History of New Rockford: March 18, 2024

The Oct. 12, 1906, “Transcript” stated that threshing crews were leaving as fast as circumstances and the railroads would allow; the paper said it was the earliest departure at any time.

News from the Morris area: Rev. Kristoff had gone to Pennsylvania for the winter; Fred Dutee was still threshing with his Buffalo Pitts machines; Joe Dutee and several other farmers were doing fall plowing.

On October 12, G.A. Krueger of Freeborn and A.O. Krider, who farmed northeast of New Rockford just across from the Rocky Mountain School, came in on business. That afternoon, Barlow merchant Thomas Turner was up on business.

On the evenings of October 12 and 13, the 15-member Blaylock & Russell Co. presented the plays “Among the Mormons” and “A Brother’s Sin” at the Opera House; the first night there was only “a fair sized audience.”

On Sunday, Oct. 14, Mesdames Halstad and Moore of Carrington visited Mrs. J.M. Mulvey. James MacLachlan left for Calgary, Alberta, where he would join a brother in an insurance business; his wife left to join him on October 17.

On October 15, former resident James Dowkes came in from Owen Sound, Ontario, to visit old friends. [James Dowkes and R.R. Woodward had a general store (Dowkes & Woodward) from Feb. 23, 1899-Dec. 3, 1900; on Villard (now Central) Ave. (former site of the Latte Lobby); Woodward bought out Dowkes.] James Graham of Morris, Gabriel Guessbacher and A.J. Richter were in on business. Morris postmaster D.D. Dailey and Tiffany merchant George Fields came in on business and to see friends. C.E. Hoffman of Tiffany came into town with one arm in a sling: the previous day two of his fingers were badly cut by a windmill. Miss Ruth Reutenik returned to New Rockford and began nursing Mrs. S.N. Putnam, who was very ill. That evening, the Woodmen Lodge met.

On October 16, Mrs. J.C. Cunningham came over from Reynolds to attend the wedding of her sister Mrs. Edna Flater. Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Whiteman came down from Sheyenne for the same event; Mrs. Flater was his sister. Mr. and Mrs. John Flewell came up from Wimbledon to visit their daughter Mrs. H.W. Wilson and her husband. Former resident Chris Rageth, accompanied by Jack Johnson, drove over from Harvey; he visited for a couple of days, while Johnson visited Mark Williams. Mrs. H.L. Litcher arrived from the Twin Cities to visit friends. [She and her husband had left New Rockford on March 22, 1902.] Mrs. H.W. Clark left for a winter in California [she was in Pennsylvania in November]. Frank McAuley left for a winter traveling in the Pacific Coast states.

From October 16 to 18, G.A. Erickson [Ericson] was hunting near Minnewaukan and shot eight geese.

On October 17, a 1200 lb. gray broncho mare with an inverted “Y” brand strayed from the farm of John Hartl at Kiner; it had a halter and open bridle with a rope tied to the neck and run through the bridle ring. A light rain fell, but it was not nearly enough to soften the soil for fall plowing. Rev. Chapman of Fargo visited Phillips Academy. Dr. J. Ross McKenzie of Carrington made a professional visit to New Rockford. Louis Bergum and P.C. Peterson came up from Barlow; Peterson made some collections and visited. M. Cler was over from the McHenry area on business. Dr. John Crawford was down from Esmond on professional business. The dog poisoner killed J.C. Smith’s valuable pointer. “A bad end awaits the culprit if he is ever caught.” Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Babcock left New Rockford: he was going to attend a veterinary school in Toronto, Ontario, while she was going to visit in Minnesota; their plans were to return in the spring when he would start a veterinary practice. That afternoon, Maurice A. Liles of Oberon and Edna A. Flater were married by Rev. J.R. Beebe at the bride’s home on Dakota Street South with only immediate relatives of the bride and Oberon businessman Goodnow Torrison present. A wedding dinner followed. They took the night train to Oberon on October 18; their friends accompanied them to the station, along with rice, old shoes, etc. The groom was an attorney and real estate dealer in Oberon. [Edna A. Whiteman Flater Liles had become a widow when her first husband, George W. Flater, 33, died of acute Bright’s Disease early in the morning of Feb. 21, 1902. They had been married on Sept. 4, 1901. His grave is in Prairie Home Cemetery.]

On October 18, butcher H.H. Miller returned from South St. Paul, where he had delivered a carload of livestock. John Hartl was over from south of Kiner [four miles SSW of Bremen], looking for a horse that had strayed earlier in the week. Mr. and Mrs. Dick Bohmbach came in to shop; he had raised 70 bushels of fine dent corn, showing that North Dakota could be a corn-producing state. John Williams and his stepdaughter Miss Streeter left for their future home, Phoenix, Arizona Territory. Mr. and Mrs. Nick Lies lost their home and all its contents to a fire of unknown origin; the family was away when the fire started. W.H. Wilder held a public sale of his stock, farm machinery, and household goods at his home on the former Isaac Walden farm five miles east of New Rockford. That evening, the New Rockford Improvement League met in the courthouse; refreshments were served.

The Oct. 19, 1906, “Transcript” quoted the “Warwick Sentinel” to the effect that Dr. J.A. Carter was considering moving his practice from New Rockford to Warwick.

Although it was dated “October 19,” that issue was printed a day early so the rollers could be taken to the casting foundry.

In the contest sponsored by St. John’s Academy in Jamestown, Miss Anna Mary Allmaras of New Rockford was in eighth place (out of 18) with 581 pts. The leader from Jamestown had 1437.5 pts.

William Starke announced his candidacy for County Register of Deeds; his opponent would be A.G. Gardner, who had held the position for six years.

E.W. Clark would have a carload of Iowa winter apples for sale the next week.

After suffering a relapse [appendectomy, mid-August], Miss Carolyn Waters was once again improving in health.

During the week, E.W. Clark of Tower City had been in town, checking on the threshing operations on his quarter section southeast of New Rockford.

The latter part of the previous week saw the Great Northern surveyors head west; they would return later to make the survey line permanent.