History of New Rockford: June 10, 2024

On Dec. 24, 1906, Miss Monica O’Connell visited in Barlow between trains; her sister Miss Gertrude O’Connell accompanied her back to New Rockford. Daniel O’Connell arrived for Christmas with his parents; he returned to Minneapolis on January 4. Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Wilson and family went to Wimbledon for Christmas with her family; Mr. Wilson returned on December 26, but his wife and children remained for a few days. Mr. and Mrs. Orrin Foster left for a visit in Minneapolis. Dr. G.D. Murphy left on a professional visit to the Twin Cities. Mr. and Mrs. Olof Lundquist went to spend Christmas with her parents near Valley City. Miss Grace Miller, who had been visiting Miss Lillie/Lily Ohrner, left for her Melville home, accompanied by Miss Ohrner, who spent Christmas with her; she returned to New Rockford on December 31. That afternoon, the Congregational Sunday School presented a Christmas entertainment at the Opera House. A special feature was “A Musical Romance” for which prizes were given: first prize, Miss Fena Carlson; second prize, Miss Elsie Tarbell.

From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Christmas Day the local telephone office was closed so the operators could spend Christmas with their families. The New Rockford Band played an open-air concert, but it was cut short by the cold weather. At noon, Alfred Carl Olsen of New Rockford and Edith J. Schmidt of Jamestown were married at the home of her parents, Jamestown Supt. of Schools C.C. and Mrs. Schmidt by Rev. C.H. Phillips. There were around 30 guests. The bridesmaid, Miss Ada Schmidt, was a sister of the bride; Frank Treffry of New Rockford was the best man. Decorations were in a Christmas theme: holly, mistletoe, and evergreens. The groom was the owner and editor of the “Transcript”; the bride was the Primary teacher in the New Rockford Schools. After the wedding dinner, the newlyweds took the 5:30 p.m. train to Duluth and then to the Twin Cities, where they were the guests of Mrs. C.J. Maddux. They would live in New Rockford.

On December 26 Mrs. Howard Johnson and baby left for Des Moines, Iowa, for a visit with relatives and friends. H. Sester, who had been visiting his brother-in-law H. Tyler, left to join his wife and family in Bozeman, Mont. That evening, there was a masquerade ball in Sheyenne; Misses Josephine and Mae O’Connor attended.

On the evening of December 26, the members of the Eastern Star and Masonic lodges met in the Masonic Hall and jointly installed their officers. Threatening weather kept the number of rural members low, but there were about 90 people present. The Eastern Star ladies had provided cut flowers for the occasion. At 8:30 p.m., the Ionic Chapter #38 of the Eastern Star with Mrs. W.C. Schwoebel in the chair installed the following: 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. Mrs. W.E. Biggs then presented each of the Past Worthy Matrons, Mrs. J.E. Bennett, Mrs. Viola Woodward and Mrs. W.C. Schwoebel, with a Past Worthy Matron pin.

Century Lodge #60, A.F. and A.M., with W.C. Dresser in the chair, assisted by Marshal Frank E. Reed, installed the following: W.E. Radke, Worshipful Master; George M. Pike, Senior Warden; Peter Prader, Junior Warden; P.J. Braman, Secretary; A.G. Gardner, Treasurer; J.E. Bennett, Trustee; Henry W. Wilson, Senior Deacon; E.R. Davidson, Junior Deacon; E. Lindstrom, Senior Steward; A. Lauch, Junior Steward; W.O. Baird, Tyler. Chaplin Rev. J.R. Beebe then presented Past Worshipful Master W.C. Dresser with a Masonic chain pendant. Refreshments were served and the Walsh Bros. Orchestra provided the music for a dance.

On December 27, Barney Engberg was in New Rockford. Lloyd Beardsley went to St. Paul. Jake Allmaras’ son Fred Allmaras left for Des Moines, where he would enter Highland Park College. Axtle Johnson left on a business trip to Fargo.

On December 27 and 28, D.D. Dailey was in town on business.

The Dec. 28, 1906, “Transcript” mentioned the “Sawyer Clipper.”

O.T. Peterson had a Letter to the Editor attacking the “Eddy County Provost,” which he referred to as an “unreadable sheet.” He said in the December 21 edition of that newspaper, reference was made to the State reward for turning in “blind piggers.” He claimed the “Provost” had made unwarranted attacks on his character through falsehoods and innuendo. The money he had received through his complaints against the blind pigs had been donated to the Civic Federation of Sheyenne. He claimed he had nothing to be ashamed of, but that the owner of the “Provost” [attorney P.M. Mattson] was a disgrace to North Dakota.

Rev. J.C. Burkholder was in Minneapolis, but made it back in time for Sunday Services in the Baptist Church on December 30.

The former matron at Phillips Academy, Mrs. Fannie Phelps, was visiting friends in New Rockford. Miss Eleanor VanDuser of Rolla was visiting Mrs. Granville Egbert and other friends. Mrs. Eugene West (formerly Miss Kate Henry, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Henry of rural Sheyenne) and her husband were visiting for a few weeks; both had been stage actors for several years. Eden schoolteacher Miss Mae O’Connell was spending the holidays at her New Rockford home.

Frank Sorneson [Sorenson?] and family from Regina, Saskatchewan, had spent the Christmas holidays with the “old folks”; they were going to move to Calgary, Alberta. Esmond editor Homer Allison spent Christmas with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Allison.

On December 28, Dr. John Crawford was down from Esmond for a short visit. Miss Evalyn Mattson returned to UND after spending the holidays with her parents.

On December 29, George A. Prior of Freeborn was in town on business and greeting friends. Principal E.S. Youngdahl returned from a meeting of the NDEA in Fargo. S.N. Putnam left for Bismarck to be seated in the State Legislature on December 31. At two o’clock that afternoon, Laura Estella Dafoe and Ernest Russell Dodds were married by Rev. J.J. Graham in the rural Sheyenne home of the bride’s parents Mr. and Mrs. James B. Dafoe. Attendants were Wilson Dafoe, the bride’s brother, and Effie Dafoe, the bride’s sister. A wedding dinner followed with around 100 guests. The couple would live at Velva. That evening, there was a party in honor of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Dafoe’s 25th wedding anniversary; a supper was served at 11 p.m. and the party began to break up around 2 a.m. A large number of people were present.

On December 31, Albert Dix returned to Phillips Academy after a Christmas visit with his parents in Fessenden. Sumner Engberg came up from Barlow that evening for the show at the Opera House and was storm-stayed until January 4. That New Year’s Eve, Williams’ Original Dixie Jubilee Singers appeared at the Opera House. A Degree of Honor masquerade party in Barlow was attended by a number of New Rockford young people.