History of New Rockford

Having recovered from his recent illness, John McVey shipped a carload of cattle to the South St. Paul markets on March 10, 1906. F.D. Dunham took a carload of cattle to the same market; he returned on March 14. Miss Mae Herbert arrived from Polo, Ill., to work as the stenographer and bookkeeper at the Maddux Law Office. C.C. Hanson came in on business. Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wren came in to shop and planned to stay for the concert and dance. That evening the Claude Corus Baker Concert and Dance Orchestra gave a concert at the Opera House; however, the attendance was so small that the dance was cancelled.

On Sunday, March 11, Principal L.J. Aldrich of Phillips Academy preached at Harvey; he returned the next day.

On March 12, Principal E.S. Youngdahl of the public school visited several classes at Phillips Academy. George Fields was in from Tiffany on business. E.F. Volkman was over from Fessenden on business connected with the First National Bank. Major F.O. Getchell of Sheyenne was down on business and to visit. H.J. Baird came over from the Baird ranch in Kidder County to visit with his brother W.O. Baird and family. Miss Grace Miller left for her home at Melville after studying music in New Rockford during the winter. Richard Zehrfeld and Leonard Roffler left for Alberta, Canada, where they would look over some land [but one report said that Zehrfeld went to Minneapolis to visit on March 14, and another said he was in the company of Daniel Labhardt].

On March 13, Walter Immel came up from Courtenay and visited his sister Mrs. H.G. Hudson, her family, and many friends for a couple days. When his nephew Lester Hudson became ill and was taken to Minnesota for medical treatment, Immel took care of the H.G. Hudson fruit store; he went home on March 19. Mr. F.A. Blomgren came in from St. Peter, Minn., to visit his daughter Mrs. E.S. Youngdahl and family; he left for home on March 26, but the paper had his name as “C.F. Blomgren.” Verne Goodrich returned from the Twin Cities, where he had delivered a carload of cattle on March 10.

On March 14, Wilhma J. Grandstaff and Thomas L. Adam were married by Rev. S.F. Beer at the home of the bride’s mother on the George Stitzel farm northeast of town in front of a few close relatives (including his sister Miss Margaret Adam, who had come down from Lakota on March 12) and friends. The couple would live on the groom’s farm east of New Rockford. Peter Schaefer returned from his visit to his old home, Germany. He was accompanied by his daughter and three friends who were going to stay. George Dunham returned from Minneapolis, where he had attended a business college that winter. Went Mcgee, Peter Michel, and E.B. Thomson came in on business. Clifford Larkin came in from east of town for spring supplies. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Davidson were in shopping. Fred Speck returned from South St. Paul, where he had delivered a load of fat cattle on March 10. Toller M. Huff returned from St. Paul, where he had been for two weeks after an appendectomy at St. Luke’s Hospital; he felt much better. Ethel Richardson left Phillips Academy and returned to her Morris, N.D., home. That evening Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Clark hosted a party (“the most successful social event of the season” for the younger New Rockford residents) for their granddaughter Miss Eva Hawthorne at their Stimson Avenue home. The 44 young friends engaged in games and other amusements until 10 p.m., at which time a lunch of cake and chocolate was served. After the luncheon, the guests continued to enjoy themselves until 11 p.m. Miss Elizabeth Chapman and Mrs. Harry Campbell were instrumental in planning the party.

On March 15, Miss Mae Engberg came up from near Barlow to visit. Mr. and Mrs. H.G. Hudson took their son young Lester to Minnesota, where he entered a hospital; he was suffering from appendicitis. Lester had started feeling ill on March 10, but was much worse on the morning he left. It was reported that the family had gone to St. Paul; however, when H.G. Hudson returned to New Rockford on March 20, he reported that Lester had been operated on for appendicitis at Brainerd and that he would require a second operation [which was done in Duluth]. That evening the WCTU Silver Medal Contest was held in the assembly hall of Phillips Academy. First the large audience listened to a song by the Academy Double Male Quartette, followed by the speakers, interspersed with instrumental (Margaret VanScholach; Mrs. H.J. Mitchell) and vocal music (Paul Burhans, Harry Burt, Sumner Engberg). Speakers were John Smith, Charles Griffith, Alvin Keime, Pearl Goss, Pearl Aldrich and Angelina Kelts. The judges (Messrs. Rinker, Braman and Youngdahl) selected Miss Kelts of Edmunds, N.D., as the winner, and Prof. Aldrich presented her with the medal. The WCTU gave the other contestants small souvenirs. A song by the Male Quartette ended the evening. Also that evening Lawrence Prader, Frank Hays and O.T. Flory were initiated into the Woodmen Lodge.

The March 16, 1906, “Transcript” contained an ad for the Farmers and Merchants Bank: Anton Haas, president; A.R. Johns, vice president; E.R. Davidson, cashier; Board of Directors: Dr. Charles MacLachlan, John F. Goss, Jakob Allmaras, Rudolf Indergaard, Anton Haas, A.R. Johns, and E.R. Davidson.

Thomas Ose had a Notice to Creditors that since he had sold his hardware store, all bills due had been turned over to the Streeter & Cooling Co. for collection.

A report stated that the new Farmers and Merchants Bank had purchased the lot just east of the Hotel Mattson, where a new bank building would be erected. [However, a check of the records at the court house reveals that no such purchase was made.]

The School Notes were edited by Celestia Kellington: the eighth graders were taking the county exams; they had finished memorizing Bryant’s “Thanatopsis” and had moved on to Washington Irving’s “Sketch Book”; they had also finished the Civil War; Harry West had returned to school after a week’s illness; Lester Hudson was absent having been taken to Minneapolis for medical treatment; Irene Kennedy had left school and would spend the rest of the winter in Jamestown; Carl Zehrfeld had left school to work on the farm; on March 13, Rev. R.L. MacArthur of Lakota gave a short lecture to the high school students and then accompanied by Rev. S.F. Beer visited the other classrooms; Lakota teacher Miss Adam had visited the lower grades that week.

Field Secretary Rev. William Griffith, who had arrived on March 10, spent the week preparing his report on Phillips Academy; on March 12 and 15, he conducted the chapel exercises. Hattie Reynolds of the Academy spent the week at her parents’ home at Maddock.

On March 16, Mrs. Minnie Peters arrived from Fargo [one source says Fairmount, N.D.], to visit her niece Mrs. R.F. Rinker and family; she returned on August 15.