History of New Rockford: November 25, 2024

Under “School Notes” in the May 31, 1907, “Transcript”: on May 21 thirty-seven students took the State Geography exam; State Arithmetic and Algebra exams were scheduled for June 3; donations to the school library were “How She Was Lost” from H.G. Hudson and the last State Session Laws from A.C. Olsen.

Miss Celestia Kellington had submitted some Valley City State Normal School Notes.

Mr. and Mrs. Bert Butterfield had a Card of Thanks for the friends that had helped them at the death of “our little one.”

Mrs. James Thomas had been confined to her room with a severe case of erysipelas.

Miss Vera Keime was living in Minnewaukan.

Cement sidewalks had been completed in front of the residences of William Bucklin and P.H. West on Lamborn Avenue East; people could now walk almost the full length of the block on cement.

An 800 lb. bay mare broncho, white hairs mixed in on the body, and a white face, and a yearling horse colt, full bay, with a white star on its face had strayed from the farm of O.H. Olson. John W. Seckinger was looking for two strays: a two-year old mare, nearly black, but with a white star in her forehead, a narrow stripe in her face, and some white on her feet, and one yearling horse, nearly black with a white star in his forehead, a slight wire cut on the lower neck, and with a halter. William Erdelbrock had lost a three-year old dark gray mare with a strip in her face and a rope on neck and one dark gray gelding with a star on face.

Farmer Joseph Maxwell had ordered a 22 horse power Buick touring car.

Early in the week former New Rockford banker P.J. Hester was over from Coal Harbor [Coleharbor] on district court matters and to visit. During the week George Norman was in town looking after elevator business and visiting.

On May 31 the following case was heard in district court: Cummings vs. O’Connor; jury could not agree.

May 31 was the last day of school at Phillips Academy and the New Rockford Public Schools. Lawrence Prader came up from Courtenay to visit friends. That evening there was a dance at the Opera House. Also that evening Principal and Mrs. E.S. Youngdahl entertained the NRHS students with games, contests and light refreshments. Prizes went to Mabel Kennedy in the “printer’s pi” contest and to Mary Adams [Adam?] in the musical contest. Merrille Pike won the “caboose” prize. The evening concluded with school songs.

The regular teachers’ examinations were held at 9 a.m. on May 31 and June 1 in the courthouse.

On June 1 eye specialist F.W. Soule was at the Bucklin, Williams & Co. drug store; on June 3 he was in Sheyenne. Sheriff George F. Fahrer received his new Ford runabout. At 8 p.m. the New Rockford Grammar School Class Day exercises took place in the Opera House before a crowd that filled the place “to the doors.” Decorations included potted plants, paper festoons in the class colors of wine and olive, and displays of the national colors. Each graduate wore a dark red carnation, the class flower. All the girls wore white dresses. The program included an Invocation by Rev. J.R. Beebe; Vocal Duet (Elmer Gronvold and Lloyd Beardsley), “Pony Race”; Recitation, “Excelsior,” Lydia Hylton; Essay, “The Jamestown Exposition,” Lloyd Beardsley; Recitation, “Landing of the Pilgrims,” Maude Hersey; Essay, “Opportunity,” Agnes O’Connor; Piano Solo, “Pearly Dew Drops,” Lynn Radke; Recitation, “Vision of Sir Launfal,” Edna Stanton; Essay, “Theodore Roosevelt,” Elmer Gronvold; Recitation, “Battle of Blenheim,” Harriet Watts; Song “Sweet Memories” by the Chorus; Essay, “National Songs and Holidays,” Pearl Aldrich [Mary P. Aldrich?]; Recitation, “Evangeline,” Maude Baeder; Essay, “Excelsior,” Hazel Clouser; Vocal Duet, Flossie Fields and Hazel Kepner, “Merry Birds”; Recitation, “Lincoln’s Gettysburg Speech,” Millo Zehrfeld; Class Prophecy, Hazel Kepner; Piano Solo, “Valse,” Pearl Aldrich; Recitation, “Charge of San Juan,” William Dresser; Essay, “The San Francisco School Question,” Clifford Gardner; Presentation of County Diplomas, County Supt. Ellen Mattson; Song, “The Tide of Life” by the Chorus.

From the morning of June 1 to the forenoon of June 5, the case of Putnam vs. Prouty was heard in district court. The jury brought in a verdict for the defendant in the amount of $340.

On Sunday, June 2, the Baccalaureate Sermon, “Add to Your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge,” for the graduates of Phillips Academy was delivered by Rev. Edmund March Vittum of the Fargo College at the Opera House. Mrs. A.J. Larkin came down from Martin, N.D., to visit her parents Mr. and Mrs. R.U. Austin and family. Sumner Engberg drove up from Barlow in the new automobile he had recently purchased in Jamestown. Sheriff George F. Fahrer and O.G. Cooling left for a week in Fargo, where they would take degrees of the Scottish Rite.

On June 3 two conversion cases were heard in district court [a conversion occurs when someone interferes intentionally with personal property belonging to someone else]: P.J. Hester vs. Great Western Elevator Co. – Maddux & Rinker for plaintiff, Ball, Watson, Young & Hardy of Fargo for defendant, and P.J. Hester vs. Gribbin Alair Elevator Co. – Maddux & Rinker for plaintiff, S.E. Ellsworth for defendant. Ray Tompkins came down from Oberon, visited with his former Phillips Academy classmates, attended the graduation ceremonies on June 5, and returned home on June 6. E.R. Davidson went to the Twin Cities on business. Teacher Miss Millicent Wiche/Weibe left for the summer vacation at her Kindred, N.D., home. Mrs. A.C. Olsen and her sister Miss Ada Schmidt, who had been visiting, went to Jamestown, where Mrs. Olsen would visit her parents. That evening the Eddy County Eighth Grade Graduation Exercises were scheduled to be held, but since no mention was made in the “Transcript” of such an event occurring, the exercises referred to might be the ones on June 4. That evening Rev. L.F. Crawford of Sentinel Butte gave the Phillips Academy Commencement Address at the Opera House; his theme was “Service, the World’s Legal Tender.” Also that evening Conrad Lundquist took the 3rd Degree at a meeting of the Masons.

On June 3 and 4, Halver P. Halverson was down from northwest of town on a social and business visit. From June 4 to 6, Mr. and Mrs. William Bartholomew of Pingree were in town; they attended the Phillips Academy graduation, in which their daughter Zoa was a graduate, and visited as the guests of Mr. and Mrs. D.M. Stegenga.