History of New Rockford: Dec. 4, 2023

On June 30, 1906, Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Radtke returned from Fargo, where they had attended the Grand Lodge meetings of the Masons and the Eastern Star. Fred Von Almen went to his old home in Minnesota, called there by the death of his grandmother. Barber W.T. Buck left for a visit to his old home at Adel, Iowa; he returned on July 20. “While driving thru a door,” Mose Reams was “squeezed” and received a broken rib.

From June 30 to July 5, Anton Lill was visiting in Minnesota. The North Dakota Chautauqua was held on the shores of Devils Lake from June 30 to July 17.

On Sunday, July 1, Oscar Omoth and the Misses Olson of Flora were visiting in town. The horse he was riding fell on Ed Overton, breaking a femur and severely bruising his abdomen and lower body; the leg could not be set until July 5 due to the swelling. At 2:30 p.m., Rev. J.J. Graham of Sheyenne preached in the Sheldon School, with Sunday School immediately following.

On the morning of July 2, the body of former [1902-1903] New Rockford resident Ole Dahler was discovered in the Red River at Fargo; he had committed suicide while suffering from delirium tremens. He had been employed in New Rockford as a painter and paperhanger by John Anderson [and played violin in the New Rockford Orchestra]. Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Prader, Jr. were in shopping. The following Tiffany area residents went to the Chautauqua: Misses Ida Daniels, Clara Cler, Viola Figgens, Lily Johnson, and Messrs. Elbert Lewis, John Haley, and Fred Johnson. Dr. G.D. Murphy’s brother-in-law Mr. Williams arrived from Minneapolis for a visit. G.W. McDonell returned from Valley City, where he had looked after his farming interests. A large number of New Rockford residents went to Carrington for the Gollmar Circus. Miss Marguerite Casper left to visit her brother at Berthold, N.D. Frank McAuley went to Leeds, where he was joined by his brother; the two then took the Great Northern for a visit to their old home in Wisconsin; Frank returned on Aug. 9.

The Eddy County Commissioners (Dailey, Dafoe, Gunvaldson) met on July 2, 3, 5, and 7. The first three days were taken up by the Commissioners acting as a Board of Equalization. On July 7 they appointed the following as inspectors for the Nov. 6 general election: Martin O’Brien, Fay precinct; W.J. Morris, Pitt precinct; Jerry Carroll, Munster; W.G. Carter, Sheldon; Martin Walsh, Tiffany; George Lovell, Colvin; J.B. Dutee, Dutee; Ed Nystrom, Rocky Mountain. They voted to pay the following: $2440, Fargo Bridge & Iron Co., bridge contract; $25, J.A. Portz, road work. They also appointed J.R. Craig the road supervisor in District 6.

On July 3, Chris Rageth and his brother came in from Harvey; the next day they went to Minnewaukan to play with the New Rockford Band. The Misses Norah and Mabel Kennedy returned from a visit with Jamestown friends. Miss Julia Shirley left for Fargo, where her father, an invalid for many years, had just died. Perry Stanton went to visit friends in Bismarck, Jamestown and Oakes; he returned on July 10.

On July 3 and 4, Fargo businessman A.E. Cannon was in town.

On July 4, the central office of the telephone exchange was closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. That morning, Leonard Whittemore opened the Arcade Short Order Restaurant and Billiard Hall; it had a first-class lunch room and three billiard and pool tables would be installed the next week. [It was on Villard, now Central Ave., former site of the Latte Lobby.] Around 200 or 300 [sources differ] Eddy County residents were at the Fourth of July celebration in Minnewaukan, where the New Rockford Band played and the New Rockford baseball team played against Brinsmade for a $100 purse and lost 7-0. There was some grumbling about the umpire. Father Vandenberg returned from his parishes in Brinsmade and Minnewaukan. Mr. and Mrs. B.W. Rantz went to the Chautauqua; Mr. Rantz returned the next day. That evening, Judge Alfred Dresser married Charles Weible and Mrs. Sophia Ford in his chambers at Minnewaukan; the couple returned to New Rockford on the special and would live there.

On the morning of July 5, the little daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Charles MacLachlan got into some “Rough on Rats” poison and was very ill until medical aid was given; she seemed to have no ill effects. Dennis O’Keefe bought a 9 h.p. gasoline engine from Clure Implement for his well drilling machine. Dr. Charles MacLachlan attended the horse races in Courtenay, returning the next day. H.J. Row returned from southern Illinois. Matt Lies from west of New Rockford returned from a visit to Minnesota. Dr. William Bartley was down from Sheyenne on medical business. Miss Mame Sheehy left on a visit to her former home in Iowa; her sister Miss Mabel Sheehy would substitute for her in the dry goods department of Rodenberg & Schwoebel while she was gone; she returned on Sept. 6.

On July 5 and 6, James Lahart was in on business.

The July 6, 1906, “Transcript” carried an ad for the Arcade Short Order Restaurant and Billiard Hall, L. Whittemore, prop. “MEALS AT ALL HOURS. Located First Door East of Babcock & Bucklin.”

A 20-year old, 800 lb. black pony branded with a horseshoe strayed from the H.T. Kennedy farm near Tiffany; it had last been seen at the W.H. Wilder farm.

W.C. Dresser had a cement sidewalk laid in front of his property on Lamborn Avenue East.

The previous week, Mrs. Charles MacLachlan’s mother arrived from Wahpeton for a visit.

In the early morning hours of July 6, Mrs. Henry B. Johnson died at her farm home southeast of New Rockford from peritonitis. She had been ill about three weeks. Funeral services were conducted at the house at 1 p.m. on July 7, Rev. E.T. Quam of Sheyenne officiating, with interment in the Nordmore Cemetery in Foster County.

On the morning of July 6, druggist Orley Couch went to McHenry on business. Cora (Mrs. John) Medlicott arrived for a visit with relatives, the Davidsons. Col. and Mrs. Seth Bailey came into town; they were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. John Brown of Grand Forks, who were visiting them; the previous Sunday, July 1, the Baileys had taken the Browns to Ft. Totten and to Devil’s Heart. The Fields, Shoemaker, Hobbs and Girengler [?] families returned from the Chautauqua. Jacob Roffler departed for a visit to Waverly, Iowa. Miss Winifred Canning left for her Valley City home after visiting her sister Mrs. P.J. Butler, her family and friends. Mrs. A.J. Clure and Miss Leona Clure went to Hastings, Minn.; from there Mrs. Clure would go to Council Bluffs, Iowa, to visit. Eugene Corey went to Velva to get a herd of horses he had been keeping there and bring them to New Rockford. That evening, John Dutee was in on business.

From July 6 to 9, butcher Richard Zehrfeld was in Fergus Falls, Minn., on business.