History of New Rockford: March 26, 2018

On July 18, 1901, Orley Couch came up from Minneapolis, where he had attended the School of Pharmacy, and resumed his position in A.C. Buck’s drug store. W.C. Carter was in town. That evening there was a dance in Hulbert’s Grove, hosted by the baseball team; there wasn’t a very large attendance, so financially it was a failure, but the dancers had a good time.

On July 18 (or July 11), Miss Nellie Brand, who had been teaching school near Carrington, returned home; she was planning on spending the summer at her claim near Esmond.

The July 19, 1901, “Transcript” said that the Bank of New Rockford had started an excavation for an addition. J.T. Syftestad had a photography studio on Villard Avenue East which had formerly been occupied by E.D. Purchase, who had gone to Jamestown. An ad—“For first-class photos go to Syftestad.” The NP bridge crew had almost completed the new loading platform.

The previous week the Clure Implement Co. had received a shipment of fine buggies. Bicycle brands for sale in town were Fox and Climax. Also the previous week saw Fred Dutee in from eastern Eddy County with a sample of oats with well-filled heads.

On July 19, Mrs. J.E. Bennett returned from her visit with Manitoba relatives.

On the evening of July 19 to July 20, Dr. MacLachlan and jeweler F. Howard were in Oberon to see one of the doctor’s patients.

On July 20, August Wolgemuth was in from Morris, and John Seckinger and Joe Dutee were in town on business. Burrill A. Daniels came in from eastern Eddy County. Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Stoddard returned from their eastern trip: they spent several days at the Pan American Exposition at Buffalo; went to Chautauqua County, N.Y., to see his father S.N. Brownell of Bemis Point and the late Charles Auiler’s daughters; and then to Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa. The New Rockford baseball team lost 15-14 in Barlow. A.J. Clure pitched for New Rockford. C.J. Stickney, the New Rockford catcher, had two fingers split open in the third inning, and in the fifth inning a runner ran into Dr. C.J. McNamara, the New Rockford first baseman, who suffered an injured wrist.

From July 20 to 23, Miss Nora Kennedy and her two younger sisters visited their sister Mrs. B.C. Larkin near Bowdon.

On the evening of Sunday, July 21, the Methodist preacher Rev. Charles F. Sewrey gave a lecture to young people on “Success in Life.”

On July 22, the Chautauqua at Devils Lake closed. Returning from the Chautauqua were A.C. Jones, E. McLain, Mrs. W.E. Biggs, Mrs. May Keime and Alvin, Rev. and Mrs. Desbrow and daughter, and Mrs. Walter Priest. J.W. Richter, owner of the Sheyenne townsite, and John M. Mulvey New Rockford hardware store owner, were named to the Chautauqua Board of Directors. John Shannon, William West, Mrs. Sarah C. Lathrop, Oscar Irwin, and David Geiger were New Rockford. I.F. Studebaker left for a visit to Tippecanoe, Ohio.

On that day, Jacob Ackerman was purchasing farm supplies in Prader & Litcher’s store when he offered to help lower a barrel of cider into the basement. He got on the steps below the barrel, and he and some other men slowly lowered it down the stairs. Near the bottom Ackerman told the others to let the barrel go because he could handle it. When the men let go, the barrel slipped, pinning Ackerman to the floor, smashing the tibia and fibula and spraining the ankle of his right leg. It was a serious injury and he was put under the care of Drs. MacLachlan and McNamara in the Hotel Mattson. It was rumored he might lose the full use of his leg.

The Eddy County Commission met on July 22 to 26. On July 22 they paid G.M. O’Connor $9 for bridge repairs; on July 24 $120.10 and $53.35 to the Stitzel Bros. for grade contracts and grading; $8 (unspecified reason) and $20 to George Stitzel for buying horses; and on July 26, $53 to R.M. Kennedy for grading.

On July 23, Martin Walsh, W.G. Carter and John Voght were in New Rockford, as were Thomas E. O’Toole of near McHenry, J.A. McCrum from eastern Eddy County, C.C. Hanson of Plainview and J.C. Smith from Melville. Miss Mary Bennett went to visit in Minnewaukan.

On July 24, Mrs. C.A. Lathrop returned from her eastern and southern trip. H.F. Rodenberg returned from Casselton; his wife and family remained there for a longer visit. Mrs. E.B. Thomson and Mrs. Frances Wilson shopped in New Rockford. Oberon newspaperman A.J.F. Voight was in New Rockford between trains. Frank Whipple arrived from Wisconsin to help with the harvest. Mrs. Halters of Chicago came in to visit her sister Mrs. C.C. Hanson and family; it was her first visit to North Dakota. Mrs. M.F. Kepner and children left to visit her old home in New York State. In baseball played in New Rockford, it was the home team 12, Carrington 11. The Baptist Sunday School picnic took place in Chamberlain’s Grove west of town. That night a gentle rain cooled off the temperature.

On July 25, Martin and Elias Anderson were in from Plainview. Andrew Anderson was in from his farm southeast of town. Rev. and Mrs. Edward Desbrow and their daughter Maud left for South Dakota and then their Massachusetts home after visiting her sister May M. Keime. That evening a lawn social at Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Brownell’s was “well-attended” and raised a “neat sum” for the Ladies Social Union.

The July 26, 1901, “Transcript” characterized 1901 as the hottest year on record; the temperature in Bismarck on July 22 was 104 degrees.

That issue said that the newspaper war between the “Transcript” and the “Eddy County Provost” had deteriorated over the previous several months ever since the “Provost” began printing indecent language. At the present term of the Federal District Court in Devils Lake, copies of the “Provost” were presented to the grand jury, with the following result: “…the publishers of that paper have been indicted for sending obscene matter through the mails.”

Mr. and Mrs. P.J. Hester had returned from their trip to Chicago, Toledo, the Pan American Exposition at Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Albany, a boat ride on the Hudson River, Coney Island and Washington, D.C. Mr. Hester was in New Rockford, while Mrs. Hester remained in Crookston, Minn., until August 3.

Joseph G. Grebb, foreman of the Dakota Elevator Company’s building crew, had been in New Rockford for several days, looking over the repair of the local elevator. S.N. Putnam had a new windmill in his yard on the east side. S.P. Pisel was building a 28-by-40 foot barn with 14-foot posts and a 16-by-40 foot addition on his farm northwest of town. George Fahrer of the East Side Meat Market had purchased a delivery wagon which acted as a cold storage plant. W.L. Buttz of Tower City and a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, was working at Whiteman’s drug store.

Former resident Harry Flater of Flagstaff, Ariz., Territory, had sent C.J. Stickney two horned toads, a male and a female; they were on display in the front window of Mulvey’s hardware.

The quarantine on Mrs. George Pike and children had been lifted.