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IMAGES
From
Nostalgiaville |
NOTE: A Click of your Mouse on most of the pictures will enlarge them for better viewing
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NEW TOWN, NORTH DAKOTA |
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HISTORY OF NEW TOWN
| THE HISTORY OF FRED La ROCQUE...
as told by his son, Jene LaRocque Fred was born in the year of 1889 at Devils Lake, ND. After five years of going to school there, he packed his bags and ran away. He drifted north for awhile into Canada. He settled at Swift Current, Saskatchewan and started in the cattle business. As time went on, he had his sister Edith come and live with him. They spent several years there. They would drive the cattle across the border to Saco, Montana to ship the cattle by railroad to the Chicago packing plants. |
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Fred came down with Brits Disease and Diabetes, the Canadian doctors gave him 90 days to live. Fred heard of a Chicago health clinic by the name of McFardens and went there. He spent 6 months there and he said he was cured. Fred met and married Bertha (Berd) Northern in 1916. |
| Fred and Berd lived in Canada for 2 more years then moved
to the Missouri River at Eight Point, Montana, about forty miles from Jorden,
Montana. There was lots of good hayland and plenty of pasture, and while
living along the river bottom, Fred started his bee business and ran it along
with cattle. In 1918, a girl, Freddie, was born and in 1920 a boy, Jene, was born. I think we got our mail at Haxby, Montana, about 12 miles from the river. Fred got acquainted with an old river boat captain by the name of Ira Slosen, and In 1923 Fred put all of his belongings on the ferry boat, including the hives of bees and shoved off. He stopped at White City Flats down along the river from Charlsen, ND. The family lived there for two years and then moved to Sanish, ND. Fred practiced veterinary services for all the farmers around the country, and all this time he was building up his bee business. He had around 200 hives at the last and had to quit them during World War II, due to the sugar rationing. After the war, he went into a partnership with his son and Charles Stewart, the father of his son's wife, Velma. Together they bought the bar of Perry Goodal. Fred operated the bar until the Garrison Dam flooded the town land. While living at Sanish, Fred was one of the founders of the Sanish Rodeo and was one of the first of the board of directors. The partnership dissolved, and in 1954 Fred built the S and L Bar and Cafe just east of New Town and a small house for him and Berd. Mutual friends got together and formed Fifty Years in the Saddle Club. The first meeting was held at Fred and Berds home. Fred was elected the first president of the club. At New Town, Fred got the idea of building Earl Bunyan. At the time, the oil boom was going strong across the river and a lot of the ruffnecks would spend a lot of time at the bar. The welders and other men helped put Earl together. Earl's arms and legs were built from discarded drill stems. Wagon tires were used for his chest and hips. Other metals were used for his frame work. Chicken wire encased the whold thing, then a good coat of cement over that. Earl is 3 times the size of a 6 foot 6inch man. The man that was used as a model for Earl was Earl Foreman. |
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Fred sold the bar and cafe and then built and operated a
small museum until his death. The theme of the museum centered around the
life and times of cowboys. Fred built Earl Bunyan to be something to
commemorate the cowboy of now and the cowboy of years past. Fred passed away in 1961 and his wife Berd passed away in 1965. Both are at rest at the base of Earl Bunyan. |
DOWNTOWN NEW TOWN
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CHURCHES IN NEW TOWN
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| St Anthony's Catholic Church | Gospel Tabernacle |
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| Bethel Lutheran Church | No Name Church | New Town Baptist Church |
WOLF'S TRADING POST
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When you see these signs directing you to Wolf's Trading Post, you know you will find a fun place to visit down the road... and I did. |
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PARKS IN NEW TOWN
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| I found a couple of giant petrified tree stumps in the park |
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| AAMODT PARK |
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This paved bicycle/ walking trail runs west from the edge of New Town about five miles to 4 Bears Casino. The trail passes through scenic areas and across the Missouri River on a long bridge. |
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LEWIS & CLARK NATURE TRAIL |
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There was a major problem with this Area. The water level in the lake was about 50 vertical feet below the level where the dock had once been. |
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This old steam engine, located to the right of the main highway traveling west, was restored to a like new condition. |
| NEW TOWN MARINA & RECREATION AREA |
SIGNS TO REMEMBER NEW TOWN
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