History of New Rockford: Jan. 10, 2022

On Sept. 10, 1904, the following were named to the County Republican Central Committee: Dr. Charles MacLachlan, New Rockford; John Schaefer, Tiffany; Joseph Christ, Hall; J.J. Anderson, Dutee; H.B. Johnson, Pitt; L.B. Garnaas, Sheyenne; Peter Hanson, Rocky Mountain; I.W. Sheldon, Sheldon; Duncan Ferguson, Colvin; Samuel Lyman, Fay. S.N. Putnam was named committeeman-at-large and chairman.

A light frost early on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 11, did very little damage, but heavier ones the mornings of Sept. 14 and 15 damaged the corn and the garden truck. The wheat was too far advanced to be “hurt” and the verdict was still out on the flax.

Early in the week, A.J. Richter threshed twelve medium shocks of speltz and got 45 bushels on his farm southeast of town.

On Sept. 12, the New Rockford Schools began their 23rd year of operation. The staff was Principal R.T. Muir; Lillian Lund, Assistant Principal; Belle Hutchinson, Grammar; Carolyn/Caroline Trainer, Intermediate; Anna B. Weiss, 2nd Primary; and Edith M. Schmidt, 1st Primary. The enrollment was around 150. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Haynes of Chicago, the owners of the former Robert Walden farm east of New Rockford, stopped off on a trip home from the West Coast to visit Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Baird; they remained until Oct. 7. G.W. Brownell left on a business trip to Butte, Mont. Frank McAuley left to run an elevator in Alice, N.D. Vera Keime went to Fargo to attend the Congregational college there. Jay Mulvey left for Portland, Ore., to resume his studies at Columbia University. Leslie Gardner returned to Spokane, Wash., after a visit.

On that day, Fred Dutee was pulling his new threshing rig home from Sheyenne when the front trucks of the separator came off near Peoples’ Grove and the bump broke several castings of the self-feeder.

That evening, as one of Lawrence Prader’s young hired men was taking the road home, two men stepped out of a grove of trees about half a mile south of town and demanded his valuables. When they frisked him, all they found was a plug of Battle Ax chewing tobacco, which they took and made off with. It was surmised the men had mistaken the youth for Lawrence Prader, who was carrying a large amount of cash and who arrived at the scene minutes after the robbers had fled.

The rain of Sept. 12 and 13 halted harvesting operations until the morning of Sept. 15.

On the morning of Sept. 13, Andrew Johnson, Sr., came in with two loads of wheat, which graded No. 1 Northern, yielded 20 bushels to the acre, and brought $1.13 per bushel. At 10 a.m., Kellington and McDonnel at the New Rockford Roller Mills bought their first loads of wheat and started up the machinery; by 3:00 p.m. some of the flour had already been baked into biscuits. Nils Gunvaldson was in on business.

On Sept. 14, A.H. Crawford started his job as a clerk at the Prader and Goss general store. George Fields was in from Tiffany and O.R. Pomranke, from northeast of town, was in on business. D.M. Stegenga and family arrived from Fargo; Stegenga would teach the Commercial (Business) courses at Phillips Academy. Principal L.J. Aldrich, of the Phillips Academy, went to Leeds and Minot on business for the school; he returned on Sept. 17. Mrs. Elmer King and children went to St. Paul to visit her parents; they returned on Oct. 11. A two-year old, 1100 to 1200 lb. gray mare colt with a wire cut across her chest strayed from Pat O’Keefe’s pasture. That evening, Barlow businessmen A.M. Niccum and O.B. Tausen were in New Rockford. Louis Mortinson [Lewis Mortensen?] was up from his large Barlow farm on business. That night, the Frank Parker family, on their farm west of town, narrowly escaped asphyxiation from coal gas, but they were discovered in a groggy condition just in time.

On Sept. 15, Dennis O’Connell, Chris Fahrner, and Thomas Adam were in on business; O’Connell had recovered from blood poisoning in a hand. James Hackney was in for harvest supplies. Grace B. Putnam was in Carrington on business. H.M. Clark went to Jamestown on business. Mrs. T.M. MacLachlan joined her husband in Lidgerwood after a visit in New Rockford. That afternoon, Whiteman and Prader started up their big threshing rig on the Lutzi Prader farm southeast of town.

On Sept. 15 and 16, Mrs. B.W. Rantz visited in Sheyenne.

The Sept. 16, 1904, “Transcript” said the “York Ledger” was starting its seventh year. An ad—O.H. Arveskaug, painter and decorator.

Robert Wedll [sp.?] of Elizabeth, Minn., had arrived to help with the harvest. John Collins, who had been at Stavely, Alberta, Canada, for three months had come down for the harvest. Laura Reames, who had resigned as the “Central” operator at the local telephone service in late June, had taken up the position again. Oscar Pearson worked in John Olson’s blacksmith shop. Lumberman B.C. Larkin had begun erecting a large barn on his Lamborn Avenue East lots. The Farmers’ Elevator had been cribbed and sided and part of the building had been painted. John Anderson had been painting the Alfred Dinnetz property in the Academy Addition. The Stoddard [James W. and Mary C.] property at Stimson and Dakota was for sale. [It appears from the records in the County Recorder’s office that Henry W. Wilson purchased Lots 1 and 2, Block 15, on Dec. 10, 1904, for $2000.]

Mrs. Frederick Skidmore was confined to her Lamborn Avenue East home by typhoid fever.

On the morning of Sept. 16, James G. Dailey started up his large threshing machine on his farm southeast of town. Dailey and Wren also started their threshing rig. Dr. Charles MacLachlan returned from a visit to Fargo. Dr. and Mrs. J. Ross McKenzie came up from Carrington to visit, as did Dr. J.W. Sifton of Jamestown. Norah Rager came in from her Indiana home to teach at the Tiffany School again. Morris postmistress Carrie Dutee was in shopping and visiting. Elsie Keime took the Soo Line from Carrington to Leal to take up her position as teacher.

On Sept. 17, Rev. F.L. Gehrs, who had purchased a team a short while back from George Pincott, drove the 60 miles from New Rockford to the Bue post office [three miles southeast of Pekin] in Nelson County in five hours. J.D. Carroll of Washington Lake, Peter McAvoy of Tiffany, Ole Olson from northwest of town, John Bailey of the Gudgell Ranch at Plainview, Leonard Roffler of eastern Wells County, A.F. Prouty, and O.H. Foster came in on business. Erick Lindstrom came over from his farm near Bowdon to visit. Mrs. William Morris was in shopping. A.J. Richter came in from his grain and dairy farm on business.

From Sept. 17 to 19, E.G. Allison visited relatives and friends, then returned to Jamestown, accompanied by his wife, who had been visiting since Sept. 5.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, Lloyd Whiteman came down from Sheyenne to visit friends and relatives. At 11 a.m., Episcopal priest Rev. E.W. Burleson of the Grace Church in Jamestown preached in the Baptist Church and conducted baptism.