History of New Rockford: March 9, 2020

The Jan. 30, 1903, “Transcript” said there had been snow during the week, including a considerable amount on Jan. 27 and 28, so sleighing was “…the best it has been for years.”

An ad— City Dray and Express Line, P.H. West, Prop. Baggage Transferred, Express Handled, Contracts Taken For Free Ice Delivery Next Summer. Telephone 40a.

Miss Helen Oliver had been ill all week with tonsillitis. Miss Belle Oliver and Miss Margaret Ford were ill with the grip [flu] of which there were many cases in town. Mrs. G.D. Murphy was very ill a couple days with croup but was better. Mrs. George Brown had been quite ill for two weeks.

An item stated that there was a telephone line that connected farmers to the northwest of New Rockford; lines anticipated before the fall were one to the southeast, possibly as far as McHenry; one to Tiffany; and one to the southwest of town.

Recently Rev. E.P. Johnson of the Baptist Publication Society held a week of revival meetings in Tiffany. The Tiffany Literary Society was holding debates every Saturday evening.

At 10 a.m. Jan. 30, there was a meeting of the officers and the executive committee of the Early Settlers’ Association in the courthouse, A.M. Greely, secretary. The executive committee voted to set Feb. 18 as the date for an Early Settlers’ dance in place of a winter meeting; the proceeds would go toward a farmers’ institute lecturer at the summer meeting. Ed Hogue, George R. Williams, and Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Carroll were in New Rockford. Theodore Doyen came in from his farm on the county line south of New Rockford. John G. Nelson came down on business from the Sheyenne Valley. Thomas Turner came up from Barlow to see his family. George Erickson was up from Courtenay. VanDorn Gilchrist left for Brownsville, Minn., where his wife had been for a couple months; they would return in March.

That afternoon E.H. Martin sold his Independent Dray Line to Oscar Bauer and A.J. Larkin (Bauer & Larkin), who would take over on Feb. 2.

On the morning of Jan. 31, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. A.G. Mathews northwest of Tiffany. At 2 p.m. Jan. 31, a meeting of the Superior and Eastern Extension Telephone Company was held in the courthouse; H.B. Johnson of Plainview attended. Preliminary plans were made for a line in the coming summer. W.A. Brueske of Wimbledon arrived to replace John Cole in the local telephone system. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Fay came in from east of Tiffany so he could help with invoicing the large stock at H. Peoples’ store A.C. Cross of McHenry, B.F. Onstott, and J.R. Craig were in town. Rudolph Indergaard came in from southeast of town. Martin Walsh from his Tiffany farm, Hans Tuffli from the Guler district, and Louis Chaquette were in on business.

On that day Martin O’Brien was in New Rockford talking with James Dailey, one of the promoters of the telephone company that was planning on running a line to James Hobbs’s farm twenty miles southeast of New Rockford and within 15 miles of McHenry. A meeting was then held on the evening of Feb. 7 in Huntly Hall, McHenry, to determine the feasibility of extending the line to that town.

That evening the Dode Fisk Concert Company appeared in Brown’s Opera House. Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Stedman and barber Henry Miller and his wife, all of Sheyenne, attended. Misses Floy and Jet Richter also attended and stayed over Sunday to visit friends. Unfortunately, the company’s manager had severe laryngitis and could not perform; he was treated by Dr. MacLachlan and Mrs. Frederick Skidmore and was back on the boards on Monday night, Feb. 2. Also that evening there was a concert and dance to benefit the NRFD. Sheyenne elevator man A.H. Johnson and druggist Walker attended. Mrs. Annie Oliver and her daughter Miss Hazel returned that evening from McHenry; Hazel Oliver was much improved in health and would remain in New Rockford for the rest of the winter.

On Feb. 2, the Ground Hog saw his shadow. Miss Lena McGeoch went to Oberon to visit her parents. That evening the Dode Fisk Concert Company appeared in Brown’s Opera House.

On Feb. 3, druggist O.A. Burger and barber Granville Egbert were up from Barlow. T.T. “Eli” Omoth was in from his farm near Eden, northeast of Hamberg in Wells County. James Graham came in from eastern Eddy County on business. S.A. Olsness returned to Sheyenne after a visit to his old home in Norway. Attorney R.P. Allison went to Fargo on legal business. That afternoon there was an Apron Sale at the Opera House sponsored by the Methodist Ladies’ Aid; there was also a Box Social that evening with boxes containing lunch for two.

On Feb. 4, B.G. Arbogast returned from Barnesville, Minn., where he had spent ten days looking after his company’s coal interests; he claimed they had an eight-foot seam of coal 100 feet down which appeared of good quality. In on business were Ed Roach from west of town, William Dugan from his Barlow farm, George Fugina, and Axtle Johnson. That evening Sgt. T.P. Morris lectured on “Army Life” to the Masons and their friends at the Congregational Church; Sgt. Morris had been on active duty for 33 years and had “traveled extensively.” Also that evening some Tiffany young people gave Mrs. Andrew Johnson and family a surprise party on their farm northwest of Tiffany; there was music, dancing, and games. Barney Engberg was in that evening from his farm south of town.

At 8 p.m. Edith Estella Overton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Overton, formerly of Ohio, and Archie Melvan [Melvin?] Brownlee were married at the home of the bride’s parents five miles west of New Rockford by Rev. J.R. Beebe, followed by a wedding supper prepared by the bride’s mother. Brownlee came to Wells County from Missouri in the spring of 1898. The couple would live on his farm.

On Feb. 5, the Lyman & Ellis Cigar Company put on the market their nickel cigars (the Thelma and the Northern Dakota). In a few weeks, their 10-cent cigars (the La Palma and the Seth Warner) would be on the market. Mrs. Andrew Johnson, Sr., came in from Tiffany to shop. Joseph Dutee was in from eastern Eddy County on business. That afternoon there was a Missionary Tea for all ladies at the home of Mrs. H.J. Mitchell, with entertainment by the Congregational Ladies’ Social Union. “Fee, a piece of silver.” The event “…was quite well attended considering the amount of illness in the city.”