History of New Rockford: Dec. 11, 2023

On July 7, 1906, John Medlicott brought a two-year old filly down from his ranch near Voltaire, N.D., and gave it to his brother-in-law E.R. Davidson; for a colt, the animal was surprisingly fast. Mrs. T.G. Kellington went to Valley City to visit friends.

On July 7 and 8, B.W. Rantz was at the Chautauqua, where his wife had been since July 4.

On Sunday, July 8, Dr. and Mrs. Hugo Neucamp of Fessenden and Mrs. Well of New York visited Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Kunkel.

On July 9, eye glasses specialist C.G. Mugg of Grand Forks was at the Hotel Davies. Charles Pake came in from Denbigh to visit and to do some business. Dennis O’Connell came down from Ray, where he worked at a Cargill Elevator, to visit for a month; he went back on July 29 and would be the manager.

On July 9 and 10, E.E. Alair of the Gribbin & Alair Co. was in New Rockford finishing the purchase of the Lahart Elevator to join the seven other area elevators the firm owned. Mr. Alair’s family would move to New Rockford about July 20 from Bowdon.

A report on July 10 showed the following for the Rockford School District #4 for the school year 1905-1906: Expenditures, $9252.68; Teachers’ Wages, $4306.25.

On July 10, George Dunham, Arthur Lewis and Art Parker returned from the Chautauqua. Mrs. James E. Hyde came home from a lengthy visit to Twin Cities’ friends. Attorney James A. Manly was in Jamestown on legal business. Miss Mary Tracy left to visit friends in Minnesota; she returned on Aug. 7. Miss Bertha Hopper went to Esmond to visit her brother George.

On July 12, William Farley returned from the Twin Cities. J.L. Prader and his son Lawrence came back from Mayville, where they had a short visit. A.J. Clure, the secretary of the New Rockford Racing Association, returned from the horse races in Valley City. Dr. Charles MacLachlan came back from a visit to Valley City and Jamestown. S.N. Putnam was at the Republican State Convention. Miss Amy Crane went to the Chautauqua. That evening, there was a big dance in Jacob Allmaras’ new barn.

The July 13, 1906, “Transcript” carried a report from the “Los Angeles Daily Times” about Miss Wilhelmine M. Rodenberg, who had won the Lottie Lane Memorial Gold Medal which was awarded to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average at USC. There were 23 graduates that year. She was the daughter of former New Rockford residents, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Rodenberg [in New Rockford May 5, 1899-Jan. 22, 1902, but his wife and family had left for Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 1901].

Reports were that prairie chickens were relatively scarce, probably because the heavy spring rains had killed many chicks.

J.N. Kunkel and R.F. Rinker had been improving their properties on Lamborn Avenue West in anticipation of building houses there. Construction continued on the Mr. and Mrs. P.H. West house on Lamborn Avenue East. Recently J.M. Shannon had purchased a half section of land near McHenry for $8000.

Miss Inez Gullicks had been ill for four weeks, but was finally improving.

On Gopher Day, July 14, the young people of the Methodist Church sold ice cream with the proceeds going towards a new coat of paint for the building, but sales could not have been very good since the day was chilly and the attendance small. Over 5,000 gopher tails were turned in, but there was no mention of any prize winners. William Chambers returned from a winter and spring at his old home in Minnesota. Former area resident John T. West came in from Washington state and visited with friends and attended to business for several days [he had sold his farm north of McHenry in early August 1905, and went west shortly afterward].

On Sunday, July 15, J.E. Bennett visited his brother in Sheyenne. At 3 p.m. Rev. S.F. Beer preached at Tiffany. That evening Miss Agnes Morris came up from Carrington to visit Mrs. E.S. Severtson for a couple of days. That evening cashier E.S. Severtson went to Fargo to attend a meeting of the North Dakota Bankers Association; he returned on July 17. Also that evening a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hulbert.

On July 16, L.C. Wakely and family arrived from Prescott, Iowa, to live in New Rockford, where Mr. Wakely had accepted a position with the Gull River Lumber Co. C.A. and Peter Berge were in town on business. Mark Hulbert came into town. Orley Couch went to Carrington and signed up several horses to run in the New Rockford races the next week. Joseph Christ went to Fargo to sit as a juror at the federal district court. Contractor Charles Culp went to Bowdon to check on the construction of a cement block building there; he returned on July 18. Mr. and Mrs. George J. Schwoebel left for Duluth, where they would begin the “Lake Trip” to Buffalo, N.Y., and Montreal, Quebec; they returned on Aug. 9.

On July 16, 17 and 20, the Eddy County Commissioners (Dailey, Dafoe and Gunvaldson) met. They voted to accept the following petitions: from Charles Turner, et al., for a road from the northwest corner of section 29, T149, R63 [Lake Washington] then running east one mile to the northeast corner of section 29, then north on the section line between 20 and 21 to the northwest corner of section 28, T150, R63 [Eddy], then east one mile to the northeast corner of section 28, then north to the northeast corner of section 21, T150, R63; and Oscar Toresen, et al., for a road from the northeast corner of section 6, T150, R64 [Hillsdale], then south between sections 5 and 6 to the southeast corner of section 6, then west one mile between sections 6 and 7 to the range line between ranges 65 and 64, terminating at the Sheyenne River. They voted to pay the following bills: $8.50, R.M. Kennedy, wood for Mrs. Cahill; $9, J.R. Winslow, milk for Mrs. Cahill; $23.50, A.G. Gardner, postage, July 1905-July 1906; $15, George O’Connor, road grading; $50, State Hospital, Jamestown, for admission of Jane Packard; $50, State Hospital, Jamestown, for admission of Ola [Ole?] Pehrson; $50, State Hospital, Jamestown, for treatment of Pat G. Hurley. They rejected the bill from the Hotel Mattson for meals for the June 19 election board. On July 17 they voted to adjourn to inspect road grades.

On July 20, they voted to pay the following: $497.90, E.M. Stitzel, grade contracts; $50, O.E. Nash, grading approach to Sheyenne River bridge; $210, Randolph Bros., grade contracts. They voted to grant franchises to two telephone companies: the Mutual Telephone Company of Barlow for a line in T148, R 64-67 [Columbia, Pleasant Prairie, Superior, and Rosefield]; and the Western [or Northwest] Short Line Telephone Company for a line in T149, R66 and 67 [New Rockford and Munster]. They also voted to divide the Tiffany School District #8 into Tiffany School District #8 comprising T149, R64 [Tiffany] and School District #6, comprising T150, R64 [Hillsdale].