History of New Rockford: Dec. 7, 2020

On Sept. 7, 1903, rain caused “a throng of farmers and threshermen” on the streets of New Rockford. John Von Almen and A.H. Crawford went to Elizabeth, Minnesota, to attend the wedding of one of Von Almen’s sisters; Von Almen returned on Sept. 11, accompanied by his brother Fred, who would remain for a while. Miss Blanche Brownell went to Jamestown to continue her studies at St. Joseph’s Academy; her mother accompanied her and came home the next day. That afternoon Judge W.C. Beardsley married Thor A. Ness and Martha Erickson of McHenry; the couple would live near that town. That evening there was a Labor Day dance, hosted by a number of young men, with music by the New Rockford Orchestra; Mr. and Mrs. O.A. Burger of Barlow attended.

The Eddy County Commission (Braman, Dailey, Dafoe) met on Sept. 7 and paid the following bills: $4.30, E. Starks, wood for Mrs. Cahill, county poor; $30, W.C. Hayes, janitor, August; $200, Kokomo Fence Co., courthouse fence; $120, A.E. Randolph, grade contract; $24.15 and $16.70, Powers Elevator Co., bridge lumber; $2, Noxon & Oglesby, August telephone; $45, Mrs. A.G. Gardner, clerk for register of deeds, August; $97.25, Crane & Johnson, lumber for bridges; $72, Acetylene Contracting Co., piping courthouse and making connections.

On Sept. 9 Orris E. Wood and Ellen Bohmbach, both of Eddy County, were married in the Congregational parsonage by Rev. J.R. Beebe. That afternoon J.W. Rager began threshing his wheat crop.

On that day the First National Bank of New Rockford, James E. Hyde, cashier, had resources (assets) of $60,328.44, up $124.26 from the $60,204.18 of June 9. Checking accounts were $9231.98, down $3091.03 from the $12,323.01 of June 9. Also that day the Bank of New Rockford, Ernest S. Severtson, cashier, had resources (assets) of $118,693.45, down $7388.85 from the $126,082.30 of June 9. Checking accounts amounted to $56,389.70, down $53,892.51 from the $109,282.21 of June 9.

On the morning of Sept. 10, Benjamin W. Rantz counted 31 threshing machines working in the fields around New Rockford from the cupola of the Powers Elevator. Whiteman & Prader pulled out of town with their “mammoth threshing rig.” The Great Madden [Dr. James Madden], an authority on eyes and the inventor of EZY-EYE-SPEX, was at the Hotel Davies.

In the morning the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hamilton died; he had been born on July 18. J.H. Hohl arrived from San Diego to look after his business interests. Miss Maud Balch was down from Oberon to visit her sister Mrs. F.G. Haver. Maurice Oliver of Sheyenne was in New Rockford. John Weipert was in town; his wheat was all threshed at 7½ bushels per acre, but graded #2 Northern. He blamed the wet weather for the lower grade. James Hackney left for Souris, where he would be a grain buyer. That afternoon Judge Roderick Rose died in his Jamestown home from heart trouble. He had served eight years and five months as the judge of the 5th Judicial District. At 8:30 p.m. Dr. McKenzie and Jessie Soliday, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Soliday, were married in Carrington.

The Sept. 11, 1903, “Transcript” commented that the previous week the first issue of the “McHenry Free Press,” editor J.R. Arbogast, had arrived at the “Transcript” office. Also the “Aneta Panorama,” editor Lang, began its eighth year. Other papers mentioned were the “Bismarck Palladium” and the “Valley City Alliance.”

Prairie chickens were plentiful that fall, and many birds had already been bagged.

A notice said that Horace Courtemanche had found several articles of female apparel in the road near his farm. The owner could have the same “by proving property” and by explaining how the articles got here, “just to satisfy his curiosity.”

Logan & Farley were adding a second story to their restaurant building on St. Paul to be used as sleeping quarters. Mr. and Mrs. Axtle Johnson’s two-story farmhouse was just about completed.

The previous week Jolson and Gedrose had started their brand-new separator in eastern Wells County; three days after they began work, the separator caught fire and burned.

A.J. Clure was able to be up after a severe case of appendicitis had confined him to his bed for several days. R.R. Woodward was ill during the week.

Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Tarbell had moved from the Tiffany community to McHenry. The Tiffany schoolhouse was being repaired. The Tronsdale house near Tiffany was being fixed up as a parsonage for Rev. Taylor, who would be preaching at 11 a.m. at Morris and at 3:30 p.m. at Tiffany every Sunday.

At their last meeting, the Tiffany Ladies Aid elected Mrs. Frederick Skidmore, president; Mrs. Peter Crane, vice president; Mrs. Seth Bailey, secretary; Mrs. B.W. Hersey, treasurer. After the meeting, they enjoyed a chicken supper at the home of Mrs. I. Burnett. Their next meeting was at Mrs. Frederick Skidmore’s.

On Sept. 11, Mr. and Mrs. Hope Crawford and children returned from Elizabeth, Minn. That day saw the fall opening of Inez (Mrs. Guss) Gullicks’ millinery line in four rooms of her home on Chicago Street South; Miss Vera Keime was assisting. That evening Will Carroll came up from Barlow, where he bought grain along with J.T. Wiltsie. That night a storm struck with the heaviest rain seen in many years, and the wind was “fierce.” The storm continued until the morning of Sunday, Sept. 13.

The “Transcript” said, “Saturday’s [Sept. 12] storm of rain and snow and wind was the most severe ever experienced in this part of the state.” There were five inches of rain which included snow that melted as fast as it fell. Wheat shocks and stacks were thoroughly soaked which would hurt the wheat grade. It was estimated that late uncut flax would be damaged by 40 to 50%. Cut flax on the ground would have a smaller yield and would be less in grade. All threshing was stopped until the afternoon of Sept. 17. By that time “the frost following the rain [had] put all late flax out of business.”

On Sept. 11, F.D. Norton and H.J. Mitchell loaded a buggy with their hunting and camping gear and drove out to eastern Eddy County. Early the next morning they were caught by the wind, rain, and snowstorm. The two men headed for a small coulee near the George Pincott ranch. They may or may not have gotten any waterfowl, but the “Transcript” editor built their hunting story into a huge “tall tale.”

On Sept. 12, the Misses Harriet and Beth Davidson returned to Hamline University after a summer off. The continuing storm severely damaged Joseph Maxwell’s large windmill that provided water for his stock and for operating his large feed grinder, which was also damaged.