History of New Rockford- March 11, 2019

On April 15, 1902, Nels Farr, Klem Moe and Martin Walsh were in New Rockford. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Aldred were in shopping. Former resident Mrs. Charles Rattinger came up from Fargo to visit friends; she returned on April 24. Dentist F.D. Norton took the northbound train to places where he practiced his profession. J.C. Whiteman left for his old home in Laurance, Mich.; he said he would return about May 10 to open a veterinary surgeon and dental office over Thomas Ose’s hardware store. Mrs. Frank Gregory began housekeeping in the D. Labhardt residence on Lamborn Avenue East. That evening the band boys played a few songs. That evening the Ladies’ Social Union of the Congregational Church hosted a Dime Social at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Brownell.

On April 16, Fred Laasch was in for supplies. William Steinbach was in from southwest of town. Lester Holgate came in from Illinois to visit for the summer. Peter Dodds, Hans Anderson and Mark Hulbert were in on business. John Schaefer was in from Tiffany. Louis Ofstedahl [Oefstedahl] and Casper Erickson were down from Sheyenne. McHenry attorney W.O. Lowden was over on legal business. Dennis O’Connell left for his farm near Anamoose. That evening a dancing party was held in the Hotel Davies in honor of Miss Ethel Alber before she left for her home in Indiana. A large number of her friends attended. Miss Alber had been visiting Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Maddux and returned home on April 18.

At 4 p.m. that day, Rev. J.R. Beebe married Oscar W. Bauer of New Rockford and Edith P. Burk of Plainville, Wis., at a home on Lamborn Avenue West. The groom was the manager of the Monarch Elevator in town. The couple would live in the residence recently vacated by Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Davidson.

On April 17, Mrs. Ira Shroyer and her daughter arrived from Browerville, Minn.; Mrs. Shroyer’s mother accompanied them. Mrs. Bert Studebaker was in town. Merchant R.R. Woodward went to McHenry on business. The school board accepted the resignation of Helen (Mrs. C.J.) Stickney due to ill health. W.C. Beardsley was the president; members were W.E. Biggs and D.Y. Stanton. Miss Ethel Bauer was hired as a replacement.

That day (or April 24) while R.R. Woodward and Ben Larkin were hitching the young team they were training to a buggy, the horses bolted and ran two blocks, pulling Larkin along on the bridle bits until he got loose. The horses kept going. The buggy was badly damaged, including a broken pole and dashboard and a ripped top. Larkin was shaken up, but not seriously injured. That evening a conferring and instituting team came down from Minnewaukan and helped organize an Eastern Star chapter in New Rockford. The ceremony was followed by a banquet at the Hotel Davies to which the husbands were invited. F. Howard played his new phonograph.

Officers elected were Mrs. J.E. Bennett, Worthy Matron; Mrs. S.N. Putnam, Associate Matron; W.E. Biggs, Worthy Patron; Miss Maggie Morris, Secretary; Mrs. G.W. Brownell, Treasurer; Mrs. W.E. Biggs, Conductress; Mrs. J.M. Mulvey, Associate Conductress; Representatives of the Different Points of the Star— Mrs. W.O. Baird; Mrs. W.C. Dresser; Mrs. C.J. Maddux; Mrs. J.W. Rager; Mrs. E.S. Severtson; Viola Woodward, Warden; W.C. Hayes, Sentinel; Mrs. J.W. Stoddard, Chaplain; Mrs. H.J. Mitchell, Organist. The visiting team left for Minnewaukan the next day at noon; several ladies accompanied them as far as Sheyenne and then returned on the afternoon train.

The April 18, 1902, “New Rockford Transcript” carried an ad: J.C. Whiteman was selling one span of matched drivers and one 1,400 lb. trotting stallion. J.J. Murphy had taken up a red and white three-year old steer branded with an “O” on the H. Peoples’ ranch 16 miles east of town. P.J. Hester had taken up one Jersey steer calf, one Jersey heifer calf, and one black heifer calf, all about a year old. Fred Laasch had taken up at his farm 4 miles southwest of New Rockford one black mare with a white spot on her forehead, a short tail, and weighing about a thousand pounds. Jacob Allmaras was offering the services of Tom George, a thoroughbred Percheron stallion, at Rood’s Livery Barn every Friday and Saturday and at the Allmaras farm from Sundays through Thursdays. A.G. Pottner had seed wheat and ground feed for sale at the Dakota Elevator.

An ad: J.C. Whiteman, veterinarian, will open an office May 15 in the Thomas Ose Hardware building.

C.C. Campbell had Buff Leghorn eggs for hatching at a dollar for 15 eggs; he also had Pearl White Guinea eggs. Granville Egbert of Adel, Iowa, was a new employee of Kennedy & Scott Draying.

Bids would be received through May 1 for building a grand stand for the race track; they could be mailed to B.T. Fay, Jr., secretary of the Employees’ Association.

J.H. Hohl wrote that his health had improved in Los Angeles. Rev. Doyle, formerly of the New Rockford Congregational Church [Rev. Amos A. Doyle, by Feb. 1893-Sept. 20, 1894], had visited him; he now lived in San Diego. Christ C. Hanson had purchased a carload of young cattle for his farm southeast of town.

S.N. Putnam was building a barn east of his residence on Lamborn Avenue East. A large crew was finishing the third floor of the Hotel Mattson that week. A portion of the Prader & Goss store was being removed to make way for a large addition. Contractor Charles F. Culp had the framework of blacksmith John Olson’s residence underway on Lamborn Avenue West; it was 24x28 with 16-foot posts. H.J. Mitchell was having a house built in the north part of town. John Anderson had wallpapered the interior of the office of the Hotel Davies. J.L. Kinnaird was thinking of putting up a large brick block just north of the old Elias Saad corner on North Chicago where Elias Saad’s store and hall had been destroyed by fire on July 4, 1900, New Rockford’s last major fire to April 1902. Tailor William Miller had moved his shop from the Prader Block to Chicago Street, south of the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ohrner. H.A. Berge was planning on moving his cigar factory to the old barber shop one door south of the Hotel Brown.

Recently J.R. Winslow had sold through Baird & Dresser 320 acres just east of New Rockford for $20 per acre.

Already that spring many tennis matches had been played in New Rockford.