History of New Rockford: Feb. 27, 2023

On Oct. 10 and 11, 1905, Secretary Lead of the Congregational Education Society spoke at Phillips Academy. T.H. Cousins was in town looking over the business of the Andrews & Gage elevator. From Oct. 10 to 12, Dr. G.D. Murphy, H.W. Wilson, C.H. Babcock, and A.J. Clure went hunting ducks and geese near Minnewaukan and came home “with slathers of game.”

On the evening of Oct. 10, “Hooligan’s Troubles,” a farce-comedy based on the “Happy Hooligan” comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper, was presented at the Opera House. [The comic strip ran from 1900 to 1932.]

On the afternoon and evening of Oct. 11, the Second Annual Degree of Honor District Convention was held in New Rockford with delegates from Carrington, Barlow, New Rockford, and Minnewaukan. In the evening the members of the Workmen Lodge and other personal friends of the delegates were invited to a dance, complete with refreshments. Among the officers elected was Alice (Mrs. J.W.) Rager of New Rockford. That day, Homer Allison, editor of the “Esmond Bee,” visited his parents Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Allison. Charles Bosworth came in from southwest of town to see his friends and to do some business.

On the morning of Oct. 12, several delegates to the Degree of Honor District Convention attended the chapel exercises at Phillips Academy. G.B. Hall came in on business. Mrs. Frederick Skidmore of Tiffany was in shopping. A large number of people attended a dance in the Opera House that evening; John Algeo and Miss Alma Schmidt of Barlow were two of them, along with a contingent from Sheyenne.

In the Oct. 13, 1905 “Transcript,” Merrille Pike contributed the School Notes: Lena Kennedy had left school due to illness. On Oct. 9, George Hawthorn returned to the eighth grade, and Sarah Johnson, Annie Gronvold, and Elwin Beardsley entered that class. Elwin Johnson had entered the third grade and Veron [Vernon?] Johnson had joined the sixth grade. Student Iva Brown was preparing to leave for Donnybrook with her parents. The Physiography class was receiving daily weather maps from Minneapolis. After the first month of school, the attendance rate for each class was Sixth Grade, 98.5; Second and Third Grades, 98.4; High School, 97.4; Seventh and Eighth Grades, 97.3; First Grade, 94.36; Fourth and Fifth Grades, 93.59. The overall school average was 96.5.

The following had perfect attendance during the first month of school:

First Grade: Bessie Bennett, Hugh Brownell, Sadie Claren, Selma Carlson, Willie Kennedy, Leo Leonard, Alice O’Connor, Lyle Prader, Edna Stitzel.

Second and Third Grades: Ruth Aldrich, Max Bennett, George Brown, Edith Carlson, Pearl Foose, Kenneth Gardner, Picie [?] Hylton, Ellen Kennedy, Howard Kennedy, Paul Kunkel, Albert Lauch, Arthur Miller, Blanche Olson, Aylene Pike, Ernest Prader, Robert Riggle, Constance Stegenga, Lela Stanton, Sumner Stitzel, Alf Syftestad, Minnie Thorn, Emma Wenz, Crescence Wiemals, Phillip Wiemals, Hattalyn Wiltsie.

Fourth and Fifth Grades: Ione Beardsley, Mary Carlson, Kenneth Cole, Marie Gronvold, Raymond Healey, Ulah Hylton, Gordon Kepner, Hortense Kepner, Matilda Lauch, Paul Lauch, Edgar Mattson, Harland Mitchell, Myrtle Newville, Harold Pike, Alma Riggle, Lynn Schwoebel, Veronica Wiemals, Ethel Woodward.

Sixth Grade: Clarence Bennett, Alberta Gardner, Marguerite Hersey, Ella Johnson, Helen Kepner, Carl Lauch, Florence Schwoebel, Blanche Stanton, Robert Tarbell, Lidevena [Lidwina] Wiemals, George Winslow.

