History of New Rockford: May 27, 2024

On Dec. 10, 1906, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hammer. Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Morris came in from their farm southeast of town to shop and say goodbye to Mrs. Morris’ sisters and their families, who had been visiting and were leaving for their home in Washington. Miss Queenie Stiles, who had been visiting the Morrises for some time, left with her mother and would stay in Washington for the winter. [Jay?] Blakely was up from Carrington and was able to rent a house for the winter. Fred Zimmerman, Jr., came in to visit; he planned to go to Winnipeg again about January 1 and stay for the winter, working for a threshing machine company.

Up to 4 p.m. December 11, county auditor W.C. Schwoebel received sealed bids for material and construction of a bridge across the Sheyenne River between Sections 21 and 22, T150, R62 [Freeborn]. The following bids were opened at the Eddy County Commission meeting that day: Continental Bridge Co., $3750; Fargo Bridge & Iron Co., $3996.99; Minneapolis Bridge Co., $4233; Joliet Bridge Co., $4315; Hennepin Bridge Co., $4384; Northwestern Bridge Co., $4400; A.Y. Bayne Co., $4450. Action was postponed until December 12.

The Eddy County Commissioners (Dailey and Dafoe; Gunvaldson absent) met on December 11 and voted to pay the following: $2, H.W. Wilson, December telephone rent; $16.70, Wilson Bros., care and board for county poor; $3.55, O.E. Couch, drugs for county poor; $21.35, P.J. Lorig, bed and bedding for jail; $102.85, Great Western Elevator Co., coal to court house; $46.10, R.M. Kennedy, coal to court house; $17.05, R.M. Kennedy, coal and wood for Mrs. William Cahill, county poor; $4.95, Matthew & Salsburg, care for Anna Hammer; $45, Mrs. A.G. Gardner, register of deeds’ clerk for November; $75.10, E.M. Stitzel, grade contract, Nystrom grade; $16.70, New Rockford Light & Water Co., lights to December 1.

The Eddy County Commissioners (Dailey, Dafoe, Gunvaldson) met on December 12. The Continental Bridge Co. asked to withdraw its bid due to its inability to complete the bridge within the required contract time. The request was denied unless one of the other bridge companies would match the Continental bid. When the Fargo Bridge Co. agreed to reduce its bid to $3750, the Continental request was granted and the bid was given to the Fargo Bridge Co. The Commissioners voted to deny the claims of Dr. J.A. Carter in the Newton case and that of Robert O’Neill for deputy sheriff fees. They voted to pay the following: $40, John Collins, November janitor’s salary; $50, State Hospital, Jamestown, treatment for Jane Packard; $50, State Hospital, Jamestown, treatment for Ole Pehrson; $360, Mrs. W.C. Schwoebel, Auditor’s clerk, February 1 to December 1.

The Eddy County Commissioners (Dailey, Dafoe, Gunvaldson) met on December 13 and selected the following as a jury list: F.F. Allmaras, Edward Anderson, Ben Arneson, Thomas Askland, Nels A. Blesheim, B.E. Brown, J.A. Brown, M. Burkland, Gilbert Bymoen, H.M. Carr, J.D. Carroll, W.A. Cornish, William Drew, W.A. Ducke, F.S. Dunham, Oscar Ellingson, Edward H. Finch, B.L. Gilbert, Ben Graham, J.T. Gudgell, C.C. Hanson, John Hatland, John T. Heinson, Rudolph Indergaard, J.B. Jacobs, Martin Jakobson, Andrew Jarstad, S.A. Johnson, August Kiehlow, J.B. Klinkhammer, E.D. Miller, Frank Nibbe, Pat O’Connor, John Quick, William Randolph, Charles R. Scroggs, William Salmonson, and C.A. Vaughn.

On the morning of December 11, James Dowkes and C.C. Campbell purchased the Richard Zehrfeld meat market, where Dowkes had been employed, on North Chicago Street. The new firm’s name was Dowkes & Campbell. Dowkes had been employed for many years by Donald Niven at the City Meat Market. [He was in partnership in a general store with R.R. Woodward (Dowkes & Woodward), Feb. 23, 1899 through Dec. 3, 1900, after they bought out the Niven & Mattson general store. Woodward bought him out.] Leeds blacksmith Gus Johnson visited in town on his way to join his wife at her old home in Missouri. Mrs. George A. Brown left to spend the winter in Phoenix, Arizona Territory.

That evening, the Ionic Chapter #38 of the Eastern Star elected the following officers: Mrs. Laura Pike, Worthy Matron; W.E. Biggs, Worthy Patron; Mrs. Alice M. Rager, Associate Matron; Mrs. Amanda J. Radke, Secretary; Mrs. Emma Beardsley, Treasurer; Mrs. Lizzie M. Biggs, Conductress; Mrs. Pearl Gardner, Associate Conductress; Mrs. Anna Hudson, Ada; Miss Rosetta Schwoebel, Ruth; Mrs. Julia Lundquist, Esther; Miss Stella Pike, Martha; Mrs. Eliza Smith, Electa; Mrs. Anna Prader, Warder; A.G. Gardner, Sentinel; Mrs. Marcella Buck, Pianist.

Also that evening, the Zion Commandery #9, Knights Templar, elected the following: George M. Pike, Eminent Commander; J.E. Bennett, Generalissimo; George N. Norton, Captain General; Rev. J.R. Beebe, Prelate; Frank E. Reed, Senior Warden; W.E. Biggs, Junior Warden; E.S. Severtson, Treasurer; W.C. Dresser, Recorder; Donald Niven, Standard Bearer; H.G. Hudson, Sword Bearer; G.W. Brownell, Warder; W.C. Schwoebel, Sentinel.

On December 12, the Farrell sisters left for their Carrington home after visiting with the Misses Monahan south of New Rockford. That night, a storm caught John Knox on his way home from McHenry; he wandered the prairie from before dark to 3 a.m. and was so chilled when he reached his house that he didn’t leave it for at least a week.

On the morning of December 13, Rev. J.R. Beebe attended chapel at Phillips Academy and also addressed the students on “The Reasons for an Education.” Eunice Hobbs, who had attended Phillips Academy the previous year, resumed her study of stenography in the Commercial Department. Mrs. Laura Eisenhuth came up from Carrington and spent a few days as the guest of Mrs. Joseph Maxwell. David Culp of Carrington was up on business. Albert Fairbanks of Carrington was also in town. That evening, Miss Sarah West was initiated into the Royal Neighbors Lodge.

The Dec. 14, 1906, “Transcript” stated there had been a “slight coal famine” in New Rockford the previous few days, but that the local dealers all had several carloads on the way.

T.G. Kellington had a notice to the citizens of Eddy and adjacent counties emphasizing as the manager of the New Rockford Roller Mills that the quality of Kellmac flour would be maintained. Also he was not only interested in the prosperity of the mill, but also that of the surrounding countryside.

Madame LeMay, “The Renowned Clairvoyant and Trance Medium,” was selling a cough syrup that was “equal to the best on earth” at her room in the Hotel Davies.

The Lundquist brothers had finished installing a hot water heating plant in the residence of Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Mitchell.

That issue said a 600-seat opera house was being planned for lots of north of the Kinnaird property on North Chicago St. [It was never built.]

In “School Notes”: Warren Parker and Flossie Fields had joined the eighth grade that week; the final county examination would be held on Dec. 20 and 21.

Principal L.J. Aldrich had recently been fund-raising in Fessenden for Phillips Academy. The “Fessenden News” quoted him as saying over 80 students had registered over the past year. A point of interest in the article was that the name of the institution was given as the “New Rockford academy and business college.”