History of New Rockford: November 20, 2023

The June 15, 1906, “Transcript” said the Eddy County Roosevelt Club was backing George D. Palmer of Carrington for State Senator and E.T. Halaas of Foster County and E.S. Severtson of Eddy County for the State House.

Miss Harriet Davidson had returned from Hamline University, where she had been studying, visited a few days, then left on June 18 for Loring, Wash., where her mother and sister resided and where she would also live.

The previous week, George Couch, brother of druggist Orley Couch, passed the state pharmacy exam in Fargo and had obtained a position at a drug store in Kensal.

June 15 was Gopher Day at Brinsmade with special trains running and prizes for the most gopher tails. Henry and Frank Von Almen returned from Minot, where they had attended the Firemen’s Tournament. John Burnett and his daughter arrived from South Dakota to visit his sister, Mrs. P.J. Lorig and family; they left on June 18. Mrs. Frank Birdsall came up from Jamestown to spend a couple of days with her sister Mrs. C.J. Stickney and nephew John Schmid. Mrs. O.L. Grandstaff left for Minot to join her son there in their new home. Mrs. J.T. Wiltsie and family left for Garrison, N.D., for the summer; Mr. Wiltsie was already there.

From June 15 to June 23, Mrs. Elsie Johnson of Lewiston, Mont., and Miss Mabel Darrance of Lake City, Minn., visited with their brother Sam Herbison and his family; Mrs. Johnson had been visiting in Lake City, and the ladies left for her home in Montana.

On June 16, Mrs. Went Mcgee and Mrs. Cyrus Ruland were in shopping. On June 16 and 17, teacher Miss Gertrude Buck was in from eastern Eddy County to visit her parents.

On Sunday, June 17, Thomas Turner came up from Barlow to visit. At noon, Rev. J.R. Beebe married Anna J. Fogle and John H. College, both of Barlow, at the Congregational parsonage.

Bank reports were issued on June 18: The First National Bank of New Rockford, James E. Hyde, cashier, showed resources (assets) of $84,450.60, down $4898.85 from the $89,349.45 of April 6. Checking accounts were $16,080.90, down $3346.36 from the $19,427.26 of April 6.

The Bank of New Rockford, assistant cashier P.J. Braman, had resources (assets) of $199,117.20, down $12,739.66 from the $211,856.86 of April 6. Checking accounts amounted to $80,977.19, down $13,939.45 from the $94,916.64 of April 6.

The new Farmers and Merchants Bank, E.R. Davidson, cashier, had resources (assets) of $18,060.61. Checking accounts amounted to $5547.61.

On June 18, Will Young was in from his Tiffany farm on business and to visit. Mrs. Viola Woodward and her three grandchildren left for Yellowstone Park, after which they would meet the children’s father in Troy, Wash.; Mrs. Woodward returned to New Rockford on June 26. A telegram informing her of the serious illness of her mother sent Mrs. G.D. Murphy to her old home of Rochester, Minn.; she returned on July 4.

From June 18 until noon on June 19, Fargo optician C.J. Sullivan was at Kunkel’s Jewelry Store.

June 19 was Primary Election Day. Both major parties chose their county and legislative candidates for the fall election. Ludvick Hanson was in to get the election returns. Henry B. Johnson was in from Plainview. Frank Kermott was down from Sheyenne. John Dodds returned from a land-buying trip to Saskatchewan; he didn’t buy any. Miss Sarah West came in from Fargo, where she had been for six months studying music. That evening, C.C. Hanson came in to get the election results.

On June 20, Halver Halverson was in from northwest of town.

The 19th Annual Early Settlers’ Summer Picnic was held on June 21 at Peoples’ Grove on the Sheyenne River with “blue skies and balmy breezes.” More than 2000 people attended. There were two baseball games: 10 a.m. Phillips Academy vs. Freeborn for purses of $10 and $5; Score: Academy: “a whole lot”; Freeborn, 6. At 2:30 p.m. Academy, 9; McHenry, 1. The New Rockford and McHenry bands played throughout the day and after the morning baseball game played a Grand Concert. The main address on early Eddy County history was made by Joseph Cleary of Langdon, an early resident of New Rockford [1883-1892]. A program followed of vocal and instrumental music, recitations and speeches. After the program everyone fell to the picnic dinner. Races with prize money followed the second game: a half-mile horse race (1st, Richardson; 2nd, Woodwess; 3rd, Walter Johnson); a pony race of one-third mile (1st, Richardson; 2nd, Fred Dutee; 3rd, Bert Fritz); potato race on horseback 200 yards and back (1st, Frank Prouty; tie for 2nd, Fred Dutee and Indian Charley); potato foot race in clown costume of 100 yards and back (1st, Al Geringer; 2nd, Louis Kruger); a 100-yard dash for boys under 15 (1st, Lunde Beacham; 2nd, Lloyd Austin; 3rd, Cub Beacham; 4th, Paul Borgerson); and a 50-yard ladies’ foot race [no results so may not have been run]. There was dancing in the pavilion in the afternoon and evening. Admission to the grounds was 25 cents. Former residents Mr. and Mrs. George Crossen and family of Harvey attended the picnic and then stayed for a week visiting friends in the county. Officers elected at the business meeting were A.M. Greely, president; W.G. Carter, vice president; H.J. Mitchell, secretary; Joseph Maxwell, treasurer.

When Mrs. S.H. Bailey arrived at her farm home after the picnic, she was pleasantly surprised to find her mother, Mrs. Weir, her brothers Arthur and Walter, and Mrs. John Brown and family of Grand Forks waiting for her; they would remain for a lengthy visit.

On June 20, George Dodds and Gilbert Roaldson were up from Carrington. Rudolph Indergaard was in on business.

The June 22, 1906, “Transcript” stated that during the week Frank Russel and Leonard Whittemore of Fargo had arrived and were renovating the building that formerly housed the J.E. Cady & Co. general store [on Villard (now Central) Ave., former site of the Latte Lobby]. They were going to put in a billiard room and short order restaurant; Whittemore was a first-class chef.

Shoemaker D. Labhardt had erected a small shoe shop on Villard Avenue East, just west of the Manly Law Office [just west of the Ashley Lies Law Office today; it was still there in the 1950s and early 1960s, when I was a kid, but abandoned]. Work on the foundation walls of the Farmers and Merchants Bank had begun. A new floor was being put in the H. Peoples & Company’s general store. Mrs. N.M. Arbogast was a new sales clerk in the dry goods department of H. Peoples & Co.

During the week, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Brand attended their daughter’s graduation from Mayville State Normal School; she was Miss Dorothy Brand. Also long-time South Dakota friends R.N. VonTobel of Groton and James Penney of Mitchell County visited Rev. and Mrs. J.R. Beebe.

On June 22, Miss Vera Keime returned from Fargo, where she had been getting treatments for ear trouble. That evening a basket social and dance were held at Mr. and Mrs. William Steinbach’s, with proceeds going to St. John’s Catholic Church.