The unavailability of newspapers from the early years of Foster County makes it difficult to learn much about the entertainment and recreation opportunities during the first decade of its existence. It is known from Mrs. J. R. McKenzie's reminiscences that there was an active social life in Carrington from the very beginning and at no time was the city devoid of cultural and social activities. In an interview published on September 20, 1928, she states, "The amusements and entertainments were along the usual lines. After the erection of the first Kirkwood Hotel some attractive social affairs were held there: one very elaborate ball. There were concerts and church affairs such as suppers, pink teas, donation parties, etc., and I think some card fiends were in town as far back as that. I believe that whist and euchre were the popular games then. There were also some plays given and ever-present road shows one-night stands." In another place she mentions, "We had an organized dramatic club and produced from two to three plays of merit every winter. The first piano in the court house, then our place of amusement, was purchased by this club. The greater portion of the proceeds of these entertainments were devoted to charity. Like all amateur dramatic performers we were possessed with the desire 'to go on the road' and these played were also produced at Jamestown, New Rockford and Sykeston, with Mr. C.K. Wing our advance agent as well as one of our star performers."
The rural people, some of them a long way from town, could not participate much in these activities. Their social life, such as it was, consisted of get-togethers in their homes and schoolhouses whenever blizzards and storms in the winter and the hard work of raising their crops did not interfere. The reminiscences of some of the pioneers often mention such affairs. Weddings were usually celebrated with a dance, and sometimes with charivaris (shivarees).
As early as 1883 Alton G. Covell recorded in his diary that he attended a professional variety show in Jamestown on July 10, 1883, for which he paid 25ยข for admission. Files of newspapers are on hand from 1894 on, except for 1895, and these are the chief sources of information concerning entertainment, cultural and otherwise, since then. There were many kinds- road shows, plays, minstrels, vaudeville, concerts, lectures, chautauquas, medicine shows, Tom shows, dances, circuses and performances by local people staged by groups not only in Carrington but also in the smaller towns as well. Many of these "Home Talent" shows were not reported so any story is necessarily incomplete.
Two notices of entertainments are found in the 1894 newspapers. A magic lantern show was given at the courthouse by a Mr. Reitson on May 31. The admission was 15 cents for adults and ten cents for children. On June 14 the Independent reported that Reed and Wantling's Colored Jubilee Singers gave a good performance.
Nothing is known of happenings in 1895, but in 1896 a number of programs presented are mentioned in the Independent: On January 25 Leo Johnston's Plantation Minstrel Show appeared; on July 6 the Hope Concert Troupe performed at the Courthouse and later that month the Oregon Indian Medicine Company performed in Bisset's Hall. The August 7 issue reports that "They gave a good performance and sold quite a lot of medicine." The location of Bisset's Hall has not been ascertained. (John Bisset, born in Scotland, was an 1883 arrival in Carrington and managed pool halls and hotels until his death in 1905, aged about 55. ) Later that year, on September 30, Professor Ferguson "The noted elocutionary artist" gave a performance at the hall, admission was 10 and 25 cents. The Moore and Worth Comedy Company presented a minstrel show in the Courthouse: "Some of the singing was good and the whole performance was as good as colored troupes give." The incomplete file of the newspapers for 1897 report only one entertainment, an open air concert by the Tress Company on April 8.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page