History of New Rockford: February 12, 2018

The Eddy County Commissioners met on June 14 and 15, 1901. On June 14, they voted to pay G.W. Johnston two hundred dollars as partial payment for the Walsh grade.

The Commissioners met again on June 15 and accepted bids on the following road grades: John Allred, $18, O’Keefe Slough #1; R.M Kennedy, $23, O’Keefe Slough #2; John Allred, $22, O’Keefe Slough #3; R.M. Kennedy, $26.50, Pat O’Connor Slough; Ed Starks, $100, Delany Weimals Slough; Ed Starks, $110, slough between sections 15 and 16, T149, R62 [Colvin Township]; Ed and George Stitzel, $81, slough between the north half of section 9 and the north half of section 19, T149, R62; Ed Starks, $60, slough between sections 9 and 10, T149, R62.

R.M. Kennedy, $53, La Pierre bridge; Ed Starks, $60, Plainview grade between sections 15 and 22, T148, R65 [Pleasant Prairie Township]; Ed Starks, $59, Hartson-Larkin Slough in T148, R65; R.M. Kennedy, $18, slough between sections 13 and 18, T148, R66-R67 [Superior and Rosefield Townships]; R.M. Kennedy, $20.75, Buffington Slough; R.M. Kennedy, $60. Peoples’ grade; Ed Starks, $20, West Slough.

Ed and George Stitzel also got the bids for the Hagen grade, $36; the slough south of the railroad crossing, $55; the Walton Slough, $36; and conditionally accepted for the Bergland Slough, $65; the Hays Slough, $45; the Brand Slough, $31; and the Richter Slough, $51.

W.C. Hayes was also paid $30 for janitorial services.

On June 15, Paul Duda, Rudolph Indergaard, Will Thorn, James G. Dailey, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Martin (shopping) Jack Haley of the East Tiffany Flats, A.F, Schwenck of Cathay, and Hjalmer Dinnetz of Twist were all in New Rockford. Miss Floy Richter came through New Rockford on the northbound train from Jamestown, where she had attended high school all winter, to her Sheyenne home. Miss Beth Davidson arrived from Minneapolis to spend the summer with her parents Mr. and Mrs. James Davidson. That afternoon there was another soaker rain.

On June 15 and 16, Andrew Johnson, Jr., was in New Rockford.

On Sunday, June 16, Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Maw and Winifred came up from Carrington. Andrew Wald was in from the Larrabee country. Lloyd Whiteman drove to Carrington to retrieve a horse that had run away a couple weeks before when Whiteman was at his claim near Melville. Miss Hilda Johnson returned to her Tiffany home after attending school in New Rockford during the winter.

On June 17, the following left for the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY: Mrs. H.J. Mitchell and son Harlan, Mrs. Viola Woodward, Mrs. George A. Hickey, and George and Harry Dunham. Martin Walsh was in from his farm northeast of New Rockford. J.W. Richter came down from Sheyenne on business. Other New Rockford visitors were Lambert VanLith, Herb Losee, and John Setz from eastern Eddy County. That evening the Royal Neighbors hosted a “Night Cap” social in the Maddux Hall. It cost ten cents a box.

On June 18, the conflict in Sheyenne was resolved in an election when the old school board was re-elected. Clayton Hall, Henry B. Johnson of Plainview, and Peter P. Hallquist of the Sheyenne Valley were in town. There were eighteen votes cast in the New Rockford School election. W.C. Beardsley was elected to a three-year term and W.E. Biggs to a two-year term. That day Dick Bohmbach took up a 900 lb., ten-year old black horse at his farm eight miles northwest of New Rockford. The animal had saddle marks and a rope around its neck.

On June 19, “Uncle Tut” Smith was in town. Mrs. Maurice O’Connor and Miss Elizabeth Seibert left for Titusville, PA; from there they would go to the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY.

On June 20, Walter Schmid was up from Carrington to visit. Editor H.H. Palmer of the “Carrington Independent” and his wife attended the Early Settlers’ picnic. Palmer played with the band, as did slide trombonist Schaefer and clarinetist Chris Rageth, both of Harvey.

 On that calm, cool, and clear day the annual Early Settlers’ Picnic was held in Roberts’ Grove, with many vehicles from New Rockford, Sheyenne, McHenry, and various farms on the road by 9 a.m. A small shower the previous evening kept the dust down. Admission was 25 cents for men sixteen and over to pay for the band and the purses. At 11 a.m. the seventeen-piece New Rockford Band began playing in the pavilion. They also played after the picnic dinners were eaten at noon.

A literary program consisted of speeches by O.E. Wood and F.L. Tronsdal: a recitation by Mrs. O.B. Stedman; and a song by the Larrabee Night Owls (Eugene Oard, Glenn Sullivan, John Goodin, Ward Roush, and Berthold Roush).

At 1:30 p.m. McHenry and New Rockford played five innings of baseball on the hill south of the grove for a $9 purse which New Rockford won 9-3 [one source says 2]. New Rockford players were: A.J. Clure, p; C.J. Stickney, c; Charles Hensel, 1b; Jackson, 2b; Fred Zimmerman, 3b; John Ruttle, ss; C.J. MacNamara, rf; Mark Hulbert, cf; and Goodhouse, lf. Weideman and Potter were the umpires.

Races and their prizes were horse and pony races (best two out of three) $5 and $3; potato race (horse or pony) $3, $2, $1; 100-yard foot race, $3, $2, $1; fifty-yard sack race, $3, $2, $1. All the horse-racing purses were won by Indians, except for the potato race in which George Pincott took first and O.B. Stedman second. Ralph Graham won the 100-yard dash.

After the racing events, lunch baskets were gotten out again, followed by dancing until a late hour.

With over three thousand people in attendance it was the largest gathering in the history of the event. Gate receipts were $85. The rain held off until 3:30 a.m. June 21.

New officers were Thomas Turner, president; J.W. Richter, vice president; A.M. Greely, secretary; H.J. Mitchell, treasurer. The executive committee was made up of E.B. Thomson, John Schaefer, Sylvanus Marriage, Mrs. W.A. Cornish, and Mrs. May M. Keime.

The following New Rockford stores were closed that day: H. Peoples’, John M. Mulvey hardware, J.W. Rager harness shop, Thomas Ose hardware, Rodenberg Bros., Prader & Litcher, R.R. Woodward, J.C. Whiteman drug store and A.C. Buck drug store.

That evening the five-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hylton had his leg broken when a calf stepped on it.