History of New Rockford: April 22, 2024

Reports on Nov. 12, 1906, showed the following:

The First National Bank of New Rockford, James E. Hyde, cashier, resources (assets) of $88,995.31, up $4511.13 from the $84,484.01 of September 4. Checking accounts were $18,874.31, up $5743.55 from the $13,130.76 of September 4.

The Bank of New Rockford, Assistant Cashier P.J. Braman, resources (assets) of $209,787.85, up $1652.69 from the $208,135.16 of September 4. Checking accounts amounted to $97,227.26, up $13,699.65 from the $83,527.61 of September 4.

The Farmers and Merchants Bank, E.R. Davidson, cashier, resources (assets) of $63,250.97, up $24,684.95 from the $38,566.02 of September 4. Checking accounts amounted to $31,576.37, up $16,765.56 from the $14,810.77 of September 4.

On November 12, Will Covill returned to Phillips Academy after a few days at his Sykeston home; former student James Chambers arrived from Heaton and entered the Academic Department. Adolph Wilson came down from Balfour on business and to visit. Mrs. L.A. Whiteman was down from Sheyenne to visit. County auditor W.C. Schwoebel went to Carrington to meet with the Foster County canvassing board to count the votes for the State Legislature. Frank Hays went to Minneapolis on business and to see his wife at Owatonna. Mr. and Mrs. William Noud left for their new home, Battle Creek, Mich. F.T. Shoemaker had a sale on his farm near Tiffany of his horses, cattle, farm machinery and household goods.

On the morning of November 13, Miss Hazel Kennedy stepped out onto the upper floor back porch of the Hotel Mattson. It was icy and she slipped, falling to the bottom of the stairs. She suffered considerable bruising.

On November 14, the ladies of the Baptist Church held a chicken dinner and supper in the church.

On the morning of November 15, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Logan. Druggist Mark Williams and H.W. Wilson went to Minneapolis for the November 17 football game between Carlisle and Minnesota; for Wilson it was also a business trip; they returned on November 20. Williams also visited Eden Valley, Minn. The Improvement League met. The freight train went off the track at Sheyenne, causing the southbound passenger train to be very late. A heavy snow that afternoon and all night dumped eight inches and halted fall plowing.

After November 15, Mrs. O.G. Cooling would offer piano and organ lessons.

The Nov. 16, 1906, “Transcript” had “School Notes” edited by Marguerite Carroll: the regular monthly tests were given in the high school on November 9 and 12; on the evening of November 12, the Literary Society organized and elected Eva Waklee, president; Mabel House, vice president; Pearl Aldrich, secretary; Roger Mattson, treasurer; after two weeks substitute teaching in a rural school, Eva Hawthorne had resumed her high school work; the freshmen had completed comparing Tennyson’s “Sir Galahad” with Lowell’s “The Vision of Sir Launfal” and started on Washington Irving’s “Sketch Book” on November 13; the English II class had just completed “The Merchant of Venice” and would begin “As You Like It” on November 19; eighth grader Maude Baeder had won an Honorable Mention in the “Minneapolis Junior Journal.”

That issue had a Card of Thanks from William O’Neill, Robert O’Neill, Mrs. Mary Henry and Mrs. E.F. Roach to the friends and neighbors who helped them during the illness and death of “a loving father and grandfather.”

C.J. Maddux was selling a two burner, vapor, nickel-plated gasoline lamp for $3 (original cost, $8) and a one burner lamp for $2 since he had put in city gas. He also had six rooms for rent over the post office. Emilie Parker was putting all her millinery goods – hats, caps, ribbons – on sale for the next 30 days in her shop in the Wenz Shoe Store.

Miss Rose Geiger was back at Phillips Academy after being absent while taking care of her sick mother. During the week, student Miss Maggie VanScholack was absent several days to help celebrate her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary on November 16. Also during the week, former Phillips Academy student Angelina Kelts and Roy Molsberry, and Maud Camp and J.T. Kelts, were married in a double ring ceremony at the Hesper Church [six miles northwest of Maddock]. While at the Academy, Miss Kelts had won an elocution medal.

Mrs. G.A. Lovell had returned to the Morris area after a visit to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Early in the week, druggist Mark Williams and B.W. Rantz shot 30 geese. During the week a 5 h.p. Fairbanks Morse gasoline engine arrived for S.N. Putnam, who would use it in the elevator he was building on his farm southeast of town.

Recently, Earl R. Adams of Rapid River, Mich., had purchased a half interest in the New Rockford Hardware Store from Frank Hays; the firm would be known as Hays & Adams. The “Transcript” stated that Adams was “an old hardware man with a great deal of experience” and was “a very pleasant gentleman to meet.”

It was reported that a syndicate headed by L.B. Hanna of Fargo and including E.F. Porter and George Palmer, the manager of the farm, and others had purchased over 11,000 acres of Foster County land and farm equipment owned by the Carrington & Casey Co. The price was between $225,000 and $250,000. It was surmised that the land would be broken into smaller tracts and sold.

On November 16, J.W. Perry went to the Twin Cities. William Farley went to Minneapolis to see “the big football game” the next day; he returned on November 20. Elmer Wiltsie of Sherwood, N.D., arrived to visit his brother Urban Wiltsie of the “Transcript” staff.

On November 17, in the office of the Powers Elevator, several large rat traps that had been set around the elevator were brought in; over 20 live rats were in the traps. What to do with them? That problem was solved by securing Frank Davies’ rat terrier. The rats were released and the terrier went to work, but not fast enough for the large group of men who were present to watch the dispatch of the rodents. To get away from the frightened rats, some of the men climbed onto chairs, the stove, and even the spittoons. After the little dog had finished his work, the bodies were counted. Two were missing. Suddenly Frank Davies jerked off his coat, revealing a rat clinging to his shirt between his shoulder blades. Knocked to the floor, it was quickly taken care of by the terrier. The other rat remained missing.

One of the spectators, James Dowkes, walked to his place of employment, Zehrfeld’s bitcher shop, but hadn’t been there long before he left. He searched for a man known for his ability to hit hard and asked him to strike him just above his solar plexus, which the man did. When Dowkes unbuttoned his vest, a dead rat fell to the floor.