History of New Rockford: September 12, 2022

On May 8 and 9, 1905, Misses Nell and Mabel Sheehy of Carrington were visiting Miss Mame Sheehy. From May 8 to 11, Father W.A. Gallahue was in Fargo.

On May 9, despite inclement weather, almost all the eligible voters in town turned out to cast their ballots on the incorporation question, which was defeated by 22 votes. Dr. John Crawford came down from Esmond to visit. Miss Jennie Hendry arrived from Valley City to take over the position of the central operator at the telephone office from Miss Laura Reames, who had resigned. John T. West was in from eastern Eddy County for supplies. Gabriel Guessbaacher was in from the Tiffany area on business and to visit. That evening Dr. Charles MacLachlan and Dr. John Crawford attended a meeting of doctors in Carrington. In spite of the weather, a large crowd, including John Algeo and A.E. Swanson of Barlow, attended the dance that evening.

From May 9 to the next morning, two inches of snow fell, but it had melted by the end of the week. On May 9 and 10, Miss Alma Schmidt was up from Carrington, visiting Miss Editha Schmidt.

On May 10 John Oard came down from near Sawyer, N.D., to visit. On May 11 Miss Laura Reames left for Aurora, Oregon, where her parents resided.

The May 12, 1905, “Transcript” crowed a little over the failure of the city incorporation question on May 9.

Joseph Dutee of Morris would take a few horses that season; he had good pasture with shelter and abundant water. Mrs. Ben Fay had an antique oak bedroom set for sale, consisting of a dresser and commode. The trotting stallion Highland Prince would stand for service every Saturday at H.C. Tarbell’s barn.

John Steele of Oberon was working as a warehouseman in New Rockford, but I don’t know at which business.

The previous few days a crew had been tearing down the old railroad water tower that had been a landmark on the north edge of the town since the 1880s [Nov. 1883].

That week Assessor C.A. Parker was in town looking over taxable property.

On May 12, D.D. Sullivan, Fargo optical specialist, was at Kunkel’s Jewelry examining eyes and fitting glasses. Olie Anderson was in New Rockford on business; he owned land in Alberta, Canada, and was making it his new home. Miss Vera Wilson arrived to visit her uncle, H.R. Wilson, and his wife; she returned to Courtenay on May 24. Guy Lathrop was over from the Red River Valley for the summer. The Phillips Academy baseball team traveled to Carrington, where they lost a game, score unknown.

Bids were received until noon, May 13, by S. Marriage, clerk of Superior School District #19, for the erection of a school house on the southwest corner of the southeast quarter, section 2, T148, R66 [Superior], to be completed by July 1. At 2 p.m. the committees of the Early Settlers’ Association met in the machinery offices of H. Peoples & Company to make arrangements for the annual summer meeting; all members of the Association were invited. The committees appointed were Grounds—B.W. Hersey, W.G. Carter, Went Mcgee; Music—H.J. Mitchell, A.G. Gardner, O.C. Gronvold; Sports—Nels Mattson, O.B. Stedman, J.W. Richter; Program—Mrs. O.B. Stedman, Mrs. W.T. Buck, Mrs. H.J. Mitchell, R.M. Kennedy, F.P. Roush; Finance—Peter Prader, M.B. Hersey, Joseph Maxwell; Memorial—Mrs. F.O. Getchell, Mrs. Joseph Maxwell, Prof. L.J. Aldrich.

A gun club with around 30 members was being organized. One of their main aims was to support the game warden in stopping the shooting of game out of season. An unnamed member of the incipient gun club had been bragging up his team of horses as a fine hunting team because of their quiet dispositions and never leaving the spot where they were stopped. That ended on the morning of May 15, when the team staged a runaway and scattered a wagonload of building material all over town.

On the morning of May 15, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Anderson east of Barlow. B.G. Arbogast returned from a business trip to Fargo. J.A. McCrum of Tiffany, Thomas Eikom and J.J. Anderson of Freeborn and J.T. Wiltsie were in town on business and to visit. Mrs. C.A. Edmunds left for a summer at Portland, Oregon. Thomas and Katie Turner went to Grand Forks to attend the Grand Lodges of the Degree of Honor and the United Workmen. That evening Rector E.W. Burleson was up from Jamestown and conducted Episcopal services in the Methodist Church.

From May 15 to 18, Alice (Mrs. J.W.) Rager and Mrs. W.O. Baird attended the Degree of Honor Grand Lodge in Grand Forks; Mrs. Rager then went to the Twin Cities and returned on May 20.

On May 16, H.R. Campbell returned from Fargo, where he had consulted Dr. Darrow about “an unusually severe attack” he had suffered the week before. Campbell had not been in good health for three years. Mr. Boxrud of Goodhue County, Minnesota, arrived to visit his daughter Mrs. John Paulson and family east of town. John Randolph, 76, died at his home in eastern Eddy County of heart failure. He went to bed the evening before in apparent good health, but about 6 a.m. passed away without a struggle. He had been a resident of the county for six years. He left his wife and six children: the five sons resided near McHenry, while the daughter lived near Aneta. The funeral was at the farm home on the morning of May 19 with Rev. Hristoff; interment was in the McHenry Cemetery.

May 16, was A.D. Tomlinson’s 60th birthday. About 5 p.m. a group of his friends went to his home 2½ miles north of town and with the connivance of his wife sneaked into the house. Mr. Tomlinson, who had been out in his work clothes digging post holes, was called to come home. When he did, the surprise party was complete because he had suspected nothing. An hour was passed with stories and reminiscences of the early days (Tomlinson had been a resident at his present location since 1882 when the only other settlers were about a half dozen living 12 miles or so away on the Sheyenne River). The group then repaired to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson’s son, a few rods away, where the ladies had prepared a “magnificent” meal, again without Mr. Tomlinson being any the wiser.

After the meal Mr. Tomlinson took his guests on a tour of his three sections, four large barns, grain elevator, machinery shed, stock shed, and stock. When the men returned, Rev. J.R. Beebe had Mr. Tomlinson sit in a weathered oak, leather upholstered rocker, which was his gift. Overcome by the gesture, Mr. Tomlinson had tears sparkling in his eyes before he recovered enough to thank everyone and tell a few more stories.

On May 17, Mrs. A.D. Tomlinson entertained around 20 ladies at her home north of town; the women were picked up in town and taken to the farm via the Marquis de Mores hunting wagon.