History of New Rockford: Oct. 28, 2019

The Oct. 10, 1902, “New Rockford Transcript” stated that movement of grain to the east was hampered by a lack of locomotives; elevators all along the rail lines were filled to capacity with wheat.

The past week had been ideal for flax threshing.

John Anderson was painting the Hotel Brown and the Opera House. The long distance telephone crew had arrived and would start erecting poles and wires to connect New Rockford to the outside world. The central office would be in Babcock & Bucklin’s Drug Store “and the booth has already arrived.” The local telephone people were putting up the wires, and phones would soon be placed in businesses and residences. The steam heat plant was being installed in the Hotel Mattson. Charles Culp’s crew had finished the exterior work on the J.M. Patch Block and was doing the interior.

Jeweler F. Howard had a newly arrived stock of pearls valued at $1,000, mounted in gold rings, earrings and stick pins.

Eddie Monahan “was recovering very nicely from the injuries received in the collision a couple weeks ago” [Sept. 27].

M.T. O’Connor announced for the office of Eddy County State’s Attorney by petition.

Rev. E.M. Sein of the French Mission, Matehuala, Mexico, was visiting the Sylvanus Marriage family; he would preach in the Congregational Church on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 12, and in Barlow that afternoon.

On Oct. 10, Clayton Hall was down from the Sheyenne Valley. Tony Haas returned from Carrington. Will Thorn and James Thomas were in on business. Guss Gullicks was in New Rockford. C.J. Maddux returned from California. At noon, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Pat Harrington. Bank cashier E.S. Severtson left for Minneapolis on business; he returned on Oct. 13. That evening Al Buttery came in from eastern Eddy County with the first load of flax he had ever sold to a New Rockford elevator because he was paid more in New Rockford than in McHenry.

At 2 p.m. Oct. 11, there was supposed to be a sheriff’s sale at the front door of the courthouse with Sheriff J.E. Bennett selling Lot 9, Block 18 in New Rockford to satisfy a judgment of $69.68 against B.M. Leonard. William Cahill was the plaintiff. For some reason the sale did not take place, and B.M. Leonard’s wife Lizzie retained ownership of the lot.

On that day, MacLachlan & Burdick held an auction of pure-bred Poll Angus and other good grade cattle at Dr. MacLachlan’s farm three miles east of New Rockford. Mrs. H.A. Stickney arrived from Brainerd, Minn., to visit her son C.J. Stickney and his family; she left on Oct. 20. Attorney T.F. McCue of Carrington was in town on legal business. A.J. Richter was in town from his farm to the southeast, and Hans Guler was in from the southwest. John Neutzel and Jacob Portz were in on business. James B. Dafoe, Nels K. Mattson and Matt Mattson were down from the Sheyenne Valley, the latter to attend a Republican meeting. Mrs. James Hyde came up from Fargo to see her husband, the cashier of the First National Bank. Norah and Mary O’Connell were up from Minneapolis to visit their parents Mr. and Mrs. John O’Connell west of town; Norah returned on Oct. 31. A.C. Jones went to Denbigh in McHenry County to buy grain that fall. Mrs. Bollingberg lost a brown pocketbook between New Rockford and Twist Post Office.

From Oct. 11 to 13, Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Campbell visited in Jamestown.

On Sunday, Oct. 12, L.G. Arbogast came over from Fessenden; his elevator there had recently burned, so he had ordered lumber and machinery on a special train for a new elevator twice the size of the old one. Wheat buyer F.H. Dutee was in from McHenry. That evening Llewellyn H., son of Mr. and Mrs. Otho Lathrop, died from inflammation of the bowels; he was one year and four months old, being born May 24, 1901. His funeral was held at 1 p.m. Oct. 14, Rev. J.R. Beebe, with burial north of the city, where his grave remains in Prairie Home Cemetery beside that of Beatrice A. Lathrop, Aug. 19, 1897-July 27, 1900. Charles Scott returned to his Ward County homestead.

On Oct. 13, D.F. Geiger came in from his farm southeast of New Rockford on business. Peter Dodds and W.W. Overton were in town. Ed Roach was in from his Wells County farm. Mr. and Mrs. J.A. McCrum and Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Johnston were in to shop. Rev. and Mrs. C.F. Sewrey returned from the Methodist Conference in Jamestown. Anamoose track grain buyer Pat Walsh visited in town between trains. Sheyenne harness maker Maurice Oliver was handing out cigars in honor of his son, born a couple weeks prior. Mrs. G.D. Murphy went to Willow City. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Boord, who had been visiting Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Biggs, left for Covington, Ind.

On Oct. 14, J.W. Young was in from the Tiffany Flats. Ervie Spracher was in on business. John Gardner was in town. Josiah Hoffman came in from Tiffany, as did Mrs. J.A. McCrum and Mrs. W.J. Burnett. Mrs. H.G. Hudson went to Dawson, N.D. Dobson Reames was in Carrington on business. Mrs. A.C. Buck and children left for their old home in Arkansas; Mr. Buck was to join them in January and remain for a month or two. Three or four men were leaning on the guard rail around the basement of the J.M. Patch Block when it gave way. They fell to the bottom, but were not hurt, just shaken up and wet.

For several days, the two young daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Pottner were ill with bowel trouble. On Oct. 14, the younger one died. Her gravestone in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery reads “Frances B. Pottner July 1, 1902-Oct. 14, 1902.” By Oct. 24, the older daughter was recovering.

On Oct. 15, Fred Skidmore was in from eastern Eddy County. S.G. Severtson, cashier of the Bank of Sheyenne, was down on business. I.W. Sheldon, W.G. Carter and his father, and J.P. Knox and his daughter were in town. G.W. Brownell, George Greer, F.C. Davies, J.M. Mulvey, William Wilson, H.G. Hudson, and George Ackerman drove their “fine hunting wagon” for a three-day hunt on the lakes and coulees 20-30 miles east of New Rockford, looking for ducks, geese and prairie chickens; they returned on Oct. 18, with “quite a few” ducks and geese. The drop curtains arrived for Brown’s Opera House and were being installed. D.Y. Stanton went to Souris on business.

On Oct. 16, Samuel McDowell purchased a threshing outfit from H. Peoples and was going to insure it with C.J. Maddux. However, he thought the rate was exorbitant, so he declined. In the early morning of Oct. 18, the machine caught fire and was destroyed. Arson was suspected.

On Oct. 16, Miss Nettie Jensen came down from Oberon. Nathan Flater returned from Canada; he would go to California as soon as his business permitted. Civil War veterans Burton Hulbert and James Davidson returned from Washington, D.C., where they had attended the GAR encampment. Band instructor H. Stoddard returned to New Rockford. John Setz was in from eastern Eddy County on business. Earl Starks went to St. Paul to enter a business college, and John Kennedy went to Minneapolis to do the same.