History of New Rockford- July 2, 2018

On Oct. 5, 1901, the semi-annual meeting of the Foster-Eddy-Wells Tri-County Teachers’ Association took place in Fessenden. Eddy County teachers on the program included Grace B. Putnam, Response to the Address of Welcome, and Miss Frances Thomson, Recitation. Mrs. George Woodward and Miss Ethel Albers were also in attendance. Miss Estella Trotter and her little sister of Jamestown were in New Rockford to visit their sister [Amanda?]. Hugh Gudgeon arrived from Iowa to visit his sister Mrs. P.J. Hester and family. Dr. John Crawford, who had been traveling throughout the West, came in on the train, stayed until Oct. 7, and then left for Esmond. Misses Nora and Mary O’Connell of Minneapolis came in to visit their parents, Mr. and Mrs. John O’Connell, west of town; they had been to their farms near Anamoose during the week, supervising the flax harvest. B.G. Arbogast was in Barlow. Flater & Son began re-shingling their blacksmith shop; the next day it rained.

From the evening of Oct. 5 to the next afternoon, J.W. Perry, who was a Great Western grain buyer at Cooperstown and who had driven in from McHenry, was in New Rockford.

On Sunday, Oct. 6, Miss Floy Richter of Sheyenne and Miss Lillie McDonald of Minnewaukan visited in New Rockford. Nathan Flater was in Carrington. That evening Sheyenne elevator man A.H. Johnson was in New Rockford.

On the morning of Oct. 7, Dr. John Crawford spoke to the high school students in the recitation room about respiration, blood, and germs; he also showed specimens under his microscope. John M. Carlton was in New Rockford. Mr. and Mrs. George B. Stitzel and family left for a winter in Dixon, Ill., their former home. While there, Stitzel said he would encourage emigration to Eddy County. J.E. Bennett shot three large Canada geese. Pearl Henry enrolled in the high school and Marguerite Ford in the eighth grade.

That day D.D. Dailey took up 20 miles east of New Rockford, near the Morris post office, one muley cow and calf. The cow was red with frozen ears and “a wild disposition.” The calf was about two weeks old; “owner can have property by proving same and paying damages and costs.”

The Eddy County Commission (Braman, Halverson and Schwoebel) met on Oct. 7 and 8. On Oct. 7, they voted to pay W.C. Hayes $30 as janitor and $4.10 to R.M. Kennedy for draying. On Oct. 8, they appointed Dr. C.J. McNamara as county coroner because the elected coroner, Dr. John Crawford, had failed to qualify, and paid $8.30 to A.G. Gardner for recording fee and postage.

The following were added to the jury list: Philip Brand, George T. Crossen, B.A. Daniels, Hugh Davidson, R.H. Davis, William Dugan, F.H. Dutee, Patrick Farrell, Henry Fritz, A.M. Greely, L.G. Gulander, Clyde Hall, Charles Hayes, N.T. Hendrickson, B.W. Hersey, Evan J. Horn, H.G. Hudson, Mark Hulbert, G.W. Justice, Anton Knudson, Hans Lyness, Sylvanus Marriage, A.G. Mathews, W.G. Milne, J.T. Noack, Hans Norin, John T. Olson, J.A. Portz, Walter Priest, S.N. Putnam, Ed Qualey, J.W. Rager, George Ruhl, Lambert VanLith, John H. Walters and Fred Zimmerman.

On Oct. 8, Charles Gardner took over the second chair at Stanton’s Barber Shop. George Morris and Christ Remberget were in New Rockford. Nels Mattson was down from the Sheyenne Valley. E.R. Davidson left on a business trip to Minneapolis; his wife accompanied him to Carrington, where she remained to visit her mother. Miss Ida Clure visited the school. At 2 p.m. the Tiffany Ladies’ Aid met at Mrs. B.W. Hersey’s residence. That evening the New Rockford School Board voted to put steam heat in the school building: sealed bids would be received through Oct. 31 for the installation of a steam heating plant. Plans were on file in the office of P.J. Braman, school clerk, at the Bank of New Rockford.

 On Oct. 9, Went Mcgee, S.P. Pisel, W.W. Overton, and Ole Barkland and his daughter, C.S. Bosworth of eastern Wells County, and George Pincott of Morris were in New Rockford, as was Oscar Peterson from his farm northeast of town. Mr. and Mrs. George Fields came in from Tiffany. Mrs. James Hackney and Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ackerman were in shopping. Mr. and Mrs. Matt Mattson were down from the Sheyenne Valley. Ed Wright was over from McHenry. Mr. and Mrs. H.F. Chance of Redfield, Iowa, arrived and moved into Mr. and Mrs. George B. Stitzel’s residence on Lamborn Ave. East, which they would share with Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Thomas. That evening Rev. David Clarkson of Jamestown, who had replaced Rev. H.J. Sheridan, conducted Episcopal services in Maddux Hall. C.J. Maddux hosted an evening of whist at which J.M. Patch was the guest of honor.

On Oct. 10, Mrs. Thomas Gilgan was down from Maddock to visit her sisters, Mrs. Jacob Hohl and Mrs. James Hackney. Howard Eidemiller returned from Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Oard and baby were in from Plainview. Stephen Roberts and Herb Losee were in town. That afternoon newlyweds A.J. and Beatrice Larkin drove out to their farm in east Eddy County. Mr. and Mrs. John B. Arbogast went to Chicago for a few days, then they would go to the Pacific Coast for the winter, due to Mr. Arbogast’s failing health. H.F. Chance began work as a clerk in the Rodenberg Bros. store.

The Oct. 11, 1901, “Transcript” stated that the “Lakota Herald” was starting its eighth year.

That issue carried a story about Receiver J.A. Murphy making a final adjustment between the North Dakota Telephone and Electrical Company and its creditors for 80 cents on the dollar. The company had liabilities of $4,000. The new owner, C.E. Leslie of Carrington, was planning to make many improvements on the line that connected Harvey, Fessenden, Cathay, Sykeston, Carrington and New Rockford. He also expected it to connect with other towns.

In addition, Judge Glaspell had held former owner C.L. King in contempt of court and ordered him to pay $100 in fines and to serve 30 days in jail for his failure to turn over the Harvey exchange on the court’s order. King had appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

At the school during the week all grades were taking their examinations. The gym had been open to the students due to the bad weather. Martha Pumpilly and Harry VanTassel had entered the primary department. The Glee Club was meeting twice a week. A grammar room girls’ trio had been practicing. Miss Phoebe Dixon was teaching botany and arithmetic to the freshmen. U.S. Senator Hansborough had sent a large U.S. map to the high school. The principal’s office of Prof. Thomas had a large Rand McNally map of the world on one side and of the U.S. on the other. Prof. Thomas had ordered and received 500 sheets of drawing paper for the primary grades. Colored drawings had been placed on the walls of the primary department. Absentees part of that week from the second primary included George Cahill, Willie Dresser and Alphonso Weimals; from the intermediate department—Hilda Dinnetz, Adah Hylton and Harry West. Prof. Thomas had arranged a schedule so that all classes were called and dismissed at the same time. Such an arrangement stopped the staggered dismissals that had disturbed the studies of some students.

Professor Thomas, as principal of the school, requested that parents keep their pre-school children away from the school unless they were accompanying them because too many younger siblings of the first and second primary students were visiting the school and distracting the students who should be studying.

Mrs. Charles H. Rattinger was visiting friends in New Rockford for two weeks.

Edward Overton was recovering rapidly from his bout with typhoid fever.