History of New Rockford - April 16, 2018

On August 8, 1901, the N.D. Board of Railroad Commissioners inspected the NP branch line from Carrington to Leeds. Isaac Sanderson was in from Tiffany; W.J. Morris came in from Plainview; J.M. Shannon came in from his ranch; Andrew Johnson was in for harvest supplies; Fred Allmaras, George Treffry and M.P. Eidemiller were in on business; Jack Haley was in from the east side of the county; Hans Guler was in from his farm; and Henry Garvin came in from his farm west of New Rockford. Ed Morris of Morris passed through town on his way to Carrington to help build an elevator. Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Mitchell and Harlan returned from their visit to the Pan American Exposition and to relatives in New York and Pennsylvania. A gentle rain fell that afternoon.

The August 9, 1901, “Transcript” indicated that the “Wells County News” was for sale and that the “Maddock Standard" was a new newspaper.

That issue commented that there was a “house famine” in New Rockford. It also stated that every train brought in more harvest hands, all of whom were hired immediately.

Samuel McDowell had a notice: McDowell had given a note to Charles Pingel on August 3 for $12.40. Pingel knocked off forty cents for his washing, so McDowell corrected the amount to an even twelve dollars, but he forgot to change the written-out figure. Any person who accepted the note should know it was good for twelve dollars, not $12.40.

M.P. Eidemiller had a black walnut Miller organ for sale; it could be seen at the Prader farm, three and half miles southeast of town. Marsh Chamberlain had some fine young pigs for sale. Mrs. H.F. Rodenberg was looking for a girl to do general housework. Inquire of E.B. Thomson or Robert O’Neill if you want to buy a second-hand J.I. Case threshing outfit.

Receiver James Murphy had sold the telephone line that connected Carrington, New Rockford, Fessenden, and several other towns to attorney Leslie of Carrington.

The July 1901 freight receipts at the New Rockford depot were double those of July 1900, but the passenger receipts had dropped by 50 percent because there was no longer a daily passenger train.

An item stated that Anton Lorenz had died in January at his home north of Jamestown. His estate was worth $15,000 in personal property and real estate. Mary Steinbach of New Rockford was left out of the will entirely, so she sued, and with Jamestown attorney John Knauf and New Rockford attorney James A. Manly as her representatives, she won her case recently before Judge Bigelow.

The Methodist ladies had formed an Aid Society; it would meet every other Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

It was reported that at a women’s baseball game, two ladies ran into each other and were slightly hurt.

The Baptist Church in downtown New Rockford had been repainted. Methodist services would be held at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. every Sunday, with Sunday School at noon. Clergymen serving the New Rockford churches were Father McDonald, Catholic; Rev. S. Van Tassel, Baptist; Rev. C.F. Sewrey, Methodist; Rev. J.R. Beebe, Congregational.

A.D. Tomlinson had finished harvesting his oats, which were of “high quality.”

James Johns was in town that week, looking over his business interests. Near the end of that week, Walter Powers was in to look over the Powers Elevator. On August 3, both Johns and Powers went to Barlow. On August 5, Powers went to Josephine, the new town on the Oberon extension which replaced an earlier attempt at settlement called Genin, to check on his new elevator going up there. P.C. Peterson had received five carloads of wood for his Barlow lumberyard. Nick and Mack Majerus’ nephew and niece had arrived from Minneapolis for the summer.

Union Central Life Insurance Co. general agent G.W. Taylor of Fargo had visited F.I. Lyon a few days.

C.J. Stickney was employed by the “Eddy County Provost.” John Ruttle would leave shortly to manage an elevator in Fergus Falls, Minn.

Whiteman & Prader had a second-hand Peerless Separator for sale.

The NP weed burner had been busy all along the branch line during the week.

On August 9, Mack Majerus arrived with a carload of heavy workhorses for sale. W.C. Bowers was up from Barlow. Henry B. Johnson came in from Plainview on business. O.H. Olson and “Pomp” Shauers were in town. Mrs. Francis Pottner went to visit relatives in eastern Eddy County. At 9 p.m. the Knights of the Maccabees, New Rockford Tent #41, met.

At 2 p.m. that day there was a program for the summer term of the Clark School, followed by a picnic. The program consisted of a march and greeting by the school children; a response to the roll call with quotations; “The Lord’s Prayer,” a chorus by the school children; recitation “Sunbeams” by Cora Clark; recitation “Roses” by Julius Moe; recitation “An Afternoon Call” by Grace Duursma; “Fair America,” a chorus by the school children.

Recitation “A Boy’s Opinion” by Carl Foster; recitation “Early and Late” by Rudolph Duursma; a recitation by Harry Clark; “The Old Red Schoolhouse” sung by a trio made up of Grace Foster, Sadie Clark and Wealthy Foster.

Dialogue “Robin Bird and Robert Boy”; dialogue “Laugh a Little” by John Duursma; reading “School Boy Farthest North” by Carl Moe; reading “Pap was Stumped” by Grace Foster; recitation “Johnny’s Choice” by Elmer Moe; duet “Baby’s on a Strike” by Grace Foster and Sadie Clark.

Recitation “Parts of Speech” by Wealthy Foster; recitation “Legend of the Northlands” by Sadie Clark; recitation by Grace Foster; “Vacation Song” by the school children; a closing song and march.

On August 10, the following came over from McHenry: H.T. Heiple, Emil Krebs, Eugene Green, and R.J. Cole. Gilbert Bymoen and Frank Thelander were in on business. George Schwoebel returned from the Pan American Exposition. Frank Ponto was down from his large Sheyenne Valley farm. O.C. Gronvold was also in from the Sheyenne Valley. Miss Ruth Gronvold and Miss Eunice Rud were in town shopping. Miss Annie Fleutsch, a 1901 graduate of Jamestown High School, came up to attend the Teachers’ Training School and to visit her sister Mrs. H.L. Litcher. The Congregational Sunday School picnic scheduled for August 9 was postponed until August 10 due to rain. A large crowd attended the picnic in Clark’s Grove west of town. P.C. Peterson, Mayor of Barlow, was in Carrington. Fred Hanson of Barlow was shoeing a horse when it became frightened and jumped on Hanson’s right foot, spraining it. Foster County Surveyor F.B. Ewald and the County Commissioners went to eastern Foster County and inspected the bridges on Bald Creek. Ewald was training his pup “Queenie” for the upcoming prairie chicken season.