening there was a band concert in the same location. It was characterized as "...one of the best ever given in this city...." Also some older baseball players gave the high school team "a few pointers."