History of New Rockford - May 14, 2018

On August 26 and 27, 1901, John Mantz and his two daughters were in town. On August 26 to 28, Ben Larkin was in from his ranch south of Bowdon.

On the morning of August 27, the Russell-Miller Elevator at Jamestown was struck by lightning and totally destroyed by fire; there were plans to build a larger structure. Dick Bohmbach came in from his farm northwest of town with the first load of 1901 wheat, which was close to thirty bushels per acre and graded No. 1 Northern; he had started harvesting the day before. George B. Mansfield and W.H. Welsh were over from McHenry; John P. Morgan was down from Sheyenne; O.B. Tausen was up from Barlow; and John Dutee and F.P. Webb were in from Morris. W.G. Carter’s father came over from Grand Forks.

On August 28, K.K. Moe came in from northeast of town. Frank Woodward took the train to Melville and returned on his bicycle that evening. Mrs. M.F. Kepner and children came home from the Pan American Exposition and New York State, accompanied by Miss Helen Davis, sister of Miss Marion Davis. Mrs. Mary F. Goss arrived from Illinois with daughters Eva J. Goss and Mary F. Goss to visit their son and brother John Goss at Kiner.

J.L. Kinnaird finished the upper rooms of the school (the assembly room, two recitation rooms, and the principal’s office); the woodwork was painted light blue. That evening Joseph Grebb, foreman of the Dakota Elevator Company’s repair crew, returned from Fessenden, where the crew had been working on an elevator; he then moved on to Sheyenne for more elevator repair work.

On August 28 to 29, railroad mail clerk E.G. Allison visited his parents Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Allison in town. Mrs. A.B. Clark of Steele also visited the Allisons.

On August 29, newlyweds school principal E.R. and Anna Thomas returned from their honeymoon and began looking for a place to live. Mr. and Mrs. M. Mattson Jr., and baby were in town. Miss Elvina Lindstrom was up from Jamestown, intending to remain for a while. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Buttz. That afternoon L. Maude McKnight, the publisher of the “Cathay Bee,” was in New Rockford. That evening around 60 friends attended a birthday party for Miss Caroline Waters at the Hall farm on the Sheyenne River northeast of New Rockford; there were dancing, singing, and music until early morning, along with a meal served at midnight.

On that day, Miss Vera Keime left for an extended visit to Boston; her aunt Mrs. Desbrow would join her in Chicago. Miss Blanche Brownell had hosted a going-away party for Miss Keime at the Brownell residence on the afternoon of August 28. That evening the King’s Daughters entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Biggs in Miss Keime’s honor.

The August 30, 1901, “Transcript” was of the opinion that New Rockford was in need of a city hall, which could accommodate large dances, plays, entertainments and lodge functions.

It was announced that Mr. and Mrs. Jacob H. Hohl and family would soon leave New Rockford permanently due to his ill health. The previous winter he had spent most of his time in California for his health. He had gained weight and felt better, but since his return in the spring, his health had deteriorated to the point of causing alarm. “…the best physicians in the country” had examined his lungs and advised him to move. His lungs were “seriously affected.” Hohl was undecided if he would go to California, Arizona or New Mexico. Hohl’s former business partner, Nelson J. Hanson, also suffered from consumption [tuberculosis] and when he developed pleurisy in 1897, the disease completely took over. Hanson died on October 9, 1898, in Santa Madre, Calif., at the age of 35, and Hohl didn’t want to follow his partner’s fate, so he would move to a different climate in hopes of warding off the disease. Hohl & Hanson had opened their general store and lumberyard in early August 1886 with Hanson managing the store and Hohl the lumberyard. Hohl had resigned as manager of the Gull River Lumberyard effective the evening of August 31, 1901.

J.D. Eidemiller had a good team of driving horses and a single buggy and harness for sale.

Threshing of oats, wheat and barley was general throughout the northern half of the county; wheat was averaging 15 to 20 bushels per acre and was grading No. 2 Northern.

Charles Goss had been hauling lumber to his Kiner farm for a granary. Peter P. Halvorson was building a granary and machine shed on his Sheyenne Valley farm. Peter Schaefer was building a 34’x38’ granary on his farm west of New Rockford. August Seidel was building a granary on his farm west of town. Knudt Bymoen was building a house on his farm northwest of New Rockford.  

The Bank of New Rockford was being remodeled, painted and papered. Mrs. Maggie Riley’s east side residence had a new coat of paint.

Dennis Sweum had been brought into town from eastern Eddy County, suffering the effects of typhoid fever; he was feeling better, but the symptoms remained. George Schwoebel was still suffering from typhoid fever he had contracted on his visit to Wisconsin. The previous week Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Buck and family went to St. Paul, Minn., where little Margaret would have treatment in a hospital.

At 9 a.m. August 30, the first  teachers’ examination under the new law was given in the office of Grace B. Putnam, county superintendent of schools. J.R. Engberg was up from Barlow; Pearl Chaffee was in from Carrington; and grain buyer William O’Neill was down from Oberon. Dentist F.D. Norton, his wife, and family went to St. Paul to visit her sister and to go to the State Fair; they returned on September 9. The Misses Floy and Jet Richter, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Richter of Sheyenne, left for Jamestown, where they would attend school. A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Richter. That evening there was a free vocal song service at the Congregational Church.

On August 30 to 31, Misses Agnes and Gladys Kunkel were over from Fessenden to visit their uncle Nels Kunkel and family. Minnewaukan barber J.T. Morris was down to visit his parents. Frank Hudson came down from Oberon to visit his brother Hank.

From August 30 to September 2, Carl Olcott of Belvidere, Ill., visited his niece Mrs. Viola Woodward and other relatives.

On August 31, O.C./B.C. Ofstedal/Ofstedahl was in from Eden. Morris/Maurice O’Connor returned from the Pan American Exposition and Oil City, Pa. Thomas H. Paike, John McLaughlin and George Walsh were over from McHenry. Casper Erickson came down from Sheyenne. Miss Inez Sampson returned from a visit to Edmunds. Stephen Walsh was in town. Miss McGeoch returned to Oberon after a visit with her sister Mrs. F.G. Haver. James Hamilton of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, arrived to work as a butcher in Donald Niven’s meat market. Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Clark went for a week at the Minnesota State Fair; they returned September 7. Mack Majerus took his niece and nephew to the same fair.

Around September 1, Miss Nellie Davidson left to take a business course in Minneapolis. She had been the general delivery clerk at the New Rockford post office “for a long time.”