History of New Rockford: August 30, 2021

From the evening of May 16, 1904, to the next morning, Dr. G.D. Murphy and R.R. Woodward were in Fessenden on business. On May 16 to 18, Sheriff J.E. Bennett was in Fargo. On May 17 to 18, Arthur Larkin was in Fargo.

On the morning of May 17, Mary, the two-year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alex McCrackin, died of brain fever. Mrs. M.A. Garry came down from Knox to help the local WCTU. Miss Gussie Bray arrived from Newark, N.J., to visit her sister Mrs. Frederick Skidmore, at Tiffany. Lawrence Butler returned from St. Paul, where he had attended St. Thomas College during the winter term. John Von Almen left for a visit to his old home, Elizabeth, Minn., via Fargo; he returned on May 21. That evening B.W. Rantz was in Fargo.

At 11 a.m., May 17, A.H. Johnson and Floy Richter, both of Sheyenne, were married at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Richter, with Rev. J.R. Beebe officiating. The parlor was decorated with American Beauty roses and carnations. The sister of the bride, Miss Jet Richter, was the bridesmaid, while Ole Garnaas was best man. Miss Jensen played the wedding march. After a wedding dinner, the couple boarded the southbound train for a honeymoon on the Pacific Coast. Barlow bank cashier A.E. Swanson, and Mr. and Mrs. B.W. Rantz and R.F. Rinker of New Rockford, were some of the guests. At 8 o’clock that evening, Rev. E.W. Burleson conducted Episcopal services in the Methodist Church.

On May 18, Charles Goss came up from Barlow to visit his brother, merchant John F. Goss.

On May 19, John Aldred, Henry B. Johnson, and S.N. Putnam, delegates elected to the State Republican Convention in Fargo, as well as Hugh Peoples, Dr. Charles MacLachlan, and C.J. Maddux, returned to New Rockford. That evening, the West Side Kindergarten Whist Club met at the home of Mrs. Peter Prader on Lamborn Avenue West.

On May 19, the partnership of Swanson and Cady (Sam Swanson; J.E. Cady) was dissolved when Swanson sold out to Cady, who would do business as J.E. Cady and Co. Swanson and Cady had been in partnership in the general store only since April 7. Cady planned on closing out the grocery department and become a retail outlet solely for dry goods and ladies’ and gentlemen’s clothing and furnishings. [The location was on Villard Ave. West on Villard Ave., now Central Ave., and the site of the Latte Lobby].

The May 20, 1904, “Transcript” said that on May 18, at the State Republican Convention in Fargo, attorney John Knauf of Jamestown was the odds-on favorite to be selected as a national delegate from the 5th judicial district, but that his people were outmaneuvered by Dr. Charles MacLachlan, L.B. Garnaas, S.N. Putnam, J.E. Bennett, all of Eddy County, and Austin Regan of Fessenden, and Hugh Peoples was unanimously elected as the delegate.

That issue was enthusiastic about the new steel bridge that was going to replace the old wooden bridge across the James River at the north end of New Haven Street. It would cost between five and seven thousand dollars. Bridge bids would be received up to 1 p.m., June 21, by County Auditor W.C. Schwoebel.

Margaret Morris was quite ill and bed-ridden. Mart, the three-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. M.H. Pelton, was quite sick with typhoid fever.

During the week, the front of Rodenberg and Schwoebel’s store was painted. Concrete work on the Phillips Academy building was underway, with the stone work scheduled to begin on May 23. A man living on Graham’s Island at Devils Lake shipped a carload of trees, mostly box elders, to New Rockford, and “almost every householder” bought and planted some.

The Belgum and Schlong photography studio was open for business.

On May 20, George W. and Jennie Brownell sold Lots 5-12, Block 13 [where the “Transcript” office stood until it burned a couple of years ago] plus Lot 1, Block 18 [the first lot on the northwest corner of the Miller’s Fresh Food’s block] to the Northwest Lumber Co. of Crookston, Minn., for $6600. All buildings and sheds for their lumber and machinery business were part of the sale, which had been in the works for several weeks. The “Transcript” estimated the final total to be around $20,000. [Brownell had started a coal and wood business in New Rockford in December 1887; he sold the business to R.M. Kennedy on April 10, 1902. Construction began April 27, 1899, on Brownell’s new lumberyard, and he went into business in May 1899.

On May 20, Will VanHorn began hauling sand for the Phillips Academy. Veterinarian surgeon J.C. Whiteman returned from a three-day professional trip into eastern Wells County. Ruth Reutenik went to Carrington on a nursing call. Dr. Charles MacLachlan was in Carrington, consulting with Dr. J.R. McKenzie on a very serious case. Mrs. Ed Cosgrove left to visit Mrs. J. Larkin at her home near Velva. That evening, state prohibition worker and lecturer, the Hon. M.H. Kiff, spoke to a “good sized audience” in the Baptist Church. Adam Forepaugh appeared at H.G. Hudson’s that evening.

On May 21, Mrs. Will Morris came in from Plainview to shop and to visit, as did Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wren from their farm. Erick Lindstrom came in from his farm near Denhoff to visit. Lambert VanLith came in from his farm southwest of town on business. Rev. C.F. Sewrey went to Valley City, where he would preach on Sunday, May 22. At 2 p.m., a meeting of the stockholders in the creamery was held in the creamery building. Officers were W.O. Baird, president, and E.R. Davidson, secretary. W.O. Baird resigned, and S.N. Putnam was named the new president. A resolution was passed authorizing the directors to meet on the second Saturday of each month to set the price of cream for the next month. That evening, John Schmid of the “Carrington Independent” rode his bicycle to New Rockford and visited his brother and sister before returning the next day.

On the afternoon of May 21, Eddie Monahan was taken ill with a bout of vomiting, after six weeks of suffering poor digestion. The next morning he was brought to town, where a doctor examined him and surmised an obstruction in the digestive system. On May 23, he felt no better, so he went by train to St. Paul, accompanied by his father John Monahan and his sister [Susie?]. The next day, St. Paul’s best surgeon examined him and agreed with the New Rockford doctor. An operation was scheduled.

From May 21 to 23, F.B. Ewald [Ewals] was in Barlow on business.

On Sunday, May 22, there were no Methodist Church services, but the Sunday School and the Epworth League met as usual. Dr. C.J. McNamara came up from Barlow to visit.