History of New Rockford: July 29, 2024

On Feb. 6, 1907, James Hobbs came in on business. Gull River Lumber Company manager W.R. Erwin and R. Delle McCloud were married in the home of the bride at Prescott, Iowa; they would reside in New Rockford after March 15 [actually, March 2].

Early in the morning of February 7, the rotary plow went through New Rockford, but the snow drifts were so bad that it didn’t reach Jamestown until the afternoon of February 8.

On February 8, former resident Dr. J.A. Carter drove over from Warwick on a professional and social visit. Francis Pottner came in on business. Dr. G.D. Murphy returned from the Twin Cities trip he started on January 27; he made it on the Soo Line to Carrington and then rode home with Billy Rice. Jay Larkin came in from his Ward County farm; he had spent seven days on the Soo Line getting to Carrington. Father L.G. VandenBergh returned from around three weeks in a Fargo hospital recovering from bronchitis. Matt Mattson drove down from Sheyenne on a business and social visit. Theodore Doyen of near Barlow was in town. Mrs. C.O. Johnson returned to her Cooperstown home after six weeks visiting her parents Mr. and Mrs. P.H. West, three weeks of which were due to her being snowbound.

The Feb. 8, 1907, “Transcript” carried an item which stated that the rumor that Phillips Academy would close due to no fuel was not true.

John Anderson was painting and papering the interior of the First National Bank. Olof Lundquist had installed a hot water plant in his Villard Avenue East home.

Earl Hill was back at Phillips Academy after missing a few days due to a severe cold. Early in the week another piano was moved into the Academy.

Blacksmith John Olson was in Mountain Home, Idaho, looking over his real estate; he returned on February 24.

David Twist was in on business a couple days that week. During the week, C.O. Stein, district organizer of the A.O.U.W. (Workmen) Lodge, was in New Rockford looking for new members. Also during the week, B.N. Hegna, traveling representative of the Northwest Lumber Co., was in town checking on that yard’s business.

On February 8, a “January thaw” set in, with a little rain. Mr. and Mrs. George Fields were in from Tiffany shopping. Mr. and Mrs. Orrin Foster were also in shopping. The Phillips Academy Literary Club met and presented the following program before a large audience: a Selection by the Orchestra; Recitation, Walter Alair; Essay, Gertrude Hall; Recitation, Pearl Goss; Newspaper, Monroe Wilder and Guy Thompson; Vocal Solo, Marie Roush; Blind Essay, Elsie Tarbell; Reading, Alta Harrison; Recitation, Eunice Hobbs; Selection, Mixed Quartette; Recitation, Mildred Keime; Violin Solo, Prof. J. Harvey Johnson; Debate, “Resolved, That Private Schools Are More Beneficial to the Students than Public Schools,” Affirmative: Albert Hill and Walter Zellmer; Negative: Harl Aldrich and Earl Hill; Cornet Duet, Mont Biggs and Ralph Beebe; Address, “Is the Acquiring of an Education Practical after the age of 21?”, Prof. Derk M. Stegenga; Selection, Male Quartette. At 6 p.m., the rotary plow left Jamestown heading north. At 8:30, the New Rockford Band gave a short concert and a dance. Attending from Barlow were Frank Fahrer and Messrs. Baker and Hanson. That evening, Mr. and Mrs. Axtle Johnson hosted a good crowd at a dance at their farm southeast of town; at midnight Mrs. Johnson served a supper.

On February 9, Jacob Valer came up from near Barlow to greet friends and do business. A.J. Richter from southeast of town, Philip Ackerman and Paul Noack came in on business.

On Sunday, Feb. 10, James Hackney returned from a meeting of the State Asylum Board at Jamestown; he rode up from Carrington with Roy Treffry, who had gone there to pick up his brother and his new bride, Walter and Emma Treffry, after the train could go no further north. Master George Brown returned from a long visit with Jamestown friends. At 7:30 p.m., Prof. L.J. Aldrich preached in the Baptist Church.

On the morning of February 11 in St. John’s Catholic Church, Nicholas J. Raths and Kattie Allmaras were married by Father L.G. VandenBergh before a large group of relatives and friends. An “elaborate wedding dinner followed” at the Hotel Mattson. The groom was a Minneapolis businessman; the bride was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Allmaras from west of New Rockford. The couple would live at 1218 5th St. NE, Minneapolis. Fifty-three mail sacks arrived on that day’s train. Charles Dinnetz returned from Idaho. J.L. Kinnaird came home from a business trip to Fargo. John Welsh, Jr., arrived from Fargo, where he had gone to attend NDAC, only to find the institution was full. Jacob Ackerman was over from the German area west of town. Ed Nystrom came down from the Sheyenne Valley on business. Walter Maurer came in on business from northeast of town; he had lost three horses from accident or sickness that winter. E. McLean was visiting friends in town. Mr. and Mrs. Dick Bohmbach were in shopping. Jacob Adam came in with a load of grain from his large farm west of town. That evening, a number of her young friends sprang a surprise party on Miss Eva Hawtl [Hartl?]. That evening, Charles Baird arrived from Fabian, N.D., after a difficult time with rail travel, to see his parents Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Baird; he was in the grain business at Fabian, which was a grain loading station just northeast of Alice. R.A. Wenzin returned from the Twin Cities. Alf Ellsworth came down from Devils Lake to visit and do some business. Representative S.N. Putnam arrived from Bismarck to which he returned on February 13.

On the morning of February 12, a few selections about Abraham Lincoln were read at chapel at Phillips Academy. Mrs. C.B. Goodrich came in to shop; she told the “Transcript” the winter had been the worst she had seen in her 25 years in the area. Frank Greitl of Barlow, Nels Faar, T.L. Adam, and James Hackney were in on business, the latter with a small load of flax. Martin Anderson came in from southeast of town for supplies. James G. Dailey made a business and social trip to town. Word was received that Miss Katherine West had died at the farm home of her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. O.H. West near Bowbells from appendicitis. Miss Emily Andurs [Andrus?] left to live with her sister on a farm outside Minot. D.Y. Stanton left on a business trip to the Twin Cities, and James A. Hyde made one to Fargo. The Degree of Honor hosted a masquerade ball in the Opera House, which saw a large crowd and “many handsome and unique costumes.”