History of New Rockford - May 28, 2018

On the afternoon of September 7, 1901, L.H. Olmstead and Charles Bellis, the president and the secretary of the North Dakota Harvest Association of Dowagiac, Mich., stopped at the “Transcript” office. They and about twenty other young men from Michigan were headed to the Antelope Valley near Oberon to help with the harvest. Their outfit included a cook and sleeping car, a 36-64 Case separator, and a 25 horse power traction engine, all of which had been shipped from Edgeley to Oberon. The group, which included many professional men and architects, had harvested near Edgeley earlier in the season. New Rockford blacksmith George Flater was in Barlow. Marsh Chamberlain returned from his trip down the branch line, and J.H. Hohl returned from his business trip to the Twin Cities. Christ Hanson was in from his farm southeast of town on business.

At 3:35 a.m. Sunday, September 8, in front of the Northern Pacific Railway headquarters building in Jamestown, a loaded freight and passenger train on the James Valley line and driven by engineer Nichols and fireman Marion Nashold entered the yard. Nichols blew the whistle and applied the brakes, but, he claimed, the air pressure did not work, and the train smashed into a locomotive on the Valley Line. The engineer and fireman of the stopped locomotive were in the depot.

The second car of the train was a flat car with seventeen harvest hands coming in from LaMoure to work near Jamestown. They were sleeping under blankets when the flat car absorbed the shock of the collision and broke in half, with the middle being thrust into the air. The men were hurled off the flat car and onto the tracks, where many were run over by two loaded box cars.

Four men (John T. Gilley, S.D. Vickers, H.J. Kirkpatrick and one whose body was so badly mangled he couldn’t be identified) died at the scene. Three (Robert Glenny, Frank Howard and E.C. Long) were injured so badly they later died; and four (Louis Hammond, P.C. Kuak, A. Stewart and C.B. Perry) were very badly injured. The engineer and fireman jumped to safety. On that Sunday, Frank Sorenson of Barlow was in New Rockford.

On September 9, Walter Powers was in town looking after his elevator business. George A. Fields and J.A. McCrum were in from Tiffany. Mr. and Mrs. William West came up from their farm near Barlow. Fred G. Haver left for Leeds, where he would act as a grain buyer on the tracks. Dr. E.S. Miller, who had practiced in New Rockford from May 1884-January 1889, left for his home in Flagstaff, Arizona Territory. That evening Miss Beth Davidson joined the Royal Neighbors. Also that evening W.E. Biggs received word his mother had passed away from heart failure in Sanborn, N.D.; the next day Biggs went to the funeral and returned on September 11. Rev. J.R. Beebe accompanied him.

On September 9 to 10, E.G. Allison was visiting in New Rockford.

On September 10, Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Wilton, their daughter Sadie or Sayde, and Miss Olive Couch came in from Bismarck; the next day the Wilton family went to McHenry to visit relatives. Miss Couch remained in New Rockford to visit drugstore clerk Orley Couch; she returned to Bismarck on tSeptember 12 train. J.R. Craig was in on business. Mr. Cook, the cigar man, was in New Rockford. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Studebaker and family went to Ohio, where the children would enroll in college immediately; Mr. Studebaker would be back in Eddy County in about ten days. Miss Treffry left for her home in Marshalltown, Iowa. Brothers J.H. and Homer Eidemiller left for Dayton, Ohio, where they would attend college; they also planned on visiting the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo and the GAR encampment in Cleveland.

On September 10 and 11, Hans Peterson was over from near McHenry, where both flax and wheat were running 14 to 22 bushels per acre. Dr. Charles MacLachlan was in Jamestown. J.C. Stickley subbed for W.E. Biggs at the depot.

On the night of September 10, Thomas Turner came up from Barlow because of the illness of his youngest child.

On September 11, Luke Pepin was in from his farm on business. John E. Setz was in from eastern Eddy County on business. John M. Dutee and Tony Haas were in town. W.L. Bennett drove up from Carrington to visit some of his young friends. Mrs. E.A. Markey and baby arrived from Missouri to be with Mr. Markey, Olof Lundquist’s assistant in the New Rockford Machine Shop. Druggist and Mrs. W.L. Buttz went to Minnewaukan to visit; he returned the same day, but she planned on staying for a week or so and returned September 21. That evening Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Maddux hosted a party for young people in honor of Mrs. Maddux’s niece Miss Ethel Alber.

On September 12, John Hogan and Peter Crane came in from Tiffany, Alonzo Neutzel was in on business, and Samuel Rose came in from eastern Eddy County, where he had been manning a threshing rig. Jeweler F. Howard left for the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo and for New York City; he returned on September 21. That evening a large number of her friends surprised Miss Nellie Davidson at her residence on Lamborn Avenue West. Later in the evening the party went to Ohrner’s Hall for dancing and music. The next day Miss Davidson and her sister Beth left for Minneapolis to attend college.

On September 12 to 14, Aurle and Hazel Biggs were up from Jamestown to visit their uncle and aunt Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Biggs.

The September 13, 1901, “Transcript” mentioned that the “Finley Beacon” was beginning its fifth year, and the “Wells County News” was starting its seventh year.

An item said that Carrington lawyer and Foster County State’s Attorney George Soliday and his wife had left for Chicago, where he would take up a new position that would allow him to build a law practice in that city.

An announcement said that M.F. Kepner and veterinarian Patterson had won the fancy bridle on display in the office of the Hotel Davies. The winning number was 87; the bridle was worth more than fifty dollars.

Marsh Chamberlain had breeding ewes and lambs for sale for the next sixty days. C.J. Maddux had a four-room, one-story frame cottage on lots 27-28 of block 8; and a seven-room, two-story frame cottage on lots 31 to 22, block 13.

Dick Bohmbach was busy threshing.

An item said that Congregational minister Rev. J.R. Beebe had formerly practiced law in South Dakota, where he had hunted grouse and prairie chickens. During the fall in Eddy County, he got his share of prairie chickens, so he decided to hunt ducks and was surprised at how easy they were to shoot. He came home with so many in his buggy that he started to give them to his friends and acquaintances. However, the thank-you’s he received were rather cool, which he couldn’t understand until a small boy told him the birds which he had shot were actually mudhens and not very good to eat.

Prairie chickens were very scarce around Barlow. Barlow wheat was running around six to eight bushels per acre, which was better than had been expected. However, Mr. Halaas [Halas?] and John Indergaard, both of Foster County, had 18 and 21 respectively. Gus Swanson was having a livery stable built in Barlow. P.C. Peterson had a lumberyard and a coal business in Barlow.

The previous week B.B. Brown of Cooperstown came over to take charge of the NP pumping station for the fall and winter. Miss Sadie Marin left for her home in Ortonville, Iowa, before resuming her teaching duties in Eddy County. Mrs. O. West went to the Mr. and Mrs. John Goss homestead to visit for a month or so.