History of New Rockford: March 27, 2023

On Nov. 6, 1905, Charles Carlson began the second year’s work in the Commercial Department of Phillips Academy. Entertainer S. Platt Jones addressed the Academy students at chapel that morning. Veterinary Surgeon F.R. Patterson drove over from McHenry to collect some bills. Mrs. Frances Wilson was down from Sheyenne. William Erdelbrock came in from west of town. Nels K. Mattson came down on business from Sheyenne, as did O.B. Stedman. G.A. Erickson left on a ten-days’ hunt in the Missouri River country; he returned on Nov. 27, having shot four deer. Ed Roach of eastern Wells County was given the third Degree of Masonry at a meeting of the Masonic Lodge that evening.

That day, the Eddy County Commission met and added the following names to the jury list: E.J. Anderson, Gust Anderson, John Anderson, R.U. Austin, John T. Bakstad, M. Barkland, G.E. Bennett, William Blow, John M. Carlson, W.M. Chamberlain, F.S. Chandler, Joseph Christ, Hjlmer Christinson, Peter Crane, James B. Dafoe, J.G. Dailey, August Domser, Theodore Doyen, Rasmus Eidom, A.E. Flink, Erwin Forbes, A.J. Ford, F.O. Getchell, John F. Goss, O.C. Gronvold, W.S. Halmer, Iver Hanson, Harry Harmanson, Bert Harris, H.A. Harris, John Hatland, James Hobbs, John T. Hogan, Toller Huff, C.E. Huffman, Rudolph Indergaard, William Landsverk, Nils A. Lee, Ed McDonald, O.T. Myse, Andrew Naakenson, August Nibbe, Olof Olson, Robert O’Neill, Eller Oren, Oscar Peterson, J.L. Shroyer, J.C. Smith, Nathan Stanton, John Von Almen.

The Commissioners approved the bill of Sheriff George F. Fahrer for fees against the State for the admission of Ida Neutzel to the hospital at Jamestown. They also voted to pay the following bills: $152.65, George F. Fahrer, mileage and care of prisoners; $125, E.M. Stitzel, grade contract north of the Sheyenne bridge; $60, E.M. Stitzel, grade contract south of the Sheyenne bridge; $150, E.M. Stitzel, grading approaches to the Nunn coulee bridge; $152, J.T. Hogan, grading approaches to Robinson coulee bridge; $80, John Collins, janitor’s salary for Sept. and Oct.; $45, Mrs. A.G. Gardner, register of deeds’ clerk for Oct.; $30, Charles Richter, part payment on road contract; $7, New Rockford Light & Water Improvement Co., lights for Oct.; $4, H.W. Wilson, telephone rent for Oct. and Nov.

On the evening of Nov. 6, the Cemetery Improvement Society presented an entertainment in the Opera House with proceeds going to the cemetery fund. The program was introduced by attorney R.F. Rinker: a Selection by Edison’s Band [may have been a phonograph record]; Piano Trio, “Alpine Glow,” Mrs. Morrow, Mrs. H.J. Mitchell, Miss Celestia Kellington; Vocal Duet, “Hark to the Mandolin,” Miss Carolyn Waters and Harry Burt, with an encore; Piano Solo, “Grande Marche des Wide Awakes,” Miss Celestia Kellington, with an encore; Mandolin Solo, “Darda,” Edwin Wiltsie, with an encore; Vocal Solo, “Keep On Your Own Side of the High Board Fence,” Miss June Severtson, with an encore; Recitation, “And So Was I,” Clifford Carroll (he was called back for a second recitation); Vocal Solo, “Love’s Dreaming,” Miss Carolyn “Carrie” Waters, with an encore; Piano Solo, “La Bonree,” Mrs. James MacLachlan, with an encore; Ladies’ Quartette, “Sleep, Baby Mine,” Mrs. Buck, Mrs. McAuley, Mrs. Carroll, and Miss Waters, with an encore; Piano Duet “Festival Procession March,” Miss Lund and Miss Weiss, with an encore; Vocal Duet, “Tell Me, Will My Dream Come True,” Mrs. Tomlinson and Mrs. Brown, with an encore; Piano Solo, “Barrocalle, the Sailor Boy’s Dream,” Mrs. H.G. Hudson; Selection by Edison’s Band [phonograph record?]; a farce comedy in pantomime with G.K. Brink, Frank Reed, Frank McAuley, Mesdames Mitchell, Butler, Bennett, Rager, Bucklin, Buck, Carroll, and Misses Hattie Waters, Lyle Yegen, Vannie Hall, and Olive Couch.

