History of New Rockford- March 4, 2019

Rockford Transcript:” C.J. Maddux, publisher; A.C. Olsen and H.L. Lyon, editors and managers.

“We are informed that Rev. S. Van Tassel has resigned his pastorate of the Baptist church of this city, the resignation to take effect the first Sunday in May. Mr. Van Tassel has been in our city a little more than two years and has made an army of friends here and the surrounding country who will regret his departure. He is a man of excellent judgment, strict attention to his pastoral duties and one of our best citizens and the best wishes of all go with him to his new field of labor.”

The flowers, shrubs, vines and small fruits in Robert Walden’s garden were showing signs of coming out of dormancy. Farmers were out dragging their fields.

Earl Starks’s feed mill [sometimes referred to as Ed Starks’s feed mill] was running day and night. William Cahill advertised himself as a contractor for brickwork and plastering, “THE OLD PIONEER WORKMAN.” Joseph Maxwell had been collecting a crew of men for the summer’s farm work. Rodenberg & Schwoebel had a new five-barrel oil tank that could automatically measure and dispense any amount of oil up to five gallons without spilling a drop. Mrs. L.J. Brown was advertising a new millinery line.

William Cahill was building a new house for John Olson on Lamborn Avenue West.

The New Rockford Employees’ Association had leased the old race track and its members were putting it into shape for sporting events and horse races. There would be a half-mile horse race track, a baseball diamond, a football field, picnic grounds and a thousand-person amphitheater. The Association was ready to accept bids for the construction of the amphitheater the next week, and committees were already planning for a Fourth of July celebration.

Recently G.B. Stitzel had sold 320 acres of land located 8 miles east on the Tiffany road to C.L. Tomlinson of Dixon, Ill. for $4,000. B.F. Onstott had occupied the farm the past year. It had a frame two-story house and a 40x54 barn, with 225 acres under cultivation and the rest fenced as pasture. Stitzel sold out due to his wife’s poor health. They had moved to Dixon, where he owned a meat market. Her health was already improving.

George F. Pike had been ill that week. Lorne Ireland had the mumps. All week Miss Mamie Stanton had been confined to her bed with laryngitis. Mrs. A.C. Buck was able to be out after her recent injuries. When Major F.O. Getchell of Fort Totten had been in town on April 8, he had a bad back and was using a cane. The previous week Mrs. Mamie King, neé Dutee, was taken to the Jamestown hospital with pulmonary trouble and was not expected to live.

Henry Davis had moved from the old Williams’ place back to his house north of the James River. A note said Mr. and Mrs. Dan Larson would not move to Minnesota before the fall.

J.J. Murphy had taken up on the Peoples’ ranch 16 miles east of New Rockford one red and white three-year old steer branded “O.”

In “School Notes” by Miss Edith Angliss, Monica and Celia O’Connell had left school, while Edna Kennedy and Leila Stanton had entered school. Leo Weimals, Hartman Hall, George Cahill and George Anderson returned to school. George Winslow was back after a bout with the mumps. Mamie Stanton had missed a few days because of illness. Absent from the intermediate department during the week were Wanda and Mildred Keime, Walter and Fred Sewrey, Rose Doyle, Fred Ackerman and Blanche Hester. On April 9, Harold Hall joined the second primary. The primary room had some little fish. The plants in the school house were picking up after being frosted during the recent blizzard.

During the week, Thomas Adam made a business trip to Carrington. John Weipert came in from his farm southwest of New Rockford. Elmer Davidson received a thoroughbred red poll bull calf from the East. Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Davidson moved out to their farm northeast of town.

A note said that during the previous week Howard Eidemiller had three fingers on his left hand damaged by the buzz saw in Charles Culp’s carpenter shop. Eidemiller was considered lucky he hadn’t lost them. Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Larkin moved into their Stimson Avenue East residence. Late in the previous week, J.H. Lake, Sheldon farmer, was in town.

On April 12, a pickup team played the high school baseball team; the pickup team scored eight runs, but the “Transcript” refused to list the high school score in order not to embarrass the pickup team. Lambert Van Lith was in buying spring supplies. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick O’Connor were in shopping. Dairy farmer A.J. Richter was in from southeast of town. George and Frank Van Heesch were in from the Guler district. Section foreman C.C. Campbell received a pure-bred Buff Leghorn rooster from Minneapolis. That day C.J. Maddux purchased the Whiteman Drug Store and lot three doors west of the post office, and on April 17 sold the property to Babcock & Bucklin, druggists and pharmacists. [Lot 17, Block 17, where the Salon building is today, just west of the Latte Lobby.] C.H. Babcock was from Minnesota, where he had a large drug store for many years; William Bucklin had been in a drug store in Langdon for many years. Both were married and would bring their families to New Rockford. Bucklin & Babcock were planning on having the building razed and building a new one.

On Sunday, April 13, George Brown and his mother visited Valley City, where he had formerly worked in the Hotel Kindred.

On April 14, the eastbound Northern Pacific passenger train #12 was wrecked 3 miles east of Terry, Mont. Former resident Ed G. Allison, the postal clerk, was injured. The postal car caught fire and Allison lost a lot of blood from a gash in the back of his head and had many minor burns. He was rescued by assistant clerk Frank Teeple. His father [New Rockford attorney R.P. Allison] went to visit him in Jamestown on April 16; by April 25 he was making a fine recovery from his injuries. By May 2, he was recovering, but was still weak and in pain.

On that day, B.G. Arbogast received a load of 18 work horses from Duluth for his farming operations. Roy Greitl of Barlow and Robert Walden were in town that morning. John O’Connor was in New Rockford. Jacob Allmaras was in from western Wells County. Major and Mrs. F.O. Getchell and son Percy were in town; Mrs. Getchell and Percy stayed for a visit, while the Major took the train to Bismarck; all returned to Fort Totten on April 17.

On April 14 and 15, Miss Nell Hester and Miss Nell Davidson visited in Carrington. Hans Jensen visited McHenry.