Seventh and Eighth Grades: Pearl Aldrich, Maude Baeder, Irene Barron, Sadie Clark, Amy Crane, Maggie Ford, Clifford Gardner, Loyle Goss, Elmer Gronvold, Hazel Healey, Maud Hersey, Mabel House, Lydia Hylton, Wanda Keime, Hazel Kepner, Lynn Radtke, Edna Stanton.

High School: Jennie Hersey, Celestia Kellington, Mary Monahan, Elsie Tarbell.

Five students had entered Phillips Academy that week: Lily Ohrner, Miss Miller, and Hilby McCormick in the Commercial Department, and Ethel Treffry and Alvin Keime in the Academic Department.

The weather was characterized as “Indian summer.” That issue called for the plowing of fire breaks. There was a great shortage of railcars all along the line and the elevators were “full to the roof.”

Shoemaker Daniel Labhardt had moved his shop to the building next to the Rood Livery Stable on South Chicago Street, while renovations were done to the shoe and laundry portions of his residence. During the week, contractor H.W. Clark was putting up a granary for J.W. Rager on his Lamborn Avenue lots.

Ed Martin was inviting farmers to bring their cream to the creamery for the highest market price. E.M. Pool had taken over as the depot agent from M.L. Parker, who was thinking of moving to a southern state.

The ladies of the Cemetery Improvement Society had enrolled many new members.

Mr. and Mrs. S.E. Griffith and family were preparing to move back to their old home Belvidere, Illinois, after selling their farm to a man from Iowa.

On Oct. 13, Mrs. Agnes Ewals purchased a quarter section of Eddy County land from G.J. Schwoebel; Mrs. Ewals now owned a section of land. School Principal E.S. Youngdahl’s mother, Mrs. A. Youngdahl, left for her home on the Reservation after a visit. Tailor Arne Pederson left for Grand Forks, where he would live. Mrs. Ed Martin went to Washburn to visit relatives. That evening, the Phillips Academy Musical and Literary Society presented the following program: Song by Society Members; Quotations by Society Members; Recitation, Mildred Keime; Essay, Minnie O’Neill; Instrumental Solo, Minnie Syftestad; Book Review, Vera Keime; “Biography of No. 1,” John Smith; Current Items, Society Members; Quartette, Blanche Brownell, Gertrude Buck, Harry Burt, Ralph Beebe; Select Reading, Mrs. H.J. Mitchell; Song, Society Members.

On Oct. 14, dairy and grain farmer A.J. Richter from southeast of town, Peter Michel, and Henry Ewals were in on business. Otto Henning and Tiffany postmaster George Fields were in on business and to visit. Toller Huff, Peter Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Guler were in town. Dr. and Mrs. Charles MacLachlan went to St. Paul with their little daughter to consult with medical authorities about the young girl’s health. That evening, the Tiffany Ladies’ Aid Society sponsored an ice cream supper and box social in the Tiffany School.

On the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 15, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Corry. Miss Jet Richter visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Richter, in Sheyenne; the next day she returned to Phillips Academy. Mr. and Mrs. R.U. Austin and Miss Julia Shirley went to Fessenden to visit Mr. and Mrs. Jake Renschler. That evening, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jens Myhre.

On Oct. 16, George Streeter and J.M. Mulvey returned from a hunt near Minnewaukan; among the birds they brought back was an American Eagle with a wingspan of 11 feet, four inches. August Kiehlow came in on business. Peter Butler went to Sykeston on business. Arthur Dinnetz left to visit relatives at Balfour. Miss Mary Stewart and Mrs. Charles Lyman went to Carrington to visit relatives. Fred Collins left for his new home at Stavely, Alberta, Canada. Olof Johnson returned to his home in Minnesota to close up his affairs and then move permanently to Eddy County. That evening, Maurice Oliver of Oberon was in New Rockford to receive the second Degree in Masonry at the Century Lodge meeting. A.H. Johnson had come down from Sheyenne on business and stayed for the meeting.