History of New Rockford: September 26, 2022

 Sealed bids were received by county auditor W.C. Schwoebel until 4 p.m. May 22, 1905, for three steel bridges: 1) between sections 3 and 4 and 3 and 20, T150, R65 [Bush] to replace the old Nunn coulee bridge; 2) between sections 10 and 15, T149, R64 [Tiffany], to replace the Robinson coulee bridge; 3) across the James River between sections 3 and 10, T148, R66 [Superior], to replace the Hulbert bridge. Also bids were received up to 11 a.m. for grading in Eddy County.

 On May 22, the Eddy County Commission (Dailey, Dafoe, Gunvaldson) met. They accepted the following bids: $89, George M. O’Connor, grading north of Sheyenne; $88.45, George M. O’Connor, grading between secs. 8 and 9, T150, R66 [Gates]; $155, George M. O’Connor, Dugan Slough, T148, R67 [Rosefield] and $149.95, Gunvaldson Slough, T149, R67 [Munster]; $42.75, George M. O’Connor; grading on township line between T149, R65 [Sheldon] and T149, R66 [New Rockford]; $100, Charles Richter, Fertig Slough, T148, R65 [Pleasant Prairie]; $110.50, E.M. Stitzel, Hogan Slough, T150, R67 [Grandfield]; $149, E.M. Stitzel, Hackney Slough, T148, R65 [Pleasant Prairie]; $125.50, E.M. Stitzel, Sontag Slough, T150, R65 [Bush]; and $40, Bymoen & Nibbe, grading between secs. 4 and 5, T149, R67 [Munster].

 Bridge bids came in as Fargo Bridge & Iron Co., $1684; Minneapolis Bridge & Iron Co., $2080; Northwestern Bridge Co., $1993; A.G. Bayne & Co., $1800; N.T. Ward & Co., $1865; Hewett Bridge Co., $2110; Charles G. Sheehy, $1790. The bid of the Fargo Bridge & Iron Co. for three steel bridges in the county was accepted.

 On that day George Prior was in on business and to visit. Col. Seth Bailey visited the court. J.D. Carroll from Washington Lake, Austin Randolph from eastern Eddy County, and John M. Ducke were in on business. Mrs. Burton Hulbert and Mrs. Maurice Oliver were in shopping. Mrs. E.S. Severtson went to Carrington to visit; she returned the next day. The New Rockford Orchestra went to Carrington to play at a grand ball that evening. Mrs. L.L. Lewis returned from Jamestown after a lengthy visit with her brothers. That evening B.W. Hersey and Rev. J.R. Beebe were given the Red Cross degree at the regular Commandery meeting.

 On May 23, the Eddy County Commission met. They appointed G.W. Johnston as road supervisor in District 6 because W.G. Carter refused to qualify. The following bills were ordered to be paid: $5.05, Prader & Goss, supplies for Mrs. Cahill, county poor; $6, J.R. Winslow, milk for Mrs. Cahill, Jan. 1 to May 1; $59, Dr. Charles MacLachlan, attendance of the county poor; $41, Mrs. C.M. Dutcher, care of Charles Engels, April 4 to May 14; $19.75, Powers Elevator Co., coal for court house; $3, J.A. Portz, moving jail at Sheyenne; $5, Matt Fautsch, draying, and $5 allowed at $2.50, draying; $1, allowed at 75 cents, P.H. West, draying; $2.50, Robert E. Miller, draying; $3.30, New Rockford Light & Water Improvement Co., lights for April, and $4.30, lights for March; $4, H.W. Wilson, telephone rent, April and May; $8.65, Great Western Elevator Co., coal for court house; $67.50, Mrs. W.C. Schwoebel, clerk, auditor’s office, March 15 to May 1; $45, Mrs. A.G. Gardner, clerk, register of deeds’ office, April; $19.90, Dr. W.M. Bartley, coroner’s fees and mileage, inquest A.C. Buck.

 On that day despite a “sandstorm,” E.B. Thomson and F.P. Roush were in on business. Mr. and Mrs. W.S. McFadden of McHenry were over to shop. Miss Norah O’Connell went to Carrington for a few days. Miss Sarah West went to Carrington to work for a few days as day operator at the telephone exchange; from there she would go on to Rogers, N.D., to visit her aunt. That evening a number of Eddy County WCTU members attended a silver medal contest in Barlow; Miss Fena Carlson of New Rockford was the winner. Also that evening at a meeting in the Northwest Lumber Company’s offices, the New Rockford Gun Club was organized with the following officers: C.J. Maddux, president; R.R. Woodward, secretary; G.A. Erickson, treasurer; and C.J. Stickney, field captain. A committee of three was set up to write by-laws, rules, and regulations. About 35 members were expected in the organization. The first clay pigeon shoot took place on the evening of May 26 just north of the H.J. Mitchell residence.

 On May 23 and 24, deputy revenue collector James H. Cooper was checking over the new cigar firm of Radtke & Wakeman. On those two days a wind storm, which blew a lot of dirt, was followed by decidedly cooler weather; there was frost the night of May 24, but little damage to the grain which hadn’t advanced very much. From May 23 to May 26, cashier E.S. Severtson was in Fargo as a witness at a trial in federal district court.

 On May 24, the Eddy County Commission (Dailey, Dafoe, Gunvaldson) met. They canvassed the vote to incorporate New Rockford as a city on May 9: No, 95; Yes, 73. They voted to pay the following: $16, Frank Hawthorn, cleaning streets and covering refuse; $1, P.H. West, burying dog. They also voted to allow the Sheyenne & Eastern Telephone Company to erect, operate, and maintain a telephone line along the public highways in T150, R65 [Bush]; T150, R66 [Gates]; T149, R62 [Colvin]; T149, R63 [Lake Washington]; T149, R64 [Tiffany]; T149, R65 [Sheldon]; and T149, R66 [New Rockford].

On that day Frank Graham was in from the Tiffany country. Mrs. A.H. Crawford went to Nashway, Minnesota, to visit friends and relatives. [Today there is no “Nashway” in Minnesota.]

 On May 25, Mr. and Mrs. Axtle Johnson were in shopping. Martin Walsh from Tiffany, Herman Hallquist from northwest of town, and H.J. Row came in on business. Jesse College was in as a witness at district court. That evening a large crowd enjoyed a dance in the Opera House.

 The May 26, 1905, “Transcript” said, “There are enough gasoline autos in this city to make the spring evenings smell like the tail race to a slaughterhouse.”

An ad: Insure your crops in the Alliance Hail Association; H.M. Clark, agent.

Wagonmaker R.U. Austin was in his new wagon shop. Maurice Oliver had resigned his position in K.L. Kermott’s drug store in Sheyenne to take over the management of a drug store in Oberon.

 During the week a crew was painting the NP depot. J.E. Bennett and F.C. Davies had cement sidewalks laid on their residential property on Stimson Avenue East. New cement sidewalks were being laid along Stimson Avenue West in front of the homes of Mr. and Mrs. Val Fertig, Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Severtson, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pake, Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Baird, Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Maddux, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Clure, and Dr. and Mrs. F.D. Norton. The “Transcript” envisioned the day when the sidewalks would extend the entire length of the street west of the railroad tracks. M.B. Hersey was putting up a picket fence on his east side property. Nellie E. Buck was examined by the State Board of Pharmacy in Fargo and was granted a license to practice as an assistant pharmacist.