History of New Rockford: August 2, 2021

The April 15, 1904, “Transcript” said barbers Judson Gilbreath and Granville Egbert had to vacate their quarters next to the H.G. Hudson fruit store, as jeweler J.N. Kunkel was going to occupy that spot. As soon as a plate glass front could be installed, they would move into the basement of the J.W. Rager harness shop, which was being painted and papered. [They opened for business on April 23.] As soon as painting and wallpapering was finished in the former D.Y. Stanton barber shop occupied by Gilbreath and Egbert, Kunkel hoped to move in. A new front had just been completed.

Billy Bashaw, the Thoroughbred Black Hawk Morgan Stallion, would stand for service for the season at the East Side Livery Barn. Sam Swanson, owner, had purchased the animal from Streeter and Cooling on April 9.

John Gardner had rented his farm northwest of town to August Mabbe of Red Wing, Minn., who arrived with his family on April 13. Gardner would go to work on the A.D. Tomlinson farm.

A new timecard for the Devils Lake branch had the northbound passenger train arriving at 12:30 p.m. and stopping twenty minutes for a dinner break; the southbound train would arrive in New Rockford at 2:40 p.m.

On April 15, Alonso Neutzel was in town on business; he had rented his farm near Lake Coe to John Snook and was going to live with his parents. Henry VonAlmen returned from a winter in Minnesota; he’d had a bout of heart trouble. A.C. Jones returned from a visit to Minneapolis. Albert West and Guy Thompson left for a visit to the Pacific Coast. Dodson Reames left for Oregon, watching over a carload of goods shipped by A.H. Wilson, who was about to leave for that state, his future home. The West Side Kindergarten Whist Club met at the home of Mrs. T.E. Lahart. On that day, a dark bay horse, 950 lbs., white hind feet, strayed from the property of Ed Martin.

On April 16, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Hans Tuffli at their rural home. Leonard Schmit was up from southwest of Barlow and Martin Anderson came in from Plainview, both on business. Nils C. Gunvaldson was down from northwest of town to get spring supplies and to visit, as was James Renfrew. A.H. Wilson left for Medford, Ore., but first he stopped in Devils Lake to take the Commandery degrees in Masonry; then to Lakota, where his wife was waiting, and then on the Great Northern to their new home.

From April 16 to 19, Frank Reed was in Devils Lake; while there he received the Commandery Degree at the Masonic Lodge.

On Sunday, April 17, Walter Schmid visited in Esmond.

On April 18, Jamestown attorney Fredrus Baldwin was in town between trains. Dr. J.R. McKenzie came up from Carrington and Judge S.L. Glaspell was in from Jamestown, both to visit. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Corey returned from Williston to make Eddy County their home during the summer. Hope Crawford returned from a short visit with his brother Dr. John Crawford in Esmond. Druggist C.H. Babcock went to Devils Lake to receive the Commandery degree at a Masonic meeting that evening. J.N. Kunkel moved his jewelry business into the building just west of the H.G. Hudson fruit and confectionary store on West Villard Avenue. Sam Swanson and Martin Mostue (Swanson and Mostue), having already purchased the horses and rollingstock, rented the Davies Livery Barn; the new firm would be known as the North Star Livery Barn. They would take over officially on May 1. That evening, there was a dancing party at the Treffry farm southeast of town with refreshments served at midnight.

On April 19, attorney Estabrook came up from Carrington on legal business. Martin Walsh was in town. Mrs. George F. Putnam and Miss Gertrude returned from a visit to Sheyenne. Elizabeth Trainor went to Barlow for a few days’ visit. Father W.A. Gallahue went to Esmond for a Mass the next day. William Brueske left for Valley City, where he would work for the Noxon Bros. in their plumbing and steam-heat business. That night and into the next day it snowed; on April 22 it rained.

At a special meeting of the Eddy County Commission on April 19, they voted to advertise for bids for a steel bridge across the James River at New Rockford.

On April 19 and 20, John Dutee, Sr., was in from eastern Eddy County with some fine dressed hogs for the local market. From April 19 to 21, Rev. J.R. Beebe was in Fargo on business. From April 20 to 21, J.M. Deeter was in on business.

On April 20, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hutchinson. James Hobbs was in from Plainview. Otto Pomranke was in from northeast of town for spring supplies.

On the morning of April 21, a son [Ralph] was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Culp. C.O. Tomlinson was up from Barlow on business and to visit, as was J.D. Carroll from Washington Lake. Lambert VanLith came in from his farm southwest of town with a hog that weighed over 500 lbs. for the local market. J.M. Patch came in from Indianapolis to look over his business interests. A.N. Hegvold’s family arrived; he had been fixing up the former A.H. Wilson house for them.

On April 21 and 22, James A. Manly was in Carrington.

The April 22, 1904, “Transcript” said that L.J. Olsen, the Linotype operator at the “Transcript,” was in Fargo for the Music Festival.

A letter from L.J. Aldrich of Merom, Ind., the recently named principal of Phillips Academy, said he was finishing the year’s work at Union Christian College, of which he was the president; he and his family hoped to be in New Rockford by mid-summer.

The “Transcript’s” telephone number was 28.

In School Notes, the Latin class was translating short stories about Hercules into English. The Algebra class was studying simultaneous quadratic equations. The drawing class had been studying rather good copies of old masterpieces. The botany class was hampered, in that there were very few wild flowers, so they had to make do with house plants and some grown in the laboratory. The compound microscope had been a great aid in the study of the parts of plants. The history class had finished studying American history from the beginning to 1877, and was going into the period from 1877 to the present. The weekly teachers’ meetings had been mainly devoted to discussion about psychology and its application to school work. Mr. [Harold?] Riter had visited the school the previous week.

Postmaster M.F. Kepner had badly injured his right hand “by mixing with a cantankerous gun.”

Mr. and Mrs. George Treffry and family had moved into town and were living in the former Mr. and Mrs. James Wiltsie residence on the corner of Stimson and New Haven.

The Hotel Mattson was being spruced up with many of the rooms receiving new paint and wallpaper. The firm of Tarbell and Cotter that had been managing the East Side Livery Barn had been dissolved with H.C. Tarbell taking over.