History of New Rockford: May 11, 2020

On March 23 B.F. Onstott held a sale of stock and personal property at his farm northeast of New Rockford. John Welsh was in on business. Frank Parker of the machinery department of Prader & Goss went to Minneapolis; he returned April 1. Frank Fugina had his right hand badly crushed by an engine; his right index finger had to be amputated.

On the evenings of March 23 to 25, Prof. G.B. Thomas and family, as the Thomas’ Tours and Concert Company, gave a series of entertainments and lectures, featuring illustrated songs, mellophone solos, elocution, and “Magnificently Colored Moving and Stereoptican Views” at the Methodist Church; admission was 50 cents for all three nights, 25 cents for a single night, and 15 cents for children. They played to “big audiences.”

On March 24, George Norman of the Dakota Elevator returned from his old home in Minnesota. Will Young was in town. Pat O’Connor was in on business from west of town. G.A. Erickson of Courtenay started work in the general merchandise portion of H. Peoples & Co. Miss Mayme McMillan, who had managed the fruit and confectionary business in the post office lobby since about March 4, left for Hannah, N.D., where her sister was gravely ill. Robert Walden sold at public auction on his farm east of New Rockford all his stock and machinery. The Ionic Chapter #39 of the Order of the Eastern Star met, Minnie M. Bennett, Worthy Matron.

On March 25, H.B. Johnson of Plainview and W.G. Carter came in on business. Miss Elsie Keime returned from Valley City, where she was attending school. Mrs. James Hackney was back from southern California. Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Clark returned from San Diego. Will Chambers was back from a winter at his old home in Minnesota.

On the afternoon of March 25, Martha A. Pomranke and Charles W. Brolin of Sheyenne were married by Rev. J.R. Beebe at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. O.R. Pomranke. “…a sumptuous wedding dinner” followed. The couple would live on the groom’s farm 7 miles east of Sheyenne.

On March 26, there was a public sale of farm machinery and stock at the J.H. Walters’ farm 1½ miles east of Barlow. George Pincott came in with a carload of horses from Montana for sale. John Deeter was in from northeast of New Rockford for spring supplies. George Treffry came in on business. That evening Charles Onstott was in from Freeborn for spring supplies.

The March 27, 1903, “Transcript” mentioned the “Aneta Panorama,” “Oberon Reporter” edited by Rev. Saunders, “Devils Lake Free Press,” “Courtenay Gazette,” and “Fargo Call.”

A story taken from the “Chicago American” stated that Miss Marmora Katherine Henry had taken up a stage career after studying dramatic art for several years and appearing in a number of amateur productions. During the upcoming summer she was scheduled to appear out-of-town in a one-act sketch written especially for her by Morris S. Silver, a Chicago songwriter. She was described as having “…a delightful soprano voice.” The “Transcript” commented that she was the former New Rockford resident Miss Kate Henry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Henry, who farmed northeast of town.

George O’Connor had around 50 bushels of clean seed speltz he would trade for oats and an 18-foot steel lever harrow for sale or trade. J.M. Deeter had good clean flax seed for sale at $1.25 a bushel at his farm twelve miles northeast of New Rockford.

During the week C.J. Maddux had helped close several real estate deals:

S.N. Putnam bought the Robert Walden farm six miles east of New Rockford composed of 800 acres with “good buildings” and large vegetable and fruit gardens at around ten dollars per acre.

E.C. Schutt of Huntington, S.D., bought over 500 acres eight miles northeast of New Rockford from W.M. and Charles Chamberlain at over twelve dollars per acre; Schutt was planning on moving from South Dakota in the spring of 1904.

Matt Mattson, Jr., and his wife Margaret sold the third lot north of the south side of the block east of the tracks and NP depot to Logan & Farley [Charles Logan; William Farley] for a thousand dollars; after renovations Logan & Farley were going to move their restaurant there from the old courthouse building on Chicago. [The transfer took place on March 26; it was lot 10 of block 18 of the original town site; today (2020) it would be either the south edge of Miller’s Fresh Foods’ parking lot or just south of it.]

H.G. Hudson had moved his fruit and confectionary business into the old post office building just west of the “Transcript” block on Villard, now Central, Ave. [the former First State Bank building (razed in 2017). During the week painters and paperhangers were busy in the Hotel Mattson and the H. Peoples & Company building. Charles F. Culp had a shop on Lamborn Avenue East.

The previous week Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Carr of Waddington, NY, arrived; he would be the manager and butter maker for the New Rockford Creamery. He was the nephew of R.M. Kennedy; she was a graduate of the State Normal School at Potsdam, NY. The couple would live in the C.I. Hartson residence on Villard Avenue East.

On March 27, Rudolph Indergaard was in town. Mrs. William Cornish was in from Tiffany to shop. That evening there were a large number of maskers at the masquerade ball in the Opera House; dancing went until a late hour.

On the morning of March 28, a new barbershop opened. The new organization, the New Rockford Co-Operative Improvement Association, set up the barbershop in the building just west of the H.G. Hudson fruit and confectionary store on Villard Avenue West. The shop was managed by John Cole and D.Y. Stanton. Mr. and Mrs. Clark B. Goodrich returned from a short trip. Knut Vick was down from Sheyenne. C.F. Clure came in from Spokane, Wash., to look after business interests for about two weeks. That afternoon there were 50 teams on Villard Avenue west of the First National Bank.

On Sunday, March 29, Miss Helen Oliver came over from McHenry to visit Miss Sarah West.

On March 30, C.W. Hall came in from Montana with a carload of farm horses for sale. Peter Michel was in on business. J.W. Perry returned from a visit to his old home in Missouri. That evening Mrs. G.D. Murphy’s father died in Portland, Oreg.; she left for that city on April 1 and returned on April 20.

On March 30 and 31, John T. West was in from eastern Eddy County on business.