History of New Rockford: July 8, 2024

On Jan. 19, 1907, the boiler of the steam heating plant in the Hays & Adams Hardware quit, so the proprietors had to go back to using the “old way” [coal or wood]. Brownlee & Violet came through the blizzard with two loads of grain for the market. Mrs. Jerry Van Heizen [Huizen] died in childbirth at her farm home northeast of town; she left her husband and four children. The funeral was conducted in the home on January 22 with a temporary interment on the farm until the spring when she was buried in what became Prairie Home Cemetery. Her tall, gray, pointed gravestone reads “MARY VAN HUIZEN Born March 13, 1878 Died Jan. 19, 1907 Aged 28 Yrs. 10 Mos. 5 Days Jesus loves the pure and holy.” It sits atop a gray base with the words “VAN HUIZEN” carved on it. Next to it is the smaller, flat marker of “JOHN VAN HUIZEN Oct. 12, 1864 March 17, 1950” and in the same lot that of her mother “ANNIE VAN HUIZEN Nov. 15, 1843 March 27, 1916.” That evening, Presiding Elder of Minot, Rev. J.T. Moore, lectured in the Methodist Church on “A Trip to California.” There was a free-will offering.

On Sunday, Jan. 20, Phillips Academy student Harry Ford visited his parents in the country. That morning, the NP depot at Carrington burned, as did all of its contents with the exception of three bags of mail; five or six freight cars also burned, one of which was destined for New Rockford.

On January 21, E.H. Martin took charge of the Post Office fruit and confectionary business he had purchased from H.G. Hudson. Agustas [Augustus] Auechler of Fessenden entered the Preparatory Department at Phillips Academy. Tiffany teacher A.D. Smith came into New Rockford because his school had closed due to lack of coal; he was going to Brinsmade as soon as the tracks were opened to teach until the spring at which time he would finish the Tiffany term. Former student Miss Anna Haas, a stenographer at a real estate firm in Medina, visited Phillips Academy. A social was held in the Congregational Church that evening; it had been postponed from January 19 due to the storm.

From January 21 to 25, state elementary and high school examinations were held in the high school room.

On January 22, Miss Georgia Fields of Tiffany visited Phillips Academy. T.H. Adam was in from his farm east of New Rockford and Axtle Johnson from his southeast of town. That evening, the New Rockford Band elected G.A. Erickson, manager; Monte Biggs, treasurer; and A.W. Johnson, secretary.

On the morning of January 23, William Erdelbrock came in from west of town through the snow for supplies. James Lahart drove up from Carrington and stayed for a couple of days of business. At noon, the inclement weather forced a dozen day students to remain at Phillips Academy and eat dinner with the Boarding Club; the total number served was 46. At 8 p.m., the Methodist Ladies’ Aid served an oyster stew supper at the Hotel Davies. That evening, the train made it to Carrington and then returned to Jamestown; the next morning H.H. Miller drove to Carrington and got his wife and son, who had been storm-stayed at Edmunds; attorney R.P. Allison, who had been storm-stayed on the snowbound train at Edmunds from January 18 to 23, rode home with the Millers.

On January 24, George Johnston of the Independent Dray Line drove to Carrington; it was “a strenuous trip” and he didn’t make it back to New Rockford until the next afternoon, but he did bring three barrels of kerosene to relieve the shortage in town; in fact, the local dealers had none. That evening, the Canadian Jubilee Singers and the Imperial Orchestra were supposed to appear at the Opera House, but probably didn’t.

The Jan. 25, 1907, “Transcript” had an ad for E.H. Martin and the Post Office Confectionary.

That edition said that there had been no southbound trains in New Rockford since January 16 and no trains at all since January 18.

In “School Notes”: on January 21 Cecilia O’Connell of Minneapolis joined the sixth grade; Monica O’Connell of Minneapolis and Veronica Aldred from west of town had joined the eighth grade; illness had kept high school students Ethel Hobbs and Hazel Healy out of school all week; the English History class was reviewing; supplementary readers had been ordered for the first and second graders; for the month ending Jan. 11, Miss Hutchinson’s sixth grade had an average attendance of 97.5 percent and would get a half day off; County Supt. Miss Ellen Mattson visited the school on January 23; the snow and wind of the previous two weeks had dropped the school attendance just a little below average.

Phillips Academy had added Advanced Spelling and it quickly became one of the largest classes.

Early in the week, Phillips Academy student James Chambers took the train from Sykeston, but it was forced to stop at Carrington. Upon learning that it would be several days before a train would go to New Rockford and having already been 24 hours on his trip, Chambers walked to New Rockford on January 22 and the next day he resumed his work in the Commercial Department.

Paul Baeder had attended a merchants’ meeting in Bismarck, but his return train was stalled at Edmunds, so he walked to Carrington and from there to New Rockford, where he arrived on January 23.

H.J. Mitchell and John C. Smith were making candles in the hardware department of H. Peoples & Co. for anyone who would bring in some tallow.

On January 25, the New Rockford fuel dealers had no coal and only about 30 cords of wood. At 1:30 a telegram from Jamestown stated that the snow plow and a fuel and provision train were going to start up the branch line at 2 p.m., but the “Transcript” said it would probably be 3 or 4 o’clock. Martin Anderson came into town. Charles Richter came in from southeast of town; he reported that for the past nine days he had “been practically out of fuel.” That evening, there was a shadow social and dance at the Van Lith School, with ladies bringing basket suppers. Also that evening, the NRFD met in the Gull River Lumber Company’s office and elected Donald Niven, president; R.F. Rinker, vice president; O.E. Couch, secretary; H.W. Wilson, treasurer; John Von Almen, trustee; William Bucklin, chief; W.R. Erwin, assistant chief; John Von Almen, foreman Engine #1; Howard Johnson, foreman Engine #2; Frank Hays, foreman Hook and Ladder truck.