History of New Rockford: June 4, 2018

On September 13 and 14, 1901, H. Peoples was in Fargo. On September 13 to 16, Jacob Chamberlain was visiting in Jamestown.

On September 14 (or 7), J.R. Engberg of Barlow accompanied his son Sumner to Fargo, where the young man would attend NDAC. On September 14, Misses Nellie and Beth Davidson left on a train (it was late) for the Twin Cities.

At 2:15 a.m. September 14, gunshot victim President William McKinley passed away, having no chance of survival once gangrene had invaded his internal organs. Later that day in New Rockford bells were tolled and flags were at half-staff. All the businesses closed and black crepe was hung on all the doors. The New Rockford Band played funereal music.

On Sunday morning, September 15, a memorial service was held in the courthouse. There was music by the band and a prayer by Rev. Sewrey; a choir sang a song composed for and sung at President James A. Garfield’s funeral in 1881; and Rev. J.R. Beebe gave a memorial address. That afternoon, memorial services were held in the Barlow City Hall. There was standing room only in the hall, which was draped in honor of the late president. The sermon was by Rev. J.R. Beebe. Attending from New Rockford were Mrs. H.J. Mitchell, Miss Phoebe Van Horn and R.R. Woodward. Druggist W.L. Buttz and butcher David Gerry, both of New Rockford, were in Barlow and later Carrington. Sheyenne grain buyer A.H. Johnson was in Jamestown; he returned to Sheyenne on the next day’s train.

Around September 14, Charley Baird left to attend a military academy in Faribault, Minn. That day Miss Ethel Bauer came in from Bismarck to attend school.

The New Rockford Schools opened on September 16. The staff included Prof. E.R. Thomas, principal [second year]; Miss Phoebe Dixon of Ogden, Iowa, assistant principal [first year]; Miss Mae Tobler, Fargo, Grammar Department [first year]; Miss Frances Thomson, First Primary [first year]; Miss Helen Schmid, Second Primary [second year]. Ed Nystrom and Andrew B. Nelson were in town on business.

On September 16 and 17, mail clerk E.G. Allison visited his parents Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Allison.

On September 17, Erick Nelson came in from the farm. Mrs. John R. Arbogast went to Fargo to visit. The high school students elected the following: Ray Hester, Horarian; Guy Thompson, assistant Horarian; Evelyn Mattson, correspondent for the “Provost”; and Perry Stanton, correspondent for the “Transcript.” That evening a large number of businessmen met in Maddux Hall to discuss building a city hall; all were in favor.

On September 18, Mrs. E.R. Davidson went to Carrington to visit her mother. That evening the Ladies Aid of the Baptist Church hosted a dime social at their church. Also that evening the New Rockford school board hired A.H. “Hope” Crawford as the janitor. Barlow barber R.L. Allison stayed overnight in New Rockford.

On September 19, President William McKinley’s funeral was held in Canton, Ohio. That morning, memorial services were held in the crowded courtroom of the Eddy County courthouse. All New Rockford businesses were closed. Short eulogies were given by Revs. Beebe, VanTassel, and Sewrey; attorney James A. Manly; and Prof. E.R. Thomas. They were interspersed with hymns by the choir and dirges played by the band. An original hymn by Rev. J.R. Beebe was sung.

At 2 a.m. John Denny, the thirteen-month old son of Thomas and Katie Turner died; he had not been well for some time. The funeral was held at 2 p.m. September 20 in the family home. His gravestone in Prairie Home Cemetery reads “August 19, 1900-September 19, 1901 baby.”

On September 19, Henry Chance of Redfield, Iowa, arrived to visit Prof. E.R. Thomas, New Rockford School principal. He accepted a position at the Rodenberg Bros. store and left the next day to get his wife. Attorney R.P. Allison returned from a trip down the branch line on legal business. J.R. Shannon was in town. C.E. Stahl came down from Sheyenne. John Goss was over from his Kiner farm, and R.A. Daniels was in from Tiffany. George E. Woodward’s mother arrived from Clarksville, Iowa, to visit her son, his family, and her three great grandchildren in the family of Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Dresser. The northbound train brought Miss Jet Richter through New Rockford on her way to visit her parents in Sheyenne. Miss Clara Von Almen left for her home in Elizabeth, Minn., after a visit with her sister Mrs. A.H. Crawford. Also leaving for Elizabeth was Miss Mary Schuster, who had been visiting her brother in eastern Wells County for some time. Mrs. E.S. Severtson went to Carrington. David Gerry left for his home in Owen Sound, Ontario. J.R. Craig took up at his farm one brown mare, 800 lbs., with a leather halter, a sore on her left shoulder, and a scar on a hip behind the rump.

On September 19 to 20, Grace Putnam and her mother visited friends in Jamestown.

The September 20, 1901, “Transcript” said that Arthur Larkin had harvested oats on his farm in eastern Eddy County the first of the week. Flax harvesting had started again, as the wet weather had ended; some flax was selling at $1.49.

In school news, several students from near Sheyenne had enrolled in the New Rockford School. School enrollment was up about fifty from the previous year. The high school had a new Radiant Home heating stove. Twenty-five new books and some new seats had been ordered for the high school. Seats from the old Tomlinson School had been brought to the New Rockford School. Mr. Whetham brought the students from the Tomlinson District to school in New Rockford and then took them home again. Prof. E.R. Thomas had a new Jewett No. 3 typewriter; he had donated a copy of Ridpath’s “History of the World” to the high school. All school supplies for the New Rockford School and the other schools in the township could be obtained in his office. Recesses for the high school were used for study and recitation. The high school students had more laboratory work than in previous years; the laboratory period was in the afternoon, and was used for botany, chemistry, and physics. The biology class was collecting specimens. Grades 8 and 9 were studying physical geography. While Miss Dixon was teaching music, Miss Tobler taught writing and Miss Schmid taught drawing. The school library was receiving monthly consular reports from Washington, D.C.

The Barlow station agent, A.M. Niccum, was from Carrington. The NP depot at New Rockford had a new coat of paint.

Fred Siebolt of eastern Wells County had raised several large cabbages; one weighed eighteen pounds and was on display at Rodenberg Bros. store.