History of New Rockford: Feb. 24, 2020

The Jan. 16, 1903, “Transcript” mentioned the “Cooperstown Courier,” which had just finished its 20th year and the “Grafton News &Times.”

An announcement said that George Brazee was going to put in a barbershop in John Wenz’s shoe shop at Villard & Dakota the next week; he had already ordered the fixtures. A note stated that Dr. L.P. Solsness, who had practiced medicine in Barlow the previous summer, had disposed of his practice to Dr. C.J. McNamara, who would take over after his return from his Canadian trip.

Gregory & College, owners of the Barlow Hotel, had dissolved their partnership; J.F. Gregory sold out to Ed College, who took over the hotel and installed his son as the manager. The building was being renovated.

A 900-lb. sorrel mare, three years old, with a white stripe in her forehead and some white on the hind legs, had strayed from the George Treffry farm. H.A. Buffington had taken up a three-year-old red and white muley heifer during the previous week’s storm.

Early in the week, the “Transcript” office expanded into the area formerly occupied by the D.Y. Stanton barber shop in the Maddux Block; people could now use the front door. Office hours were 8 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. The carpenters and the clerical staff at Rodenberg & Schwoebel’s rearranged the entire stock in the store. Also the cigar shop was extensively renovated during the week.

George F. Putnam had been in town that week, looking after business matters.

James G. Dailey had contacted farmers southeast of New Rockford and had $400 subscribed to connect their farms with a telephone line to New Rockford in the summer.

Postmaster M.F. Kepner had moved the post office from west of the Maddux Block to the building formerly occupied by the Buck and Couch Drug Store on Chicago St. [where the Rockford Theatre is today]. The building had been thoroughly renovated and Mrs. Kepner would operate a confectionary store and news and cigar stand in the front of the building, assisted by Andrew Dodds.

Albert Hendrickson was helping in the Ose Hardware Store in the absence of John VonAmen.

A.H. Johnson was a deputy sheriff. F.C. Davies was the constable. C.C. Manning of Sheyenne and J.R. Winslow were justices of the peace.

Mrs. Walter Priest was very ill with pneumonia.

On Jan. 16, G.B. Hall was in from northeast of town; after the storm of the previous week, he had to search for some of his cattle that had strayed. Eventually, he got them all back at the price

of a frost-bitten nose. Mrs. Charles Pake came up from Bowdon to visit for a few days. Miss May O’Connell returned from a visit to Jamestown. Mrs. J.W. Stoddard returned from a visit with her daughter Mrs. Frank Diemer and family at Barnesville, Minn. State Senator J.D. Carroll and his wife came in from their Lake Washington home that day; the next day they left for Bismarck and the remainder of the legislative session. J.T. Wiltsie went to his farm in Ransom County and then left for San Diego to join his family for the winter.

That afternoon the West Side Kindergarten Whist Club met at Viola Woodward’s. That evening a large crowd enjoyed a masquerade ball at the Guler School. There was also a grand masquerade ball that evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Walsh near Tiffany, which a number of “young folks” from New Rockford attended.

From Jan. 16 to 20, grain buyer F.G. Haver was down from Knox to visit his family.

At 1 p.m. Jan. 17, there was a meeting of the stockholders of the Creamery Association to elect officers: W.O. Baird, president; Anton Haas, vice president; E.R. Davidson, secretary; Peter Prader, treasurer; Jacob Allmaras, trustee for three years; Joseph Christ, trustee for two years. That evening Roy Greitl and Louis Bergum of the Barlow Workmen Lodge were in New Rockford to discuss matters pertaining to the big dance in Barlow on the evening of Jan. 28. Also that evening Misses Pearl and Blanche Anderson entertained a party of their young friends at their home on the corner of Stimson & New Haven with games, music, singing, and lunch. Miss Jessie Treffry also entertained her young friends with music and dancing at her parents’ farm southeast of town.

On Sunday, Jan. 18, Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Carroll drove up from Barlow to visit for a few hours. Mark Canning and Granville Egbert came up from Barlow to visit.

On Jan. 18 and 19, George Mansfield and bank cashier W.H. Niemeyer were over from McHenry. Grain buyer Fred Dutee was also over from McHenry; he had just returned from visiting relatives in Kentucky and St. Louis. His sister Carrie had accompanied him as far as the Twin Cities.

On Jan. 19, George Brazee received his barber shop fixtures and was doing business in John Wenz’s building at Villard & Dakota. Sheyenne merchant L.G. Lundin was down on business. Farmers Jacob Allmaras and William Hartje were in from west of town. Col. D.F. Ellsworth visited his son Alf in Jamestown before returning to New Rockford after a long stay with relatives in Michigan and Iowa. Elevatormen F.A. Cousins and J.W. Lahart were in New Rockford. E.M. Myhra went to Fargo.

On Jan. 20, banker G.G. Christianson drove down from Minnewaukan on business. Peter Smith was in town. C.A. Berge was in from his farm northwest of New Rockford. John Nelson, a tailor from Harvey, was in town taking orders. W.L. Belden was up from Logan County to visit his old friend R.P. Allison and his wife. Mattson Hotel clerk Andrew Johnson went to the Twin Cities; he returned Jan. 28. Alec Pottner left for his old home at Jefferson, Wisconsin; he would visit relatives in the Twin Cities on the way there. Frank Reed went to his old home in Iowa, supposedly until the spring, but he returned from the Twin Cities on Feb. 20.

On Jan. 21 Peter Hanson came down from the Sheyenne Valley. James Graham was in from eastern Eddy County on business.

On Jan. 22, daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Walsh and to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wright, who lived north of Tiffany. Ned Morris, a grain buyer at Hesper, N.D., in Benson County, came down to visit his parents. Christ Fahrner came in on business from his farm southeast of town. John Dodds was in town. Mr. and Mrs. George Dodds were in shopping. Postmaster D.D. Dailey of Morris was in on business; he had been officially appointed the postmaster although he had been acting in that capacity since Jan. 1 after the resignation of Carrie Dutee. Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Wilson arrived from Edgeley to live; he took over the management of the Powers Elevator Company’s lumberyard after the resignation of M.B. Hersey. Mrs. C.G. Storer came in from Shakopee, Minn., to visit her sister Mrs. E.S. Severtson and family. Blacksmith John Olson went to Sheyenne on business. Mrs. R.P. Allison and Mrs. Walter Priest were in Sheyenne on Baptist Church matters. That evening there was a large crowd at the Epworth League’s “Around the World in Eighty Minutes.”