History of New Rockford: Nov. 29, 2021

On Aug. 8, 1904, Mark H. Dunnell died at his home in Owatonna, Minn.; he was one of the original Trustees of the New Rockford townsite and was an early resident (on West Lamborn Ave., today’s 1st Ave. N.), a bank president (1885-1890), a real estate developer, and the man who financed the construction of the first school building. John Dutee was in buying supplies. J.W. Skerry, of the Union Sunday School, was in town looking after the interests of the Sunday school. James Hackney went to Jamestown for a meeting of the N.D. State Asylum Board. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. A.F. Prouty, southeast of New Rockford. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. F.I. Lyon of Bowbells; he had been the New Rockford School Principal from Sept. 5, 1898-June 8, 1900.

On Aug. 8 to 10, E.R. Davidson attended a meeting of the Republican State Committee in Fargo.

On Aug. 9, a carload of telephone poles for the line in the Hamburg area arrived; many farmers from eastern Wells County came in and hauled them to where they would be used. County Commissioners Braman, Dafoe, and Dailey drove out to the eastern part of the county to check into the laying out of new road grades; they also visited McHenry. Gus Larson came in from near Twist for supplies. D.B. Wellman returned from a long stay in Emmons County. Earl Starks left for a visit to the Twin Cities and Wisconsin; he returned on Sept. 5. That afternoon, the Farmers’ Elevator Company gave the bid for a 50,000 bushel capacity elevator to Honstain, Bird and Co. of Minneapolis. Because the company could not reach an agreement with the railroad as to a site, the elevator would be constructed 200 feet south of the flour mill. The elevator, with a 20 h.p. gasoline engine, and an eight-ton set of scales, would be the largest farmers’ elevator in that section of the country. That evening, a big dance was held in Hulbert’s Grove, with good music and refreshments. Veterinarian surgeon F.R. Patterson returned from a lengthy visit to Chicago and Michigan via Devils Lake and Ft. Totten; C.T. Boyd of Chicago accompanied him.

That afternoon Clara, the twelve-year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Aldred, died at their farm home west of New Rockford of pyaemia [a type of septicaemia caused by the staphylococcus bacteria, which leads to wide-spread abscesses in the body; now controlled by antibiotics, the condition was nearly always fatal before their discovery], which resulted from a knee injury about three weeks prior; her funeral was held the next morning in the Catholic Church, Father W.A. Gallahue officiated. Around sixty carriages accompanied her remains to the Catholic Cemetery north of town. [Her tall, white gravestone in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery reads “CLARA ELIZABETH BORN NOV. 27, 1891 DIED AUG. 9, 1904.” ]

On Aug. 9 and 10, A.W. Healey was in Devils Lake. On Aug. 9 to 11, machinery dealer A.J. Clure was in Fargo on business.

On the morning of Aug. 10, J.H. Fitch’s general store, the Independent Cash Store, telephone no. 9-6, opened for business on North Chicago Street; only groceries were for sale since the supply of dry goods didn’t arrive until Aug. 11. Matt Boor of Ashton, Iowa, arrived to visit his old friends, Mr. and Mrs. M.B. Fritz. Alonzo Neutzel came in to buy harvest supplies. J.W. Richter was down from Sheyenne on business and to visit. Father W.A. Gallahue left for a few days in Fargo. A 900 lb. bay gelding, and an 800 lb. roan gelding with a white face, were taken up at the John O’Keefe farm eight miles west of town. That afternoon, John Myers and Margaret Griffith were married by Rev. E.W. Burleson of the Episcopal Church, at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Maxwell. After the ceremony, the couple left for eastern Eddy County, where the groom had his farm.

On the morning of Aug. 11, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. John F. Goss. Dr. William Bartley and druggist F.L. Kermott came down from Sheyenne and visited with some Fargo businessmen and members of the Fargo Commercial Club, who had come in on the southbound special train at 11:20. Carriages were available and took the visitors on tours of the town. Charles Wilson, city editor of the “Fargo Forum,” and E.Y. Sarles, Republican candidate for governor, were with the group and stopped in for a visit with the “Transcript” staff. The train left 30 minutes later. J.M. Patch came in from Indianapolis and would spend the fall looking after his real estate interests. Mr. and Mrs. James B. Dafoe were in town. Francis Pottner, William Milne, and Thomas Adam were in on business; one of Milne’s apples trees had produced two bushels of fruit. J.D. Carroll returned from the Twin Cities. John and Sam Swanson’s mother left for her Fargo home after a lengthy visit. Mrs. John Swanson left for the Twin Cities via Fargo to pick out her stock of fall millinery; she returned on Aug. 30. Mrs. Guss Gullicks had sold a half-interest in her millinery shop to Mrs. R.P. Allison; Mrs. Gullicks left that day for the Twin Cities to order a fall millinery line for the business which would be called Gullicks and Allison; she returned on Aug. 24, after surviving a tornado that struck there on Aug. 20. John P. Welsh threshed a few acres of speltz on his Sheyenne Valley farm; the yield was 80 bushels on the acres. That evening, there was a surprise farewell party, with some eighteen friends, at the home of Elsie and Vera Keime for Miss Lyle Yegen, who would be leaving on an extended western trip; progressive pit was played with Miss Jessie Treffry taking first prize and Miss Yegen wining the consolation prize. “Elegant refreshments” were served.

The Aug. 12, 1904, “Transcript” called for the plowing of fire breaks. That edition also asked the owner of a pig sty a few blocks from the paper’s office to reduce the stench that came from it. A letter postmarked Sheyenne, Aug. 9, was received from Ellen Mattson, who declined the Democratic endorsement for County Superintendent of Schools because, while she had been nominated for that position in 1898 by the county Democrats, there had been no Republican opposition then. Because her political principles were more in line with the Republican Party, she would not allow her name to be put forth by the Democrats.

There was a story on Phillips Academy and its mission, as well as a drawing of the building from the front [looking much as it did when I attended fifth grade there]. There was also a photo of Prof. L.J. Aldrich, a graduate of Oberlin College, who would be the principal.

Others on the staff were Elizabeth K. Chapman, a graduate of the Fargo College, who would be the preceptress and would teach the classics. She would live at the academy and have special charge of the female students. D.M. Stegenga, also a graduate of the Fargo College, would be the commercial teacher. Mrs. H.J. Mitchell of New Rockford would be in charge of the music department.