History of New Rockford: May 10, 2021

On Jan. 27, 1904, a “dynamite cartridge” exploded and sent a piece deep into Willie Christ’s left eye. After Dr. MacLachlan examined the eye, he recommended sending the young man to Dr. Archibald, an eye specialist in St. Paul. That afternoon, Anton Haas accompanied him to St. Paul, since Willie’s father was visiting in South Dakota. By March 5, the boy had had six pieces of the cartridge removed from the eye and Archibald had “strong hopes” of saving the boy’s eyesight.

On Jan. 28, John McCrum was in from Tiffany. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Culp came home from their trip to their old home in Missouri. George Putnam returned from a trip “down the line.” David Carlton was up from Barlow on business. Went Mcgee came in from Tiffany on business and to visit. Erick Lindstrom went to his farm near Goodrich for a few days. Fred H. Dutee of the Dutee Grain Co. in McHenry left for Iowa, where he was married to Grace V. Johnson at Adel, Iowa; they would live on Dutee’s farm northwest of McHenry.

The Jan. 29, 1904, “Transcript” said that afternoon Mrs. G.W. Brownell would be entertaining the West Side Kindergarten Whist Club at her home on Stimson Avenue West.

“I demonstrate the healing of illness without medication. Give me a call and I will prove my statement.—L.S. Ford.”

In school notes, there were 213 students enrolled so far that year. The seventh graders were working on composition; Edith Neutzel had a mark of 100. The advanced arithmetic class had taken up square roots. The algebra class had finished with equations involving two unknown quantities and were taking up equations of three unknown quantities. On Jan. 22, the “Literary Times,” a school newspaper edited by the NRHS Literary Society, made its appearance with social, advertisement, and editorial departments.

On Jan. 22, Mrs. Butler, Miss Canning, and Rev. C.F. Sewrey visited the high school. Intermediate students with no tardies or absences in the first four months of school were Anna Ackerman, Maude Baeder, Loyle Goss, Amanda Gronvold, Elmer Gronvold, Maude Hersey, Mabel House, and Lydia Hylton. Wanda Keime had been absent from school. On Jan. 25, Margaret Brown entered the sixth grade, and on Jan. 26, Alex Austin became a student. Ida Brueske had joined the seventh grade.

J.H. Hohl had been quite ill with pleurisy for three weeks, but he was finally able to sit on his sofa instead of having to lie in bed.

During the week, H.J. Radkte had purchased the stock and fixtures of Charles Lyman’s cigar manufactory and would open for business as soon as all the legal papers were signed; the shop was in the basement of John Wenz’ shoe store at the corner of Villard and Dakota.

On Jan. 29, Mrs. G.W. Manning of Fergus Falls, Minn., arrived to visit her sister Mrs. D.F. Ellsworth and husband. Laura Reams and Sarah West went to Carrington to attend a dance that evening and to visit; they returned on Feb. 1. That evening, a number of her young friends surprised Emily Swanson with a birthday party, complete with music, games, and a lunch at midnight.

A.E. Wiltsie returned from his Ward County homestead and resumed his position at the J.W. Rager harness shop. Joseph Christ returned from visiting South Dakota relatives. Deputy Revenue Collector Sinclair came up to check on the cigar manufactory and found everything in order; H.J. Radtke would be able to open his business as soon as the new labels and boxes arrived; his cigar band would be “The Pride of New Rockford.” John Kennedy came home from Two Harbors, Minn.; he had been working in the woods, but had cut his foot with an ax and had undergone two operations on it. The severely injured extremity was finally healing nicely. Col. D.F. Ellsworth went to Jamestown on business; he returned on Feb. 1. George J. Schwoebel left for the Twin Cities and Wisconsin.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, Frederick Skidmore of Tiffany was in town. Rev. J.H. Mahin of Carrington preached in the Methodist Church in the morning and the evening; the Methodist choir also sang some special numbers. [Rev. J.H. Mahin had served the New Rockford Methodist Church, May 1895-May 5, 1897.] Rev. E.W. Burleson conducted Episcopal services in the Baptist Church: 10:30, Holy Communion; 11:00, morning prayer and service; 7:30, evening prayer and service.

On Feb. 1, a blizzard greeted the early morning in New Rockford and lasted until late at night, and marred the annual winter meeting of the Early Settlers’ Association and the Commercial Association-sponsored Farmers’ Institute, both in the courthouse. Despite the weather, the Institute people arrived on the noon train and the event proceeded, but with a much-reduced attendance and “no farmers in from the country.” A.K. Bush was in charge of the Institute; speakers included E.G. Schollander of NDAC; E.S. DeLancey of Valley City on “Draft Horses”; Thomas Cowey on dairy farming; N.S. French, a farmer in N.D. for 20 years. Supper was served at 25 cents per ticket. There was a dance that evening.

On that day, James A. Manly returned from Minneapolis, where he had attended a meeting of the law class with whom he had graduated. Isaac Walden returned from his visit to the Pacific Coast; he had also visited his brother Robert and family in British Columbia. Mrs. R.P. Allison went to Jamestown, called there by the illness of her daughter-in-law Mrs. E.G. Allison. Van Dorn Gilchrist left to visit relatives in the Twin Cities and other Minnesota points. Emily Swanson returned to her Fargo home after six months visiting her brothers, merchants John and Sam Swanson. James T. Wiltsie, who had been a grain buyer in Barlow for the Lahart Elevator, reportedly left to join his family in Los Angeles for the winter, but a note in a later paper said that he had just returned from LaMoure on Feb. 24. John Cockerill, of the real estate firm of Streeter & Cockerill, sold out to O.G. Cooling, formerly a special collector for the International Harvester Co., and well-known in New Rockford. The new firm would be called Streeter & Cooling. Cockerill would probably return to his old home in New York State.

On Feb. 2, the ground hog saw his shadow on a bright sunny day. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pake. Sidney Hewes came in on business. John Von Almen left for a couple weeks to go to his old home in Elizabeth, Minn. and some other cities; he returned on Feb. 17.