History of New Rockford: April 3, 2023

The Nov. 10, 1905, “Transcript” listed the New Rockford School students neither tardy nor absent during the second month of school:

First Grade: Bessie Bennett, Hugh Brownell, Ralph Brownell, Lorina Bucklin, Sadie Claren, Perry Goss, Willie Kennedy, Leo Leonard, Russell Maxwell, Ruth Maxwell, Alice O’Connor, Lyle Prader, Bertha Wenz, Roy Wilson.

Second Grade: Ruth Aldrich, George Brown, Edith Carlson, Harvey Clark, Anna Foose, Pearl Foose, Kenneth Gardner, Picie Hylton, John Johns, Ellen Kennedy, Kenneth Kinnaird, Paul Kunkel, Albert Lauch, Joseph Leonartz, Mathilda Lorig, Leah Newville, Blanche Olson, Ernest Prader, Josepha Rodenberg, Constance Stegenga, Lela Stanton, May Thompson, Minnie Thorn, Emma Wenz, Crescence Wiemals, Phillip Wiemals, Hattalyn Wiltsie.

No Third Grade names appear.

Fourth and Fifth Grades: Mary Carlson, Kenneth Cole, Marie Gronvold, Raymond Healey, Ulah Hylton, Hortense Kepner, Lawrence King, Gertrude Kunkel, Matilda Lauch, Edgar Mattson, Harland Mitchell, Harold Pike, Lynn Schwoebel, Veronica Wiemals, Ethel Woodward.

Sixth Grade: Alberta Gardner, Marguerite Hersey, Helen Kepner, Carl Lauch, Florence Schwoebel, Robert Tarbell, George Winslow.

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

High School: Jennie Hersey, Celestia Kellington, Mabel Kennedy, Mary Monahan, Merrille Pike, Elsie Tarbell.

A nephew [unnamed] of J.L. Kinnaird stopped off on his way home to Canada from California to visit him and his family.

During the week, the following entered Phillips Academy as freshmen: Monroe Wilder of Tiffany, Annette Melburg of Barlow, and James Chambers and Paul Burban of Sykeston. The Field Secretary for the Academy, Rev. William Griffith of Princeton, Minn., visited for two days that week. Also an agent of the Remington Typewriter Company was at the Academy and said that the company would find a position for any student, male or female, who could meet the company’s requirements for proficiency in shorthand and typing. The largest class at the Academy was the penmanship class, which met from 1:15 to 2 p.m. daily.

On Nov. 10, what was left of fall plowing was going “full blast,” but the pleasant weather had made ice skating on the James a little dangerous. Peter A. Berge returned from Fargo, where he had attended the sale of thoroughbred stock the previous week; Ed Seastrand had purchased a Hereford cow there. Mrs. P.H. West left to visit Rev. and Mrs. S.F. Sewrey at Harvey; she was joined at Manfred, N.D., by her daughter Miss Sarah, who taught school there; Mrs. West returned on Nov. 15. John Von Almen went to his old home, Elizabeth, Minn., to visit; he returned on Nov. 18. The Phillips Academy Musical and Literary Society presented the following program: Song by the Society; Roll Call with Quotations; Recitation, Harl Aldrich; Biography, Blanche Brownell; Select Reading, Johnnie Smith; Music by a Quartette; Story “A Man Without A Country,” Pearl Goss; Debate on the question, “Resolved, That U.S. Senator [s] Should be Elected by Direct Vote.” Alvin Keime and Minnie McAuley argued the Affirmative, while Ralph Beebe and Zoa Bartholomew took the Negative; a Song by the Society; Current Events, the Society; Judges’ decision on the debate; Business and Adjournment.

On Nov. 11, George Dodds of Carrington was up on business. Misses Blanche and Peral Anderson were in from eastern Eddy County to shop. That afternoon, Barney Engberg was in on business and to visit. Called by the serious illness of her sister, Miss Ruth Reutenik left for her former home, Cleveland, Ohio. Mrs. John O’Connell returned to her Minneapolis home after a summer “at the old homestead.” J.M. Patch and his daughter Mrs. May Hanson left for their home in Indianapolis after several weeks in Eddy County while he looked after his business interests. That evening, Dan McKenzie returned from a trip to Canada along the Soo Line. Also that evening, the “Girl from Sweden” was presented at the Opera House.

From Nov. 11 to 14, attorney and Mrs. R.P. Allison were in Jamestown visiting their son E.G. Allison and family.

Sunday, Nov. 12, was a beautiful day and many people were outside to take advantage of it; however, winds made Nov. 14 and 15 disagreeable.

On Nov. 13, James Welsh, the ten-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Welsh, who resided in the Sheyenne Valley, died. On Nov. 11, he had been operated on for appendicitis, and it appeared he was recovering nicely; however, on the morning of his death, his health took a turn for the worse and it wasn’t long until he passed away. His funeral was in St. John’s Catholic Church in New Rockford on the morning of Nov. 16, with Father McDonald of Carrington. Interment took place in the Catholic cemetery north of town. [His gravestone in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery today is lichen-covered, but identifies him as James B. Welsh, son of J.P. and Mary, Aug. 6, 1895-Nov. 13, 1905.]

That day, Jay Mulvey and Walter Stitzel entered the Commercial Department and Charles Riggle began the first year’s Academic Work at Phillips Academy. Halver Halverson came down from the Sheyenne Valley on business and to visit; he had been laid up with a bad leg all during harvest, but was finally getting along without his crutch. F.E. Johnson from near Barlow was up on business. Morris postmaster D.D. Dailey was in town. Sheriff George F. Fahrer went to Devils Lake and arrested a man accused of stealing lumber on the Reservation in northeastern Eddy County. E.S. Severtson went to Grand Forks to appear as a witness at the Federal district court. A.J. Larkin sold his dray business (Independent Dray Line) and property on Stimson Avenue to George W. Johnston; after the sale Johnston moved his family into town.

On Nov. 14, Thomas Bollingberg was in on business. That evening violin virtuoso Christian Hansen appeared at the Opera House; unfortunately, he played to “a small house.”

In the early hours of Nov. 15, Town Marshal Robert O’Neill arrested H.O. Nelson, J.T. Syftestad, and Louis Ramsvig for stealing a load of flax from the H. Peoples’ warehouse near the H.L. Rood livery barn. Nelson was caught in possession of the flax and pleaded guilty; on Nov. 17 the other two appeared before Justice Kinnaird and were bound over to district court on bonds of $800 each. Mabel Irene Johnston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Johnston, and Clarence Sheldon were married in the bride’s parents’ farm home northeast of New Rockford by Rev. S.F. Beer. Miss Georgia Hersey was the bridesmaid, while the bride’s brother G. Wayne Johnston was the best man. A wedding dinner was served immediately after the ceremony. The couple would live on the Deeter farm. Mrs. John Waters and Mrs. O.B. Tausen of Barlow were up on a visit. That evening, the Degree of Honor sponsored their second dance in the Masonic Hall; tickets were fifty cents. “Quite a number” of people attended.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 16, burglars blew the door off the safe in the Carrington NP depot and made off with around $700 in cash and valuables.