History of New Rockford: July 30, 2018

On October 26, 1901, J.L. Roffler came in from eastern Wells County. Frank Goodrich was in town. Toller M. Huff came in from his farm on business. William Erdelbrock was in from his farm west of town; he had just finished completing several new buildings on his farmstead. I.W. Sheldon left for Sterling, Ill., after a telegram informed him of his father’s death. Ed Stitzel finished his season’s work and brought in his two big threshing rigs. Sheriff J.E. Bennett arrested Charles Fuller on charges of selling liquor without a license (bootlegging); he was jailed while he awaited the U.S. Marshal. At his hearing he was bound over to the next term of court and remained in the county jail.

At 8 p.m. there was a graphophone concert at the Tiffany School to benefit the Tiffany Ladies’ Aid Society. [A graphophone was improved version of the phonograph developed by Thomas Edison.] Admission was 15 cents, with refreshments after the concert; there was a profit of about 10 dollars. There was also a social that evening at the Rocky Mountain School to benefit the church; supper was served from seven to nine (adults 25 cents; children 10 cents), followed by a literary program.

Also that evening, Charles E. Hoffman and Mary A. Farrell, both of Tiffany, were married by Judge W.C. Beardsley at his home. The groom was the son of Frank Hoffman, the manager of Captain Culver’s farm; the bride was the niece of the Walsh Bros. The couple would live on the J.W. Rager farm.

On the morning of Sunday, October 27, the “Indian Summer” came to an end with a chilly southeast wind blowing all day and a heavy rain at night, which stopped flax threshing for a few days. The weather cleared on October 29 and turned into the “best weather yet.” Threshing resumed on October 31. At 11 a.m. that Sunday, Rev. David M. Niccum of Carrington conducted a Dunkard service in the Baptist Church.

On October 28 Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of President William McKinley, was executed via the electric chair.

On that morning Peter Hammer joined the grammar department as a seventh grader. David Henry came in from his farm southeast of town on business. R.L. Allison came up from Barlow and took a chair in Stanton’s barbershop. Dick Trembley came in from Larrabee; he said there was a lot of unthreshed flax in his neighborhood. Fred Pierce of Eagle Bend, Minn., was visiting George McRae. Depot agent W.E. Biggs sold 78 passenger tickets for points East, most of them to threshers. Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Allen left for San Diego, where they were contemplating settling. That evening F.E. McRae visited his son George McRae, a clerk at Prader & Litcher’s.

On October 29 Jack Wren was in from southeast of town on business, and Robert O’Neill was in from northeast of town. W.G. Carter and Jacob Allmaras were in on business. Nick Majerus came to town, as did Thomas Eikom of Plainview. Alonzo Neutzel was in town that evening.

On October 29 to 30, J.D. Carroll was in from Washington Lake. From October 29 to 31, Dr. H.J. Riesland, eye specialist, was in New Rockford.

On October 30 Emil and Arthur Syftestad joined the second primary department. F.S. Spencer of the Pond & Hacey Steam Heating Company of Minneapolis came to the school to estimate the cost of a heating system. Peter Michael [Michel?] was in New Rockford. The Tiffany Ladies’ Aid met at Mrs. Josiah Hoffman’s house. Joe Williams was in from eastern Eddy County. S.O. Lee was in from Plainview. Oscar Myhre and barber Henry J. Miller came down from Sheyenne. Hans Pedersen and John A. Carlson were over from the McHenry country. P.J. Shanahan was in on business. Patrick O’Keefe came in from west of town. J.A. Dolle of Jackson, Minn., was in town, looking after his business interests. Joseph G. Greb, foreman of the Dakota Elevator Company’s carpenter crew, visited in New Rockford. Mrs. Cunningham and children left for their home near Thompson after a couple weeks visiting her parents Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Whetham. May M. Keime and her children left for a winter in Jamestown. That evening Lawrence F. May and Pearl Williams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Williams of eastern Eddy County, were married in New Rockford.

On October 30 to 31, Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Anderson were in from Plainview to shop.

At 1 p.m. October 31, J.H. Hohl sold at a public auction held at his Stimson Avenue West residence all his household furniture for cash only. Ed Martin, William Starke, Robert Utecht, Fred Laasch and Fred Zimmerman Jr., were in on business. Jacob Taverna, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Garvin and Mark Hulbert were in New Rockford. John Hogan was in from Tiffany. Young farmers John and Chris Guler came in from southwest of town. Col. Seth Bailey was in town; he indicated that he would take charge of the Gudgell Ranch in Plainview as soon as the current manager J.R. Tate moved to his homestead near Bowbells. Mrs. William Miller went to Lancaster, Ohio, to visit her parents. That evening a number of young people attended a Halloween party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.E Bennett. The “Transcript” condemned some property destruction that took place that night.

In October the following students had an average of 90 percent or better in the New Rockford Schools:

High School—Edith Angliss, Vada Aultman, Ralph Beebe, Monte Biggs, Blanche Brownell, Ida Clure, Hattie Davidson, George Dunham, Ray Hester, Stella Pike, Perry Stanton and Guy Thompson.

Grammar Department—Ethel Angliss, Ethel Bauer, Emilia Carlson, Laura Dafoe, Grace Foster, Hazel Hall, Hilda Johnson, Evalyn Mattson, Leonard Olson, Walter Stitzel, Nellie Walden and Sarah West.

Intermediate Department—Ellen Anderson, Fena Carlson, Hilda Dinnetz, Jennie Hersey, Georgia Hersey, Hazel Kennedy, Irene Kennedy, Mabel Kennedy, Edith Neutzel, Josephine O’Connell, Lillie Ohrner, Carnie Parker, Merrille Pike, Harry West and Urban Wiltsie.

Second Primary—Florence Clure, Olive Kennedy, Hazel Kepner, Charles Maddux, Lulu Thompson, Charles Wenz, John Wenz, Lizzie Wenz, Bessie Weeks, Lidwena Weimals, Edwin Wiltsie and George Winslow.

First Primary—Ethel Anderson, Ione Beardsley, Mary Bennett, Violet Campbell, Ralph Dinnetz, Ula Hylton, Eulalie Kennedy, Lucile Kennedy, Gordon Kepner, Gertrude Kunkel, Katherine Maddux, Edgar Mattson, Harland Mitchell, Harold Pike, Paul Sewrey, Sumner Stitzel, Mabel VanTassel and Katie Wenz.

Other names were added, but the departments were not listed: Olive Bennett, Marguerite Hersey, Sallie Holland and Mamie Stanton.

The November 1, 1901, “Transcript” carried some school news:

There were 42 students in the intermediate department. Students in that department were working on compositions, which would be kept on file in their room. Members of the grammar department were taking drawing lessons. The seventh graders had finished Smith’s “Human Body and Health” and had begun Walker’s “Advanced Physiology.” The second primary students were going to decorate their room with autumn leaves; they had some snails and a small fish in their room. Professor Thomas had received an English-designed metronome which he would use in teaching writing in the various grades. Absent from the Intermediate department that week were Hilda Dinnetz, Oscar Omoth and Lillie Ohrner. Only two second primary students had been tardy that week: Edwin Wiltsie and John Whetham; John Whetham had also been absent, as had Charles Maddux, Lulu Thompson and George Anderson. Gladys and Bernice Hohl had left school.