History of New Rockford: Dec. 31, 2018

On March 4, 1902, M. Mattson was down from Sheyenne, as was August Kiehlow from the Sheyenne Valley. Jack McCrum was in from Tiffany. W.G. Carter came in from east of New Rockford; he was finally able to get around with only a cane. Barlow farmers C.L. Hatch and William West came up on business. J.T. Smith visited in town, and Chris Fahrner was in on business. Tony Haas returned from several weeks visiting his brothers. A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ben Larkin. A literary meeting that evening at the Methodist Church discussed “Our Dependence on God,” “The Home,” “Anarchy and the Anarchists,” and “Human Nature.” At 8:30 p.m. the dancing school met, an event that was well-attended.

On March 5, Ole Pherson came in from his farm on business. Mitt [Matt?] Endres of eastern Wells County and Hugh Johnson of Twist were in town on business. William Erdelbrock was in New Rockford, as were Gilbert Bymoen from northwest Eddy County, Fred Zimmerman Sr., of Barlow, Thomas Bollingberg and Bert Studebaker. S.A. Olsness came down from Sheyenne. Carrington machinery man S.J. Doyle and Andrew Johnson Sr., of Tiffany were in town. G.A. Krueger came in from Nebraska on the train; the next day he went out to his Freeborn farm. That evening the Philharmonic Ladies Quartet of Chicago played in the court house hall, which “was filled.” “Each member was an artist...” Miss Crabb was characterized as being “unsurpassed as a reader.”

On March 6, W.C. Bowers was up from Barlow. C.C. Hanson came in from southeast of town. Mrs. L.J. Brown returned from her eastern millinery buying trip. May M. Keime and her family returned from Jamestown, where they had spent the winter. Fred Laasch was also back from Jamestown. His wife returned with him; she had been in the State Hospital for treatment and was much improved. Andrew Johnson Jr., returned to his home near Tiffany after being cared for in town by his aunt during his recent illness [appendicitis and appendectomy]. Mrs. I.J. Rollins returned to Minneapolis after visiting her parents Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Greely. Mrs. W.E. Biggs and son Mont left for the Twin Cities; during their return they visited relatives in Sanborn on March 9. At 8 p.m. the NRFD met in the Clure Implement office.

The March 7 “Transcript” said Arthur Larkin was confined to his home due to “la grippe’ [flu]. R.R. Woodward was ill. Charles Lathrop had a bad cold. Stephen Hylton was out for the first time since his appendicitis attack several weeks before. J.C. Whiteman was confined to his bed by lumbago. Over the previous few days Olof Lundquist had been confined to his bed with a severe cold.

That issue urged all New Rockford property owners to plant and cultivate a few trees that spring.

F. Howard had a new reproducer and large brass horn for his phonograph; it was a big improvement in sound. He also had many new records at his jewelry shop. F.C. Davies had installed a new large cooking range in the Hotel Davies kitchen; it was considered to be much better than the old one. J.W. Rager had a new horse collar rack in his harness store which he put up himself. Charles Culp was building a 20x32 carpenter shop on Lamborn Ave. east of the railroad; Howard Eidemiller had accepted a position with contractor Culp and was helping to build Culp’s new shop.

A bowling team had been organized and would use the bowling alley on Mondays and Fridays from 2-6 p.m. and from 7-11 p.m. Bowling alley rules included “1.—Swearing and bad language strictly forbidden. 2.—All school children will be excluded from Bowling Alley during school hours. 3.—Children under 14 years are not allowed to visit Bowling Alley except from 9 until 4 o’clock on Saturday, and only when accompanied by parents or friends. 4.—No intoxicated person allowed to visit Bowling Alley at any time, and no ungentlemanly conduct tolerated.”

Early in the week George Baremore, uncle of Otho Lathrop, arrived from Clear Lake, Iowa, and moved onto the F.C. Davies farm, where he would remain until the fall when he would live on a half section farm he had purchased in eastern Eddy County.

The previous week Davies Hotel clerk C.A. Lathrop was in Sheyenne.

On March 7, R.P. Allison returned from a business trip to Jamestown, where he had also taken in a play. Mr. and Mrs. George Hickey returned from a winter in New York State, and B.G. Allen was back from a winter in Bottineau. That evening Mesdames Pake, Baird, Severtson, Rager, Stoddard and Messrs. Hugh Scott and James Hamilton joined the American Yeomen.

On March 8, Gabriel Guessbacher came in from Tiffany on business. Col. Seth Bailey was in from the Gudgell Ranch. Peter Pister Jr., visited in town. Sylvanus Marriage came up from Barlow. John Gardner was in for a load of lumber for a large machine shed he was putting up on his farm north of town. Hans Guler came in from his farm southeast of town. Mrs. Frank Howard left for a month in Chicago and New York City. On that day a roan horse, 12 years old and 1,300 lbs., and an eight-year-old dark bay mare, short, chunky, branded with “I-A” on her left shoulder, and weighing 950 lbs. strayed from the Walter Priest farm.

On Sunday, March 9, Rev. Preston of Tower City, N.D., preached in the Congregational Church. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Walsh were in from Tiffany. H. Peoples returned from a month-long eastern trip. Michael McNamara came down from near Sheyenne. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest S. Severtson visited in Barlow, where Mr. Severtson also did a little real estate business.

School reconvened in all departments on Monday, March 10, W.A. Tucker of Le Sueur, Minn., had signed to be the principal, replacing E.R. Thomas, who either resigned or was fired. Leonard Tucker was the new grammar department teacher; Miss Ida Clure was the new intermediate department teacher; Miss Frances Thomson, first primary; Helen (Mrs. C.J.) Stickney was new to the second primary. J.R. Engberg and John Indergaard came up from Barlow. B.A. Daniels came in from the Tiffany Flats. McHenry farmers Orris Wood, Martin Larson and Lewis and Samuel Lyman were in town on business. Thomas Turner was up from Barlow. James W. Lahart was in town, as was B.F. Onstott from his farm southeast of New Rockford. Freeborn farmers W.S. and E.G. Randolph were in on business. Veterinarian Tompkins was down from Oberon on business. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel McDowell were in shopping; Mr. McDowell had been ill for some time, but was better. C.J. Rood drove to McHenry on business. That evening, S.G. Severtson and Dr. W.M. Bartley drove down from Sheyenne. J.W. Rager became a Third Degree Mason at a ceremony in the Masonic Hall.