History of New Rockford: Nov. 5, 2018

On Jan. 17, 1902, Miss Jessie Soliday of Carrington came up to visit Mrs. C.J. Maddux for a few days. O.W. Johnson arrived from Arlington, S.D., to visit his brother Henry B. Johnson. O.W. Johnson purchased a half section near his brother’s land for $3,000, sold his land in South Dakota and would move to Eddy County in the spring. Axtle Johnson was in town. Mrs. Ed Hogue returned from a visit with her parents at Guilford, Mo., accompanied by her nephew J.W. Core, who would live in New Rockford. H.J. Mitchell went to Milwaukee on business; he returned on Jan. 23. Several carloads of settlers from Iowa and their freight arrived in McHenry. That evening the American Yeomen installed their officers.

At 2 p.m. Jan. 18, lots 13-17, Block 7, were to be sold at a mortgage sale at the front door of the court house to satisfy a mortgage default by Herman Schmid, a single man. On Dec. 31, 1898, the mortgage was made to F.O. Getchell for $300. The sale price was $508.17, which would include the principal, interest, costs and expenses. [However, a sale was recorded in the register of deeds office on Jan. 11 that the lots had been sold to Helen A. Stickney by Schmid for $200.]

On that day August Kiehlow was in from his ranch northeast of New Rockford. “Pomp” Shauers and John Dutee were in town, as was John Goss of Kiner. S.G. Severtson, cashier of the Bank of Sheyenne, was in New Rockford on business. O.E. Nash came down from the Sheyenne Valley on business. George J. Schwoebel left for his old home, Fountain City, Wis., on a business trip. Mrs. R.P. Allison went to Jamestown to visit a couple weeks with her son Edward G. Allison and his wife. Miss Frances Thomson and Miss Minnie Halverson went to Valley City to visit friends during “the enforced holiday in the city schools.” Both young women had graduated from Valley City Normal.

On Sunday, Jan. 19, there was a family reunion at the Clayton Hall ranch 14 miles northeast of New Rockford. Lloyd Hall of Pennsylvania and three generations of the family were present, including the senior Mr. and Mrs. Hall; it was their first reunion in 16 years. Rev. Stickney of Fargo visited Rev. J.R. Beebe and his family.

On Jan. 20, Henry Westad and Joe Peck, two young men from Carrington, were posting bills advertising “Miranda” on Feb. 1 as presented by the Carrington junior band. Martin Walsh was in town, as were Wentworth Mcgee, B.W. Hersey, M. Cler, Cyrus Ruland and Robert Vivra of Tiffany. Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Clure took the train to their former home, Hastings, Minn., for a visit. Fred Betcher of the “Eddy County Provost” left for his home in Carrington to take care of an infected felon on his right thumb; he returned on Feb. 3.

From Jan. 20 to 22, Prof. E.R. Thomas was in Bismarck.

On Jan. 21, Mrs. C.E. Clure received a telegram about the serious illness of her father at Bathgate, N.D. She left immediately via Fargo, but arrived in Bathgate two hours after his death. He was 74. His funeral and burial took place at 10 a.m. Jan. 24, in Bathgate. John Hitz came in from his farm west of town on business. Eddy County State Bank Vice President Joseph Maxwell went to Fargo for treatment of his rheumatism and some complications of other diseases in the magnetic institute there. Martin Endres and Nick Majerus were in from west of town on business. Charles Reutenik returned to New Rockford and resumed his position as a butcher in the East Side Meat Market. At 8:30 p.m. the second in a series of dancing lessons was held in the Hotel Davies, but the dancing class for Jan. 28 was cancelled.

On Jan. 22, William Skidmore was in from eastern Eddy County on business. Olof and Emma Lundquist returned from Valley City, where they had spent the holidays with her parents. Tiffany blacksmith J.F. McCrum was in New Rockford on business. Frank Thelander came in from his farm southwest of town. J.H. Rodenberg left to join his family in Los Angeles. That afternoon Alice (Mrs. J.M.) Rager entertained the Kindergarten Whist Club; Mrs. Whiteman and Mrs. Fertig had high honors, while low honors went to Mrs. Nathan Flater and Mrs. Sarah Bacon. That evening Peter Lies came over from Cathay to practice with the band boys and to visit.

On that day the Eddy County Board of Health (P.M. Mattson, president; J.W. Stoddard, Vice President; Dr. Charles MacLachlan, superintendent) issued an order that no Eddy County school district could allow any student to attend without a certificate of vaccination approved by the Board.

On Jan. 23, Henry B. Johnson was in from Plainview. Nels K. Mattson came down from the Sheyenne Valley. H.G. Lathrop came in from eastern Eddy County. Homer Allison went to Esmond for a few days.

The Jan. 24, “Transcript” mentioned the “Griggs County Courier,” the “Wheatland Eagle,” the “Richland County Gazette,” and the “Park River Grit.”

In an editorial the “Transcript” called for a merger of the mail service with the passenger train service. Several years prior the tri-weekly mail train had been replaced by an overland stage bringing the mail from the south. “That was an improvement.” However, two passenger trains and four to six freight trains now served New Rockford every day. The stage mail arrived at 4 p.m., just as the passenger train pulled in on its return trip from the north. A change in the mail service from the stage to the train would get mail to New Rockford from the south at noon daily which would be a big advantage to the businessmen. “We need this ‘merger’ without question.”

A note said that the Fessenden Catholics had presented Father McDonald with a fur-lined coat for New Year’s. Another note said the west side ladies were organizing a whist club.

Sgt. Thomas P. Morris of New Rockford was described in a short article. He had enlisted in the U.S. Army in Boston on Feb. 2, 1852. At the expiration of his service, he was appointed Ordinance Sergeant in 1870. He was an early Eddy County settler, moving to the county from Ft. Totten.

Alec Austin was learning the trade in H.A. Berge’s cigar-making factory. Berge had just received three boxes and stamps for his “County Seat” cigars, which then went on sale in New Rockford. His “County Seal” cigars would join them in a few days for 10 cents. Berge was thinking of adding workers at his cigar factory. An ad: “H.A. Berge, Manufacturer of Fine Havana and Domestic Cigars.”

Kennedy & Scott had a large crew working to fill the order for 400 tons on ice to be delivered in Carrington.

P.J. Braman had been ill during the week.

Miss Maude Alexander was spending the school vacation with her brother Dr. Alexander in Carrington; she returned to her home in Minto on Feb. 22.