History of New Rockford: Dec. 20, 2021

On Aug. 23, 1904, Lois Fairbanks came in from Valley City to visit her brother Albert Fairbanks; she was accompanied by her friend Annie Darelius of Enderlin. Mrs. Sarah Bacon, Mrs. W.C. Hayes, Mrs. P.J. Braman, and Alice (Mrs. J.W.) Rager went out to the Goodrich farm, where they were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Clark B. Goodrich, and Mr. and Mrs. H. Laverne Goodrich. Mrs. W.T. Buck, her son and daughter, and Mrs. Lucy Duck and son Bernard, left for a visit with relatives in Adel, Iowa; Mrs. Buck and her children returned on Sept. 29.

On Aug. 24, Fred Zimmerman brought in the season’s first load of barley; J.A. McAuley of the Dakota Elevator bought it. Mr. and Mrs. Went Mcgee came in to shop. Mr. and Mrs. George Treffry returned from a visit near Sykeston. Telephone exchange owner John Noxon of Valley City came in to help Albert Fairbanks move the telephone office to the Maddux Block; he returned home on Sept. 2. Eddie Monahan came in from St. Paul, where he had been hospitalized since May 24; his condition had improved, but he was far from having perfect health. That evening, a party in the Hotel Mattson parlor was given in honor of Annie Darelius and Lois Fairbanks, who were visiting by Vera Keime and Albert Fairbanks; about 15 people attended and played progressive pit, with R.F. Rinker getting first prize and Elsie Keime being the consolation prize winner; Miss Darelius and Miss Fairbanks returned to their homes on Aug. 27.

On Aug. 25, George W. Johnston was in town for harvest supplies; he had purchased a Gaar-Scott threshing rig with a 22 h.p. engine and a 36x60 separator with blower and self-feeder. Lynne Tyler of Rushford, Minn., arrived to visit Miss Lou Arnold. That afternoon, the large barn belonging to Matt Lies of eastern Wells County burned to the ground. He also lost four horses, thirty tons of hay, a lot of his feed, three sets of harness, and a carriage. It was a thousand dollar loss with no insurance. Also that afternoon, the Baptist Sunday School picnic was held in the H.M. Clark Grove west of town; 75 children and grownups attended.

The Aug. 26, 1904, “Transcript” said the prairie chicken season would begin on Sept. 1. That issue also suggested that for the benefit of their customers, the business owners should clear their dry-goods boxes from the sidewalks, rather than stacking them there. Dora Yegen, stenographer in the Maddux law offices, had been selected by the “Minneapolis Tribune” to compete for a free trip to the World’s Fair as part of a subscription contest. P.M. Mattson, game warden for Eddy County, was offering a five dollar reward for any information leading to the conviction of anyone violating the state game laws. The Reed-Bennett Company of Minneapolis was still offering a five dollar reward for the address of former New Rockford jeweler [Jan. 1898-Jan. 1904] F. Howard, who was believed to be in New York City. The fall session of the cinch game in the Hotel Mattson lobby was attracting many business and professional men. Mrs. E.S. Severtson was recovering from an attack of typhoid fever.

P.H. West had his house on New Haven Street painted. The A.N. Tomlinson house, “the finest farm house in the county,” was near completion, just north of town. It was finished in hardwood downstairs and white pine upstairs, had hot water heat, hot and cold water throughout the house, and an upper story veranda. Carpenters were remodeling the J.C. Smith house on Lamborn Avenue West. Dr. Martin of Boone, Iowa, was visiting J.E. Bennett and family. D.M. Stegenga, who would teach the commercial courses at Phillips Academy, had come up from Fargo to look over the town.

A report [from Indianapolis?] said that Mrs. Cynthia Patch, former resident and mother of J.M. Patch, was 96 years old and in excellent health. During the week, Richard Zehrfeld was making sausage for Fahrer’s meat market. Also that week, G.W. Brownell had sold Nichols and Shepard threshing outfits to the following: H.B. Johnson, Dennis O’Keefe, and Hildebrandt and Loffler, as well as a Nichols and Shepard separator to D.C. Geiger.

On Aug. 26, Thomas Bollingberg was in on business. Martin Larson arrived from Washington State to operate his big threshing rig during harvest. There was a dance in the Opera House that night; Henry Westad and Albert Doughty of Carrington attended.

On Aug. 27, F.J. Lytle and Ed Starks went to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul; Starks also went to do some business. He returned on Sept. 7; Lytle returned Sept. 3. Carolyn/Caroline Trainer returned from a summer visit to Wisconsin, her former home. Mrs. Russell of Jamestown came up to visit her friend, Mrs. F.G. Haver, and then went on to Oberon on Aug. 29. That evening, there was a “North Dakota supper and social” in the Tiffany School; there was a short literary program.

On Sunday, Aug. 28, Phillips Academy principal L.J. Aldrich preached in the Oberon Congregational Church; he had come in on the train the day before. Frank Eldridge, who worked on the John Ducke farm near Tiffany, was seriously injured when he was kicked in the abdomen by a horse.

On the morning of Aug. 29, August Kiehlow had his new McCormick binder loaded onto his wagon and started for home when his team became frightened and took off down the street, then ran in circles as Kiehlow desperately held onto the reins. The king bolt on the wagon came out and the team pulled the front wheels with them, as Kiehlow hung on for dear life. Finally he got them under control with no damage to the horses, wagon, or binder, and only a few scratches for Kiehlow. That day, Lynne Tyler, who had arrived from Rushford, Minnesota, on Aug. 25, began work as a sales clerk at H. Peoples and Co. in the dry goods department. Mr. and Mrs. C.N. Hendrix and family arrived in New Rockford. The next day, Mr. Hendrix took over the duties of W.E. Biggs at the NP ticket and freight depot; Hendrix had held a similar position in Steele, N.D., for eight years.

John Williams arrived from his home in San Diego to look after his real estate holdings; he left on Oct. 18 due to his poor health and the approach of winter.

C.H. Babcock accompanied Harold Kennedy to St. Paul, where the latter checked into a hospital for an examination of his bad hip. Frank Treffry went to Fessenden on business. C.J. Maddux and Donald Niven left for the Minnesota State Fair. Cecelia Nibbe left for her home at Red Wing, Minn., after visiting her brother August Nibbe on the John Gardner farm northwest of town. Melverton Trainor left for Hamline University to resume his medical studies; he had spent his vacation with relatives. Butcher Lorne Ireland left for Knox, where he would work in former Eddy County resident B.G. Allen’s meat market.