History of New Rockford- June 10, 2019

On June 17, 1902, H. Peoples received a 27 h.p. Buffalo Pitts threshing rig, the first of the season; it came complete with a 40x64 separator. Frank Graham was in on business. Henry Von Almen arrived from Elizabeth, Minn., to visit his brother John Von Almen. Creameryman George and Mrs. Brown left for their Valley City home. Rev. C.F. Sewrey left for Bowdon to assist Rev. Wylie with a series of revival meetings, after which he would go to Jamestown to substitute for Rev. Danford, who would be in New Rockford; Sewrey returned to New Rockford on July 3. That evening the Woodmen Lodge met in Maddux Hall.

On June 18, the Early Settlers’ Association’s annual picnic was held at Roberts’ Grove on the Sheyenne River with over 2,000 in attendance. Admission was 25 cents for every male over the age of 12. Gatekeeper G.W. Johnston and his assistants were kept busy from an early hour until past noon admitting people. The platform had been enlarged, so it was twice as big. The program consisted of a prayer by Rev. D.H. Clarkson; everyone joined in singing “The Old Settlers’ Reunion”; a recitation by Floy Richter; a song by the Methodist Church Male Quartet; James A. Manly gave a speech; Mrs. Lee Hall sang a solo; Mr. Morrison gave a recitation; the Congregational Church Choir sang a song; Clyde Hall gave a recitation; the Misses Hall played a violin solo with an accordion accompaniment; there was a recitation by Fred LaHue; Mrs. O.B. Stedman did a comic recitation; Tiffany’s Juvenile Songsters sang; A.L. Lowden did a “special production”; there were songs by the Roush Family of Vocalists; Martha Pomranke did a recitation. The numbers were interspersed with songs by the New Rockford Band, including a trombone solo by George Fahrer on “Asleep in the Deep.” Walter Schmid was up from Carrington and played with the band.

In the baseball game McHenry won the $25 purse with a 10 to 8 victory over New Rockford. Ray Hester riding “Rex” won the horse race, while Indians from Ft. Totten won the pony race and the foot races. Officers elected were J.W. Richter, president; R.R. Woodward, vice president; A.M. Greely, secretary; and H.J. Mitchell, treasurer. The Executive Committee was H.M. Clark, D.Y. Stanton, J.A. McCrum. F.L. Kermott, E.R. Davidson, and O.B. Stedman. There was a pavilion dance in the evening. One of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Christ’s daughter was hurt badly by a thrown baseball at the picnic. At 8 p.m. Ella P. Swayne and G.F. Braeger were married by Rev. J.R. Beebe in the Baptist Church before around 40 friends, among them Mr. and Mrs. George Brynjulson and daughter of Bowdon and W.L. Bennett of Carrington. Miss Cora Davidson was the bridesmaid; James Wegner of Bowdon was the best man. The groom had been a rancher in Wells County near Bowdon since 1885. The bride had lived in New Rockford the previous summer and had taught school near Bowdon the last winter. The next day the couple left to live on the ranch.

That day Mrs. Holter arrived from Balfour to visit her sister Mrs. Christ C. Hanson and family of Plainview. Dr. Charles McNamara returned from a Duluth visit. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Garvin were in shopping. David Twist was in from his large farm northwest of town; he had finished his seeding. New York City attorney E. Morgan Smith, a brother of banker Smith of Carrington, spent a few hours in New Rockford, the first time in the town since 1884; he stated that the growth of New Rockford and of Eddy County had been “simply wonderful.”

On June 19, Richard Baker came in from Tiffany. Nils Gunvaldson and Alfred Dinnetz were in on business. P.H. West returned from his visit with relatives and friends in Cooperstown. George Ellis returned from Ft. Dodge, Iowa, where he was a witness in federal court. F.W. House returned from a business trip to Lidgerwood. H. Peoples, T.E. Mathew of Minneapolis, and Ed Richmond of Minnewaukan returned from two weeks up the Soo Line and into the Canadian Northwest. Misses Beth and Cora Davidson went to Bowdon to visit newly-wed Ella (Mrs. G.F.) Swayne Braeger. Hardwareman H. Arveshaug’s mother returned to Leeds after a week’s visit. Mrs. A.C. Buck and Miss Patterson went to Hankinson to visit a few days with Miss Patterson’s relatives; they then went on to St. Paul.

On June 19 to 20, Prof. Albert Meyer, New York eye specialist, was at F. Howard’s jewelry store; “see him for eyeglasses.”

The June 20, 1902, “New Rockford Transcript” mentioned the “Emmons County Advocate” and the “Michigan City Independent.” That edition carried an ad for Rodenberg & Schwoebel: tomatoes, 12½ cents for a 3 lb. can; cream corn, ten cents a can; Extra Rio Roasted Coffee, 12½ cents a lb.; Japanese Tea, 3 lbs. for a dollar.

An ad—M.F. Noonan, McHenry, ND, land bought and sold. Another ad—Lauch & Cahill, brick work and plastering.“THE OLD PIONEER WORKMEN.”

E.B. Thomson had cabbage plants for sale. Nathan Flater had sold 160 acres 6 miles southeast of town for $3,000.

That issue said that the “Fargo Forum” had mentioned that a New Rockford veterinarian [J.C. Whiteman] had purchased an automobile.

An item mentioned that one evening the Minnewaukan baseball team had ridden a box car through Sheyenne on their way to play New Rockford the next day. hey left “a slew of bottles along the track.” One man paraded up and down Main Street in a long-tailed coat, keeping a ragtime tempo, and was obviously drunk. There was no other mention of the incident.

Sealed bids for grading the county roads were due by June 23 in the county auditor’s office.

It was revealed that A.C. Buck and Orley Couch had recently formed a partnership in the drug store Buck had operated for eighteen years—The Central Drug Store. [It may have been 16 years.] Couch had worked for Buck the previous three years; a little over a year prior he had become a registered pharmacist. [The Central Drug Store was located where the north half of the Central Pharmacy is now—2019.]

Gus Lauch and William Cahill had formed a partnership in masonry and bricklaying—Lauch & Cahill.

Babcock & Bucklin were getting their drug store in shape. Prader & Goss sold Gaar-Scott threshing machinery and Deering farm machinery, including mowers and rakes, Ideal Binders, and the 12-foot header and binder combination. P&G had received a Garr-Scot threshing outfit which they were going to demonstrate.

R.R. Woodward’s new house was going up rapidly.

Mail clerk E.G. Allison had recovered sufficiently from injuries suffered in an April 14 train wreck to resume his duties on the Jamestown to Miles City run.

During the week Sheyenne merchant L.G. Lundin was down on business. James Lahart was in town, looking after his elevator business. Charles O’Connell was up from Minneapolis to visit his parents west of town.

The previous week A.P. Daxhel [sp.?] of Kindred visited Nels T. Hendrickson a few days; the two men had known each other as residents of Spring Grove, [MN?].