History of New Rockford: January 6, 2025

On July 9, 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ackerman returned from two weeks in Minneapolis. H.J. Mitchell returned from a few days at the Chautauqua; his family remained there. Mrs. R.P. Allison went to Jamestown to visit her son and his family. Mr. and Mrs. H.F. Rodenberg and family left to visit relatives in Leonard and Casselton; he returned on July 22, but his family remained for a while longer. Will Utz went to Beach, near which he had a homestead. Mrs. A.E. Swanson and her young daughter returned to Barlow after visiting Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Severtson during the races. Mont Biggs left for a summer with relatives in Indiana, but he returned on July 30. College Belle, Dr. MacLachlan’s racing mare, won all three heats of a trotting race at Valley City against five other trotters. That evening around 15 friends surprised O.G. Cooling with a birthday party at his Lamborn Ave. East residence.

From July 9 to 12, Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Kunkle were at the Chautauqua; he also attended a Retail Jewelers’ meeting in Devils Lake.

On July 10 Mr. and Mrs. Pat Byron and two sons came up from near Barlow on business and to visit. Mrs. J.C. Smith and Mr. and Mrs. B.W. Rantz went to the Chautauqua. State’s Attorney R.P. Allison went to Esmond to see his sons and their families for a few days and then go to the Chautauqua. Anton Haas took the train to Minneapolis. Miss Alma Riggle went to Minneapolis to visit relatives. Miss Maggie VanScholack returned to her home at Edmunds after visiting friends for a week. Dr. Charles Culver, who had been visiting with his parents Captain and Mrs. C.H. Culver for five weeks, returned to Sioux Falls, S.D.

On July 11 Dean Newton of Webster City, Iowa, arrived to visit his uncle and aunt Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Weaver; Weaver was the manager of the North Dakota Lumber Co. in New Rockford and obtained the manager’s position for the North Dakota Lumber Co. in Sheyenne for his nephew. Miss Rhoda Miller returned to her home near Bordulac after a week’s visit with her aunt Mrs. Andrew Ohrner; Miss Lilly Ohrner accompanied her and would remain for the summer. College Belle, Dr. MacLachlan’s mare, won a stake race in Valley City; so far she had won over $600. That evening from 5 to 8 o’clock, an automobile dinner was held with guests being driven from place to place for the various courses in the community’s automobiles. Adults, 50 cents; children under 12, 25 cents. Proceeds went to the Methodist Church.

The July 12, 1907, “Transcript” described the automobile supper the previous evening sponsored by the ladies of the Methodist Church. Tickets were sold at the downtown park and the hungry people were taken by automobile to Mrs. H.G. Hudson’s (representing Scotland), who served them Scotch broth and scones. They next went to an English-Irish course at Mrs. P.H. West’s with English roast beef, Irish potatoes and gravy, pickles and some other English-Irish delicacies. The autos then drove the diners to Mrs. A.H. Healy’s for some “Down East” cuisine: pork and beans, Boston Brown Bread, and tea. The next stop was “Canada” at Mrs. H.W. Wilson’s with pie, cheese and tea. The last destination was at Mrs. C.F. Culp’s, where a taste of Norway was found in coffee and cake.

A 400 lb. dark brown Shetland pony mare had strayed from the pasture of H.H. Miller.

John Anderson and Robert O’Neill were having F.C. Davies put cement sidewalks along their properties on Stimson Avenue East. Road Supervisor George W. Johnston had been working on the roads leading to New Rockford and on the city streets; he was paying particular attention to the portion of Villard Avenue between the Hotel Brown and the “Provost” office, which had a reputation for becoming very muddy during a rain.

Frank Treffry had resumed his old position in the H. Peoples & Co. general store.

During the week W.G. Carter and his daughter went to the Chautauqua.

At 3 a.m. July 12, the State Militia boys passed through New Rockford on their way to their annual encampment on Devils Lake; Surgeon General Dr. Charles MacLachlan joined them. Ray Tompkins came down from Oberon to visit friends. Mrs. H.J. Rowe returned to Tiffany after a week’s business and pleasure visit to Cando. John R. Winslow went to the Twin Cities to visit; he returned on July 22.

On July 12 and until noon on July 13, Fargo optician D.D. Sullivan was at Kunkel’s Jewelry Store.

Former residents [1903-1905] veterinarian and Mrs. F.R. Patterson had left McHenry to live in Montana.

Recently George Pryor and Mary Snook were married in Burnsville, Minn., at the home of her parents Mr. and Mrs. John Snook; they returned to their farm in eastern Eddy County. The bride had lived in New Rockford for three or four years.

On July 13 Marshall Miller, who had been studying at the Mankato Commercial College in Winona, Minn., arrived to work again at the H.H. Miller Meat Market. Mrs. E.E. Alair and Ollie and Harry Rowe returned from the Chautauqua. John D. Carroll of Washington Lake was in town for the first time in several months. Mrs. C.F. Davies arrived to visit her son F.C. Davies and family. At 1 p.m. the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Farmers’ Elevator Company of New Rockford was held in the courthouse. S.N. Putnam was the secretary. Mrs. Minnie Ohrner left for Harried, S.D., and a visit with her brother and family. Miss Anna Haskell and Miss Carolyn Waters went to the Chautauqua. Miss Marie Berg, a waitress at the Hotel Brown, went to visit her parents near Pingree.

On July 15 Mrs. B.W. Rantz left for Fargo after receiving a telegram from Mrs. C.G. Fairbanks saying her husband had died in a hospital in Spokane, Wash., the result of a stomach tumor; the remains arrived in Tower City on July 20. [Rev. C.G. Fairbanks had served as the Methodist pastor in New Rockford, May 1897-April 1899.] About a year before his death, he had given up his pastoral duties and began working with the Kerr Immigration Co. in Fargo. He was survived by his wife and two sons. Mrs. Rantz returned on July 23.

On July 15 Thomas Lahart, an agent for the Gribbin-Alair Grain Co. of New Rockford, left on a business trip to Montana. Lawrence Prader and Paul Baeder went to a meeting of retail merchants and stopped at the Chautauqua on their way home. D.Y. Stanton went to the races in Jamestown, where he entered three horses: Bell Stanton, Baron Directum, and Jessie Patch. That afternoon Mrs. Valentine Fertig’s mother and two sisters arrived from Arcadia, Wisc., for a surprise visit; they left on July 29. Postmaster M.F. Kepner accepted a position as a collector for the Robinson Miller Vehicle Co. of Minneapolis; the post office would be run by assistant postmaster Mrs. M.F. Kepner and two clerks: Miss Hazel Kepner and Miss Sarah West.