History of New Rockford: September 5, 2022

On April 29, 1905, Mrs. Will Carroll came in from Washington Lake to visit. McHenry attorney J.F. Faytle was over on legal business.

From April 29 to May 1, Miss Ida Sanders of Carrington was in town visiting.

On Sunday, April 30, Miss Elizabeth Trainor went to Barlow to visit a few days. That evening, there was a service in the Baptist Church with an illustrated sermon and a song service.

On May 1, Katie (Mrs. Thomas) Turner was up from Barlow to visit. Miss Harriet Waters returned from a visit to her old home, New York State. Joseph Dutee was in on business. Cashier James E. Hyde was back from a business trip to Fargo. Lorne Ireland left for Esmond to work in Charles Reutenik’s meat market; Charles’ sister, Miss Ruth Reutenik, also went there to see her brother. At 8 p.m., Bishop Cameron Mann held Episcopal services in the Methodist Church; there was a large congregation and three people were confirmed.

On May 2, John Neutzel came in on business. William Bucklin returned from a business trip to the Twin Cities. John Welsh and his sister, Miss Mary, were in town shopping and visiting. Sam Swanson sold his livery business to Hugh Carr and G.D. Murphy. [Swanson had owned it since Jan. 5.]

On May 3, Walter Schmidt visited a few hours in New Rockford on his way to Carrington. Carrington photographer, Theron Cole, was a business visitor in New Rockford. A strong wind brought in several inches of snow; the snow continued to fall throughout that night and the next day. By May 5 , the snow was melting rapidly. On the 3rd, D.Y. Stanton “plowed” his way through the snow and sleet to get to town.

On May 4, W.E. Radtke returned from the Grand Lodge of the Modern Woodmen in Devils Lake, where he had gone on May 2; Radtke had been appointed as a delegate to the national lodge in Milwaukee in June; the delegates were able to inspect the foundation of the Woodmen building on the Chautauqua grounds.

The May 5, 1905, “Transcript” kept up its drumbeat of opposition to incorporation of New Rockford as a city, including some jabs at its rival newspaper, the “Eddy County Provost.” A letter was printed from Kidder County State’s Attorney, Joseph W. Walker, to New Rockford attorney, R.P. Allison; it stated that the incorporation of a small city had too many disadvantages.

Olof Lundquist was sick a few days that week. A letter from B.W. Rantz in St. Paul indicated that his wife was resting well after their trip to the Twin Cities and would be able to have her operation in a few days at St. Luke’s Hospital.

Sam Swanson had for sale 11 horses, five buggies, one double surrey, one double trap, one runabout, five sets of double driving harness, two single harness, one lumber wagon, and two cutters. S.N. Putnam and E.S. Severtson had several residential lots for sale two blocks from the school and court house.

A letter from F.F. Richmond, who had worked at the “Eddy County Provost” in 1904, indicated that he had a job with a newspaper in Glendive, Montana.

A notice said that D.H. Fowler had purchased the lots on Villard Avenue West between the Clure Implement Company’s lots and those belonging to Mrs. Edna Flater and would build a 30x34 foot barn with 14-foot posts. He had already planted some trees and a fence on the property. [On April 10, David H. Fowler had purchased lots 4 and 5, Block 25, from Charles and Nellie Clure and Albert J. and Winifred Clure for $500; the lots would be west of Wonder Lanes today.]

Former Union soldier James Davidson, who had “marched through Georgia” with General William T. Sherman, had received news the previous week that his pension had been raised from $12 to $17 a month.

On May 5, Pat O’Connor came in on business from west of town. William O’Connor was in from Morris on business and to visit. Miss Ethel Phelps came up from Carrington and “spent a few minutes” visiting her mother, Matron Fannie Phelps of Phillips Academy. Mrs. T.G. Kellington returned from Valley City. That evening, the 2-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hobbs was kicked in the side of the head by “a vicious horse.” Although one of his sides was paralyzed, the attending physician had “strong hopes” for his full recovery. Also that evening, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sutherland eight miles east of Barlow.

On May 6, John Colledge, aka “Sailor Jack,” was acting so strangely that he was placed under the care of Sheriff George F. Fahrer. On May 8, he was judged insane by the sanity board and the next day Fahrer took him to the State Asylum in Jamestown.

On May 6, “Tudor” Roush and Harry Row were in from Tiffany on business. W.R. Irwin, A.J. Larkin, T.G. Kellington, and R.U. Austin went up to the Sheyenne River to do some fishing; they returned on May 9 with fish stories and nothing else.

On the evening of May 6, the WCTU Silver Medal Contest was held in the Methodist Church; there were also some musical numbers. That evening, Mrs. Doris Vincent, who lived east of Sheyenne, drank around an ounce and a half of formaldehyde in a suicide bid; she lingered until the next night when she passed away. Domestic difficulties were suspected as the cause; she had been married three months prior, but her husband deserted her a short time later. [Her gravestone in the Riverside Cemetery lists the dates Feb. 17, 1888-May 7, 1905; the cemetery record book lists her name as “Dora Briggs.”]

On May 6 and 7, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Allison and their twins were down from Esmond to see Mr. Allison’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Allison.

On the morning of Sunday, May 7, around a dozen men from New Rockford went to Fessenden, where they lost to the Fessenden nine in a game of baseball which was close for four innings; the Fessenden team treated the New Rockford boys “royally.”

On May 8, F.C. Davies cut the fingers on his left hand on the buzz saw at Kennedy’s woodyard; the doctors hoped to save them. Dr. William Bartley of Sheyenne was down on business. Sheyenne attorney B.F. Whipple came down on legal business. B.M. Leonard returned after two or three months in Canada. Billiard and pool hall owner Bert Newport returned from Dickinson. Fred Collins departed for Stavely, Alberta, to live. That evening, Grand Eminent Commander H.E. White of Jamestown attended the Zion Commandery meeting and looked over the work of the order; William Miller of Carrington took the degrees and W.C. Schwoebel was initiated. A.H. Johnson of Sheyenne attended. Also that evening, the friends of Mrs. Joseph Maxwell gave her a surprise party at her home; she was given many “pretty souvenirs” to take to her mother; Mrs. Maxwell left to visit her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Flater, at Stavely, Alberta, on May 10; she returned on June 8.