History of New Rockford: July 5, 2021

On March 18, 1904, H.B. Johnson returned from a visit to his old home in Wisconsin. That evening, a meeting was held for young men interested in organizing an athletic club. The meeting had been called after a similar meeting on March 12 had failed to attract enough men. Those present decided to have a canvass of the community, which was undertaken by James A. Manly and Sam Swanson and they secured enough support to warrant starting such a club. That evening, there was a grand ball in the Opera House, with music by the New Rockford Orchestra; “a small, but vivacious crowd attended.”

On March 19, Theodore Doyon from near Barlow, was in town. C.C. Lyford, who had purchased the Clayton Hall farm in the Sheyenne River Valley, was in town getting acquainted with the New Rockford businessmen and buying spring supplies. David Twist was in from northwest of New Rockford, and Freeman Shoemaker came in from Tiffany to buy spring supplies. C.H. Ruland and Martin Walsh were in from the Tiffany country on business. That evening, there was a spelling contest between the Tiffany Literary and Debating Society, and the Columbia Literary and Spelling School. Captains were Anna Johnson for Tiffany and Hazel Roush for Columbia. There were 24 spellers on each team. After two hours, the contest was declared a draw by Mrs. W.A. Cornish of Tiffany and Col. Seth Bailey of Columbia.

On March 21, the train took dentist F.D. Norton north along the line, so he could do some professional work. Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Hoffman and family, of Tiffany, left for Stanley and their new homestead. Attorney C.J. Maddux went to Fargo; he had a case before the N.D. Supreme Court, which was meeting there. Mrs. J.L. Prader, Jr., went to Jamestown to visit her parents. Ida Sanders returned to Carrington after several days of visiting with her cousin Laura Reames. Joseph Maxwell was in Carrington. That evening, H.G. Hudson became a Third Degree Mason.

From March 21 to 23, Alice (Mrs. J.W.) Rager was in the Twin Cities.

On March 22, George Barrymore from east of Tiffany, and H.G. Lathrop from eastern Eddy County, were in on business. Philip Ackerman was butchering a hog when the butcher knife slipped and gashed his right hand; it took six stitches to close the wound. That evening, H.J. Baird returned from the Baird ranch in Kidder County, where he had spent the winter.

On March 23, Mrs. George Wedil and her daughter Mary came in from Elizabeth, Minn., to visit for about a month. Albert Dinnetz returned from Ontario and Minnesota; he had left the previous fall. Mrs. R.M. Kennedy came home from St. Paul, where she had visited her son Harold, who was in the hospital and showing only slight improvement. Guy Lathrop came back from a visit to Indiana and Minnesota. Mrs. John Boprey, who was living in eastern Eddy County, returned to her old home in Minnesota. A.G. Kinslow, manager of the Hotel Davies, went to Kenmare on business. That evening, Rev. C.F. Choate of Rolla conducted services in the Baptist Church.

On March 24, E.A. Borthwick sold at public auction, on his farm a half mile east of Freeborn on section 33, T150, R62, 16 horses, ten cattle, six pigs, 30 chickens, plus farm machinery. Geese, ducks, and “chicken hawks” were seen in the sky; the “Transcript” thought they had returned too early. Rev. E.T. Quam was down from Sheyenne. Mrs. William A. VanHorn came in from Hensall, Ontario. G.K. Gullicks was in town. James Hobbs came in from southeast of town, and Ole and Martin Johnson were in from Plainview on business. Anson Bonney from Tiffany, and Peter P. Hallquist from northwest of town, came in for spring supplies. Mr. and Mrs. George Moxley returned from a visit to their former home in Iowa; and after they got in, they went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Bennett to visit. Nils Johnson returned from a winter in Wardner, Idaho, accompanied by his brother. Frank Hudson arrived from Seattle, Wash., and would work behind the counter at H.G. Hudson’s fruit store on Villard Avenue West, as the men were brothers. Charles Chamberlain returned from Illinois. Blanche Brownell arrived on the train from Jamestown, and stayed for around a week to visit her parents Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Brownell. Myrtle Swanson took the train to Fargo to visit her aunts. Nora Kennedy was also on the train to Fargo, where she would take a position as a stenographer in a large business firm. That afternoon, New Rockford bowlers Earl Starks, Ben Fay, Ed Stitzel, Lawrence Prader, Albert West, and Guy Thompson defeated a team of Barlow bowlers on their home alleys, and the three-game total showed New Rockford had 2005 to Barlow’s 1965. The series was 2-1 in favor of New Rockford. That afternoon, a storm blew in with heavy rain, which turned to sleet, and then to snow. The northwest wind kept up all night and was continuous the next day. All traffic, both on the roads and on the railroads, was suspended; not only in New Rockford, but also in other states and Canada. It was feared that livestock would suffer badly from the storm.

The March 25, 1904, “Transcript” mentioned the “Michigan City, N.D., Independent” published by Mrs. Richie B. Doherty.

There had been enough recent snow that the front door to the “Transcript” office was blocked and people had to use the alley door.

Carpenters were enlarging and remodeling the office of the Hotel Davies. George Fahrer was having his meat market on Chicago Street brightened with new wallpaper and paint. H.G. Hudson had put up a new awning on the front of his store, but because of the stormy weather, many residents jokingly said he was rushing the season and perhaps should be questioned by the Board of Insanity. Mrs. John Swanson was going to open a millinery business in the Swanson Bros. store.

In School Notes, Kenneth Cole was back. Charles and Fena Carlson had been absent from the grammar room. Hazel Hall had left school to help at home. Vada Aultman had left school and she would begin teaching in a rural school on April 1. W.E. Biggs visited the intermediate room on March 24.

The family of railroad section foreman John Carlson was quarantined because of diphtheria. The previous week, J.H. Boxrud arrived from Minnesota to visit his daughter, Mrs. D.L. Lytle and family. Mr. and Mrs. J.H. [L.H.?] Lake and family returned from a visit with relatives at Steele. That week, while he was in Minnesota, James Manly purchased a thoroughbred Hambletonian driving horse and had it shipped to New Rockford.