History of New Rockford: Nov. 22, 2021

On Aug. 1, 1904, Mr. and Mrs. William Brueske and family left for Wimbledon, where they would live.

On Aug. 1 and 2, J.T. West was in from eastern Eddy County getting parts for his farm machinery. Fargo attorney H.R. Turner was up on legal business.

On Aug. 2, W.A. Cornish, Herb Losee, Burrill A. Daniels, Ellis Hoffman, and Cyrus Ruland, all of Tiffany, and W.G. Carter, and Fred Peitsch were in on business. M.E. Trainor returned from Minneapolis, where he had attended a medical school the past winter. Matt Mattson of the Sheyenne Valley and Sidney Hewes of Tiffany were in town. Olie Anderson returned from the Canadian Northwest Territories, where he had filed on some land. Mrs. Andrew Ohrner returned from her visit to Melville. Thomas Ose came down from Brinsmade to check on his hardware business. M.H. Pelton went to Glenburn to work on the building of an elevator.

On Aug. 2 and 3, Frank Graham was in town.

On Aug. 3, about 3 a.m., lightning from a passing thunder storm struck the home of K.K. Moe, northeast of New Rockford; it went through the roof, down a partition on the second floor, splintering woodwork and destroying plastering, and tearing a hole in a sheet, and exited via a ventilator in the cellar. Four children were sleeping in the room and were stunned, but had no serious injuries. There was no fire. Mrs. A.C. Buck and Florence Miller were up from Barlow. Otho Lathrop came in from eastern Eddy County on business. John Welsh was in for supplies. Attorney C.J. Maddux went to Steele on legal business. That afternoon, a large number of people attended the Congregational Sunday School picnic at the H.M. Clark Grove. Charles and William Young’s mother arrived for a visit from Ohio; she had been in Eddy County the previous August. At. 2 p.m., Albert Hendrickson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Hendrickson, and Marie Gutterud, daughter of Mrs. O.G. Gutterud, were married by Rev. H.H. Frost at the bride’s mother’s home, sixteen miles northwest of New Rockford. A wedding dinner was served afterwards.

On Aug. 4, Mrs. Toller M. Huff returned from a visit with her parents in Canada. That afternoon and evening, the Congregational Ladies’ Social Union hosted a lawn social in the park with ice cream, sherbet, and cake; “a neat sum” was raised for the treasury. That evening, the Riggs’ Comedy Company performed “The Telephone Girl” at the Opera House to “a good audience.”

The Aug. 5, 1904, “Transcript” reported that Sarah Johnson of the Tiffany area was very ill with pneumonia.

A letter from Judson Gilbreath from Hot Springs, Ark., said the pain from his rheumatism had been greatly reduced. Former residents, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Allen, had sent a picture of themselves and their house in San Diego, Calif., to several friends.

Every train seemed to bring in more land seekers from eastern states, brought in by various real estate firms.

John Anderson had almost finished painting Mr. and Mrs. Olof Lundquist’s new house on Villard Avenue East. Jensen and Brueske had painted the Clure Implement Company’s machinery depot. L.J. “Darby” Doyle was an agent for Hooker, Wyman and Co. of Rochester, N.Y. The company held a contest for its agents: the one who came the closest to guessing the number of people who would attend the opening day of the World’s Fair would win a free railroad ticket from the agent’s hometown to St. Louis; Doyle was informed recently that he was the winner.

During the week, H. Peoples received a large Minneapolis separator, which he sold to Axtle Johnson to replace one that had been burned the previous fall [Oct. 14]. Toward the end of the week, young Marguerite Buck came up from Barlow on the train by herself to visit.

On Aug. 5, Kathryn Stiles returned to her Edmunds home after visiting her relatives. That afternoon, the West Side Kindergarten Whist Club met at the rural home of Mrs. E.B. Thomson.

On the afternoon of Aug. 6, the Democrats met in the court house (James A. Manly, chairman; P.J. Braman, secretary) and nominated their county ticket: B.W. Hersey, Auditor; Martin Walsh, Treasurer; George F. Fahrer, Sheriff; Walter Priest, Register of Deeds; James A. Manly, State’s Attorney; Peter Prader, Clerk of Court; D.Y. Stanton, County Judge; Rev. J.R. Beebe, Public Administrator; Ellen M. Mattson, Superintendent of Schools; Dr. G.D. Murphy, Coroner; P.J. Braman, County Commissioner, 2nd District; Assessors: 1st District, A.J. Richter; 2nd District, Pat O’Connor; 3rd District, William G. Milne, Jr.; Justices of the Peace; Patrick Boyle, A.W. Greely, Ole Mattson, J.W. Seckinger; and Constables; Gilbert Bymoen, Jerry Carroll, Julius Ponto, Ed Randolph. A resolution endorsed George M. Pike as a candidate for the State House from the 32nd District.

That day, Henry Garvin from near Cathay, and Christ Fahrner were in on business. Laxie Pottner arrived from Aberdeen, S.D., to visit her uncles, the Pottner boys, southwest of town; she left on Aug. 11. Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Shoop, the parents of Mrs. O.G. Cooling, arrived from Bottineau to live in New Rockford; Mr. Shoop was a carpenter. P.J. Shanahan and son Willie came from Mazomanie, Wisc., for a visit; they returned on Aug. 24. George Fields returned from two weeks at Churchs Ferry, where he had purchased a hotel, renovated the building, and secured a manager. Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Larkin returned from Minnesota, where Mrs. Larkin had been for some time; she was completely cured of her illness.

There was a light frost on Sunday morning, Aug. 7. At 11 a.m., Rev. N.E. Elsworth officiated at an Episcopal service in the Baptist Church. Sarah Johnson was brought in from the Tiffany country, suffering from a severe case of rheumatism; she was placed in the Hotel Mattson, where under a doctor’s care she was improving. In baseball that afternoon at Tiffany, it was Plainview - 10; Tiffany - 6.

The Eddy County Commission (Braman, Dailey, Dafoe) met on Aug. 8. They approved the following bills: $75, Dr. MacLachlan, medical attendance for county poor; $70, Mrs. E. Starks, care of county poor; $40, W.C. Hayes, July janitor’s salary; $2, Noxon and Oglesby, July telephone; $96.85, Powers Elevator Co., bridge lumber; $110, J.A. Portz, grading the Olsness road; $11.30 and $28, Buck and Couch for supplies for the board of health, and supplies for the county poor; $16, Dr. G.D. Murphy, attending Mrs. Cahill and James Pederson; $24.76, P.H. West, board for James Pederson and for draying; $5. W.A. Davidson, rent of house for smallpox patient G.L. Carter; and $10, Ruth Reutenik, nursing Molyneaux boy.

They rejected a petition for a highway in Township 148, Range 62 [Paradise] by Orris E. Wood and others, deeming it impractical.

Postponed action on a petition by John T. Hemsen and others for a highway in T149, R62 [Colvin] as having too many obstacles, but allowed the petitioners to select a more favorable route. Moved, seconded, and passed a motion to accept a petition to organize T148, R62 on Aug. 24.