History of New Rockford: Jan. 2, 2023

On the night of Aug. 29, 1905, three residences were targeted by burglars. About midnight, a burglar entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Mulvey on Lamborn Avenue West through a window. His movements awakened Mulvey, who “turned a searchlight on the intruder” who was ten feet from the bed. The man fled through the window and a search failed to find him. An attempt was made to enter the home of Dr. and Mrs. Charles MacLachlan, but their dog frightened the would-be thief away. A successful entry was made at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Dresser. Dresser’s trousers and vest were taken and were found outside the house the next morning, minus a valuable watch and “a considerable sum of money.” All attempts to locate the criminals had proved unsuccessful.

On the night of Aug. 30, several residences were entered in Barlow with the thieves making their biggest haul at the home of merchant Charles Hansch, who lost $300 in cash and checks and a valuable watch. It was thought it was the same gang that had been in New Rockford.

On Aug. 30, Went Mcgee and William Steinbach came in on business. B.W. Hersey was in from Tiffany on business and to visit; his treatments in St. Paul had given him some relief from his rheumatism. S.O. Lee was in from Plainview for harvest supplies. Mrs. Frank Diemer arrived from Barnesville, Minn., to visit her parents Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Stoddard and some of her friends; she returned on Sept. 14. Veterinary surgeon J.C. Whiteman returned from a visit to Grand Forks. J.M. Patch and his daughter, Mrs. May Hanson, arrived from Indianapolis to look after business interests. Mrs. J.C. Smith left on a visit to the Twin Cities and to her old home in Wisconsin. Mrs. R.F. Rinker left for a visit to her old home, St. Charles, Minn.; she returned on Oct. 12. Mrs. Ben Fay departed to join her husband in Canada. Mrs. Nellie Buck visited in Barlow. Lawrence and Margaret Buck left to resume their school studies: he went to Lake City, Minn., and she went to St. John’s Academy in Jamestown. A heavy rain that night postponed harvesting.

On Aug. 30 and 31, H.G. Hudson visited Walter Immel at Courtenay.

On the evening of Aug. 31, there was a dance in the Opera House with music by Andrew Johnson and a harpist from Carrington. Also that evening, Ben Graham was kicked in the face by “a vicious broncho” on the George Pincott ranch. He was brought to town as fast as horses could travel and placed under a doctor’s care. His nose was “mashed” and his entire face suffered “fearful” cuts. In September, he was “getting along nicely” and was able to be out. That evening, Mr. and Mrs. J.A. McAuley and Dr. and Mrs. G.D. Murphy drove out to eastern Eddy County to hunt prairie chickens from Sept. 1 to 4.

The Sept. 1, 1905, “Transcript” said the “Carrington Independent” was 17 years old yesterday. Also mentioned were the “Berwick Post,” “McLean County Miner,” “Sheldon Progress,” “LaMoure Chronicle,” “Larimore Pioneer,” and “Rugby Tribune.”

That issue condemned the practice of some residents who were burning their waste paper in the middle of the street. It left an unsightly mess.

Wanted, a girl to take the position of night operator in the telephone office. Contact H.W. Wilson.

Contractor H.W. Clark was rapidly finishing the new residence of Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Severtson on Stimson Avenue West. Guss Gullicks was remodeling the farm house of Robert Goodall southwest of town. Culp & Perry had begun the erection of the Catholic rectory just to the east of the church on Lamborn Avenue East; it would be 1½ stories, 30x34, and the new cement blocks produced by Culp & Perry would be used in the construction.

Joseph Mandery of Royalton, Minn., was a new butcher at D.H. Fowler’s meat market.

During the week Miss Carolyn Hanson visited in Sheyenne.

On Sept. 1, former resident Henry Gardner came in from Alaska to visit his brother A.G. Gardner and family; he left on Sept. 5 for Seattle, where he would live. [Gardner had left New Rockford in Dec. 1890.] Oliver “Ollie” Row left for his former home, Adel, Iowa, where he would attend college. Miss Julia Shirley, proprietor of the confectionary in the post office lobby, left for the Minnesota State Fair and a visit to Twin City friends; she returned on Sept. 9. It was the first day of hunting and hunters brought in around 500 prairie chickens. From Sept. 1 to 3, Mrs. S.F. Beer and daughters of Oberon visited in New Rockford.

On the morning of Sept. 2, Dr. MacLachlan was called to Carrington to consult with Dr. McKenzie about the condition of elderly John Buchanan, who had suffered a stroke. E.R. Davidson came up from Bismarck to spend a few weeks looking after threshing operations on his farm; he returned on Sept. 23. Grain buyer A.H. Johnson came down from Sheyenne. J.W. Richter was down from Sheyenne on business and to visit. Cashier James E. Hyde went to the Twin Cities on business and to see the Minnesota State Fair. There was a Grand Opening for Miss Clara Whelchel’s millinery shop in the J.E. Cady & Co. store on Villard [now Central] Ave. [present site of the Latte Lobby]. Mrs. John Carlson died at her home northeast of New Rockford from “brain trouble”; her funeral was on Sept. 4, and she was interred in the cemetery near her home. [There is a grave in the Nystrom Cemetery in Bush Township marked Johanna Carlson July 5, 1860-Sept. 4, 1905, so there is a two-day discrepancy in the date of death.]

That day, Mrs. Annie E. Oliver and P.S. Dunham were married in Carrington; their home after Sept., 15 was in McHenry.

From Sept. 2 to 3, traveling auditor B.N. Hegna of the Northwest Lumber Company was in town. From Sept. 2 to 4, a party of eleven hunters shot around a hundred ducks and prairie chickens on the George Pincott ranch.

On Sunday, Sept. 3, Rev. W.A.E. Maddock preached in the Methodist Church. Miss Stacia Hennessy was up from Carrington to open a term at the Crepps School southeast of New Rockford.