On Nov. 7, a two-year old gray colt, 800 lbs., with a small scar in front of one hoof and with a clipped foretop strayed from the farm of James Hackney. Pearl Beer entered the newly formed department for teacher education at Phillips Academy. Barlow blacksmith Fred Hanson was up on business and to see his friends. John Guler was in from southwest of town. Real estate agent George W. Streeter returned from a business trip to Illinois and Iowa. William Wilson, Dan Warner, and Dr. William Bartley of Sheyenne and druggist William Bucklin of New Rockford left on a ten-days’ hunting trip along the Missouri River; they took the train to Dickinson and then drove 60 miles north to their hunting grounds; they returned on Nov. 18 with “six fine deer.”

On Nov. 9, two reports showed the following: The Bank of New Rockford, Ernest S. Severtson, cashier, had resources (assets) of $202,468.98, up $13,670.59 from the $188,798.39 of August 25. Checking accounts amounted to $99,003.01, up $18,517.07 from the $80,485.94 of August 25.

The First National Bank of New Rockford, James E. Hyde, cashier, showed resources (assets) of $98,787.15, up $11,583.42 from the $87,203.73 of August 25. Checking accounts were $23,147.32, up $7002.76 from the $16,144.56 of August 25.

On Nov. 9, Nels Faar was in town. William Mattison and Ole Hegna of Freeborn came in on business. Former resident Mrs. Nellie Buck came up from Minneapolis to visit friends. The NRHS Literary Society presented the following program: Song by the Society; Essay, Pearl Aldrich; Recitation, Lynn Radtke; Vocal Solo, Wanda Keime; Recitation, Irene Barron; Newspaper, Celestia Kellington and Jennie Hersey; Debate on the question “Resolved, That Iron Is of Greater Value to the World Than Gold; the Affirmative side was George Healy, Anna Gronvold, and Mabel House; the Negative team members were Mabel Kenney, Elwin Beardsley, and Hazel Healy; Song by the Society.

On the evenings of Nov. 9 and 10, Moore’s Concert Company appeared at the Opera House.

The Nov. 10, 1905, “Transcript” listed some figures from a census done by the State of North Dakota. For Eddy County the population figures were 1890, 1377; 1900, 3330; 1905, 3906. For Foster County they were 1890, 1210; 1900, 3770; 1905, 4743.

That issue mentioned the “Edmore Herald-News.” It also commented on the “Beautiful Indian summer weather.”

Richard Zehrfeld was paying the highest market prices for hides. Geo. W. Johnston had a new ad for the Independent Dray Line, which he had just purchased.

Student Beatrice E. Marriage provided the School Notes: On Nov. 3, Miss Schmidt and Miss Weiss acted as the school principal and janitor as the other teachers were at the F.E.W. (Eddy, Foster, Wells) Association of Teachers meeting in Fessenden. On Nov. 6, Laurence Fisher entered the high school; Grace Miller and Walter Butler joined the eighth grade; Ray Cornish, Eulilia Kennedy, and Lulu Thompson entered the fourth grade. Early in the week, Robert Tarbell was absent from the sixth grade. The Ancient History class was studying Athens and Sparta. The following percentages show the attendance of students in the various grades for Oct.: high school, 98.87 percent; C. Lillian Lund’s students, 98.43 percent; Miss Anna B. Weiss, second and third grades, 97.75 percent; Miss Belle Hutchinson, Grammar Department, 95.65 percent; Miss Edith M. Schmidt, Primary, 94.26 percent; and Miss Marie Bolstad, Intermediate, 93 percent.