Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Shop owners and area residents pose outside shops in downtown New Rockford after an exceptionally heavy snowfall. Courtesy photo.
Friends and neighbors pose in the massive snow drifts outside a bank building. The photo was taken in Fessenden, likely around 1900, and it has now found its rightful place with the folks of Wells County Historical Society. Courtesy photo.
A few weeks back, I got a message from a lovely gentleman by the name of Jim Winsness. He serves as the treasurer for the Wells County Historical Society, and wanted to learn more about how the Eddy County Museum developed the online collection.
We exchanged a few messages back and forth before making arrangements for him to tour the museum grounds. When we entered the Stavanger Church, I eagerly began to show him our collection of wedding dresses and suits. He stopped for a moment, to take a closer look at John Goss's wedding suit. "John Goss," he said, "I live on the land that he farmed. My grandpa leased it from him in 1905 and later got the title through a quit claim action in 1952."
"1905?" I nodded and added, "That's when John Goss moved his family to New Rockford and became a fuel dealer."
Jim went further and provided me with the names and stories of several of the Goss family members.
They say it's a small world, but I didn't realize that phrase could reach through time as well.
In the Hulbert Schoolhouse I pulled a photograph from our collection that was actually taken in Fessenden. It was deaccessed long ago, but I had set it aside in hopes to get it to the right person some day.
Jim was the right person, indeed. He took it with great excitement. We both took a moment to appreciate the young people who, a century or more prior, took the time to pose for a photograph in the snow.
If you don't know, I'm a sucker for snow photographs. I find it fascinating to think that people who were virtually unconnected and in very different places would engage in the same behavior of taking photos in the snow.
For the people of the early 20th century, maintaining social connections required effort. They had to go somewhere – a church, a restaurant, a party or play, the market or the barber. For them, social connection came in sharing experiences. Posing in the snow pile in front of the bank not only documented a shared experience with friends and neighbors, but also allowed that experience to be shared with other family and friends near and far.
Perhaps the next time I connect with my new friend from Wells County, we shall take our picture in the snow.
